Why didn't they just make him wear a scarlet A?

[_Mercury]

A is for...Apostate.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/98035

This pisses me off to no end. The Mormon buffoons in Mesa are announcing excommunication proceedings for Lyndon Lamborn throughout his stake.

So defenders of the faith, why is this being done besides using it as a spiteful tactic to get others to shun him?

This is abhorrent behavior and is an example of why this corporation masquerading as a religion needs to be taken down by any means necessary.

[_Sethbag]

They say, however, church members must be protected from what discordant ex-followers may say to damage the church.

What's really interesting about this statement is what it actually means in this context.

This guy Lamborn finds out about Joseph Smith's 33+ wives, the polyandry and all that, and quite a few other things he'd never known before. And now the church membership of his stake must be protected from finding out the same things. So they discredit him in church meeting with "excommunicated for apostasy" despite his already having told the Stake President earlier than he wanted to leave the church, and do it quietly. Why must the church membership be "protected" from information about Joseph Smith that's actually true? If what Lamborn researched and found out is actually true, how is it protecting anyone to hide it, or to discredit him in members' eyes?

It's really odd that this Stake President informed Lamborn that he'd have a letter read out in Priesthood and Relief Society in all 8 wards in the stake informating everyone that this guy had apostatized and been exed. You'd think they were warning people that a sex offender had moved in next door or something. Geez.

[_moksha]

The overreaction on the part of his local Church made this a news worthy story. Otherwise, it is a story of a person no longer believing what his Church teaches - which happens to folks from all faiths throughout the world.

[_The Nehor]

I've only heard of it being announced before when an individual is actively preaching against the Church. You don't get the luxury of quietly leaving the Church under those circumstances.

Why do we want false teachers shunned? Check out the Bible or Book of Mormon some time Merc. If he went quietly away he wouldn't be 'shunned'. Glad to hear that my Church must be taken down by 'any means necessary'. I now know to duck if I see you wandering down my street with a shotgun.

[Guest]

Thanks for the heads up, Merc. I live here in Mesa and am firm on resigning before this BS happens to my family. In my opinion, they are making an example of Lambourne and his family to frighten others from taking his course of action. It is not just to protect other members from satan's influence, it's to protect their craft and the BS side of their way of life.

Lambournes story reads like it came from my own journal. My quest began at familysearch.org as well.

Hirschi said he has never been in a meeting in his own 20 years as a Mormon where a public announcement about an excommunication has been made. He said he had only heard of one being made in a neighboring stake.

Hirschi is either a liar or dismally uninformed. Though it was 20 years ago, my sister's excommunication was announced in both Priesthood and Relief Society before I, my grandparents and parents were aware of it previous to the meetings. Instead of using her married name, she was referred to by her maiden name. She resided in our ward bounderies.

It is akin to the police neglecting to notify next of kin before releasing details of a fatality to the press.

My sister had asked to be excommunicated because she no longer believed in Joseph Smith not because she had confessed to any excommunicatable offence. She was no threat to anyone at the time. But somehow, it was important to church leaders to make it a direct reflection on those in her family that remained "faithful". I had returned from an honorable mission just 3 weeks previous.

After reading the article to my (TBM) wife tonight, my resignation letter will be sooner than later - it's the lesser of the two embarrassments to my family.

I'm quite upset about this.

edited to rephrase: I am pissed as hell about this

[_rain-mom]

I've only heard of it being announced before when an individual is actively preaching against the Church. You don't get the luxury of quietly leaving the Church under those circumstances.

Why do we want false teachers shunned? Check out the Bible or Book of Mormon some time Merc. If he went quietly away he wouldn't be 'shunned'. Glad to hear that my Church must be taken down by 'any means necessary'. I now know to duck if I see you wandering down my street with a shotgun.

Nehor, your comments would be hilarious if they weren't so pathetic. Who would Jesus shun? You should read the man's entire story. I just finished reading it and he states that he told his
leader(s) (I use the term loosely) privately that he wanted to leave the church. This SP then started disciplinary action.

Seriously, read his research and then respond to his issues. Why don't you respond to each issue by bullet point on this forum? I'd find that fascinating reading.

His SP's behavior is typical, patriarical douchbaggery. I'm personally thrilled his SP is behaving this way. This kind of PR is just what is needed with the Mittster running for Pres. It shows exactly what kind of organization Romney is devoted to.

