AboutHannah Expertise I can answer questions concerning standard doctrines, scriptures, curiousities, Mormon culture and society. I will not respond to debates. I'm sorry, but there are some things that I simply will not answer, not because I don't want to, but there are some things that the LDS people do not discuss casually--it's only talked about within the temple. Though I am a member, I do not believe that anyone could convert anyone to a religion over something as impersonal as the internet. So I won't even try to.
Experience I have been a member of the LDS church for 8 years. Though I'm still a young person, I can answer most things about the church.
Expert: Hannah Date: 3/23/2008 Subject: On being excommunicated.
Question QUESTION: I'm researching Mormonism for a school project and someone told me that the one of the reasons one would be excommunicated would be for being homosexual. Is that true? I've tried researching it online but I'm not even sure how to go about finding it.
Thank you.
ANSWER: There isn't exactly a "list" of things that will get you excommunicated. Excommunication is a process that is very delicate, where the High Council will meet, and decide on an action. There is however, per se, a list of things that would cause the High Council to consider excommunication. Among these, illegal actions, polygamy, and sexual sins (though only in the situation of those under temple covenants--those who are teenagers for example, sexual sin is an issue with the bishop and the person). The church does consider homosexuality to be a sin, and finds all those who are in the practice of it, to be sinning. Note: The attraction is a temptation, the action is the sin. The church considers homosexual actions possible grounds for excommunication. A misunderstanding about excommunication: excommunication does not mean that you are gone forever. It just means that part of this repentance process requires for you to be taken from the presence of God for a moment. It requires you to be RE-baptized. It does not bar you from rebaptism. You can choose to not rebaptize, but that option is always there after full repentance. I can't find it, but I have in the past (don't know what's up with my skills today on the LDS Church News Archives), but the LDS Church News once published an article on what the Church advised those with homosexual feelings to do.
Hope I helped and don't hesitate to follow-up.
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QUESTION: Thank you so much.. that did clear things up. Also, I realized after I had already sent my question in that I didn't ask exactly what excommunication entails. Is it just with the Church or will this include family?
Answer Excommunication is simply that you are no longer a member of the church, and that you are no longer affiliated with the church. A lot of families, it's a hard thing, but it doesn't mean that you're broken from your family. And as I said, it also doesn't mean that you're forever away from the church. It does however mean, that any covenants and ordinances that you have made or taken part in are no longer valid, and you must retake those covenants. This is different from disfellowship, which is the loss of the privilege to enter the temple or take part in the sacrament until your full membership is reinstated (until you have fully repented).
