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MORMON CHURCH
The judicial system of the Mormon Church isdescribed in detail in its General Handbook of Instructionat pages 51-64. Situations when a Church Court may beconvened include:"1. Open opposition to and deliberate violation of the rules and regulations of the Church (includingassociating with apostate cults or advocating theirdoctrines)."The decisions a court can reach are to: take noaction; probation, disfellowship, or excommunication.Disfellowship means that the person loses certain rightsto speak or pray publicly or vote in church affairs, thoughhe can still attend public meetings and is expected to, inorder to get himself back into good standing. A person whois excommunicated is no longer a member."He is not entitled to speak or offer a publicprayer, partake of the sacrament, sustain or voteagainst Church officers, participate in any way if in attendance at priesthood meetings, hold a templerecommend, hold any office in the Church, or attendany meeting of Church officers. Excommunicatedpersons may, however, attend meetings in theconsolidated meeting schedule, and public conferencesessions, if their conduct is orderly, but they may nottake any active part in such meetings. An excommunicated person should be encouraged to repentand live the gospel standards to prepare himself forbaptism. In cases of murder or transsexual operations,either received or performed, however, no readmission tothe Church is possible." A person who has been disfellowshipped orexcommunicated can be reinstated. However, if a
 
person was disfellowshipped for "advocating orteaching the doctrines of apostate sects that practiceplural marriage, or affiliating with such groups",written approval is needed from the FirstPresidency (the highest ecclesiastical quorum in theChurch) before the person can be reinstated.To be reinstated after excommunication:
if . ..
requires intense repentance, a life of worthiness since the excommunication, and thepassage of sufficient time to demonstrate that apermanent change has taken place."The person must apply to the Church Court again forreinstatement and this court can recommend hisbaptism unless the person's "excommunication was forone of the following reasons:1. Advocating or teaching the doctrines of apostate sects that practice plural marriage, oraffiliating with such groups."In such cases the person must submit
an
 Application for Readmission into the Church tothe Office of the First Presidency who will onlygrant readmission after the person has beeninterviewed and found to be repentant and worthy.In general, the"children of persons excommunicated for practicingso-called plural marriage may not be baptized untilthey have enough understanding of the gospel to ask for baptism. They must accept the teachings anddoctrines of the Church and repudiate thedoctrinal teachings of their parents that causedtheir parents' excommunication."The most sacred ordinances of the Mormon faith are
 
conducted only in their temples and no one is admitted to thetemple without a Temple Recommend. Temple Recommendsare issued only after the person has been interviewed byhis bishop and found to be "worthy":"Bishops must take exceptional care in issuingrecommends to members whose parents belong to orsympathize with apostate groups. Such members mustdemonstrate clearly that they are free of any influencefrom their parents' religious ideas.They must accept the teachings and doctrines of theChurch and repudiate the doctrinal teachings of theirparents that caused their parents' excommunication."The Mormon Church has also practiced censorship withregard to scholars who dissent against or challenge officialdoctrine or history. According to an article in the New York Times Magazine of January 12, 1986: “…
 
in the early 1980's ... Mormon elders orderedthe closing of certain church archives to scholars theyregarded as unfriendly to the church. They alsodisbanded a team of professional historians that EzraBenson, then an apostle, had condemned for attempting'to inordinately humanize the prophets of God so thattheir human frailties become more evident than theirspiritual qualities.'Davis Bitton, a history professor at the University of Utahand a member of the church historical team that wasdissolved in 1982, said members had been allowedconsiderable freedom early in the group's 10-yearexistence. But as time passed, they were progressivelydenied access to certain documents and churchauthorities increasingly pressured them not topublish work on topics such as polygamy that mightembarrass the modern church. They were also forced to'sanitize' reports that might show early church leaders
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