[_The Nehor]

I've only heard of it being announced before when an individual is actively preaching against the Church. You don't get the luxury of quietly leaving the Church under those circumstances.

Why do we want false teachers shunned? Check out the Bible or Book of Mormon some time Merc. If he went quietly away he wouldn't be 'shunned'. Glad to hear that my Church must be taken down by 'any means necessary'. I now know to duck if I see you wandering down my street with a shotgun.

Nehor, your comments would be hilarious if they weren't so pathetic. Who would Jesus shun? You should read the man's entire story. I just finished reading it and he states that he told his
leader(s) (I use the term loosely) privately that he wanted to leave the church. This SP then started disciplinary action.

Seriously, read his research and then respond to his issues. Why don't you respond to each issue by bullet point on this forum? I'd find that fascinating reading.

His SP's behavior is typical, patriarical douchbaggery. I'm personally thrilled his SP is behaving this way. This kind of PR is just what is needed with the Mittster running for Pres. It shows exactly what kind of organization Romney is devoted to.

Who would Jesus shun? Let's see. Pharisees, Sadduccees, Herod 'the fox'. Those who abided in sin.

Glad I gave you a laugh as long as you ignore the patheticism. Yes, I'm sure that despite my life's experience with dozens of Stake Presidents and Bishops that his is in fact a total jerk and without any provocation set out to humiliate him and his family for the sheer fun of it or because if heads don't roll the shaking masses might rise up to thoughts of revolution. He didn't quietly leave the Church. He actively attacked it and it's leaders BEFORE he left. It's not hard to leave the Church. Getting the Church out of the person seems to take forever.

Watch for the follow-up story. The Danites are going to take him out in the next week.

[_Pokatator]

Hey everyone take a deep breath.

The church just had a "Court of Love".

Now they're all just trying to love this man back into the church. That's all.

[_Dr. Shades]

In the "Comments" section, Mr. Lamborn himself made the following comment:

These latest comments are spot-on. If the LDS church is serious about mainstreaming, these 'Gestapo' tactics really need to be eliminated. It is a weak organization that needs to be 'protected' from facts and alternate opinions.

As with most news stories, what wasn't told is actually more interesting. When I first confronted my bishop about my findings and questions, he immediately went into 'damage control' mode. I mentioned in confidentiality that I had been discussing the issues with my brothers. The following week, my bishop had contacted the bishops of ALL my brothers, and they each received a visit from the 'Men In Black'. I honestly felt I was in 1939 Nazi Germany. Real life is stranger than fiction!

Lyndon Lamborn

Who are these "Men in Black" that visited his brothers? Their bishops or home teachers, I assume? If it was anyone other than them, what did they say, I wonder?

[_The Nehor]

In the "Comments" section, Mr. Lamborn himself made the following comment:

These latest comments are spot-on. If the LDS church is serious about mainstreaming, these 'Gestapo' tactics really need to be eliminated. It is a weak organization that needs to be 'protected' from facts and alternate opinions.

As with most news stories, what wasn't told is actually more interesting. When I first confronted my bishop about my findings and questions, he immediately went into 'damage control' mode. I mentioned in confidentiality that I had been discussing the issues with my brothers. The following week, my bishop had contacted the bishops of ALL my brothers, and they each received a visit from the 'Men In Black'. I honestly felt I was in 1939 Nazi Germany. Real life is stranger than fiction!

Lyndon Lamborn

Who are these "Men in Black" that visited his brothers? Their bishops or home teachers, I assume? If it was anyone other than them, what did they say, I wonder?

I covered one of the brothers. We came bearing green jello and funeral potatos laced with depressants. Luckily in this case the Danites did not see serious dissension and no terminations were made. Their phones are bugged of course though.

I don't see anything sinister here. His brothers were all visited. That's because they care about them. If I found out my brother was exposed to a lot of anti-Mormon material from any source I'd want to talk it out with him. 'Damage Control Mode' doesn't sound so bad when you consider the man in question was actively seeking to damage people's testimonies. I think his metaphor is a little overblown. In 1939 Nazi Germany you had a tendency to get shot not visited by people wearing suits with a lesson out of a religious magazine.