Back in 1978, a friend of mine got ex'd. I was talking to her today and we got on the subject of resignations and I was telling her about about the letter I got telling me I was out.

She said she never got any kind of letter. She wondered 1-whether letters were available back then for excommunicated folks and 2-if so, could she get a copy of her letter by contacting the membership department. She now considers her excommunication a badge of honor.

Thoughts?

I was exed about that time (1970s) at my own request (resignations were unknown then).

I got a long letter from the local bishop telling me that I had been exed in absentia.

Those letters are issued at the local level, and the paperwork that is sent to SLC includes the minutes of the council, but I don't know whether the letter is there too.

So I would start with a letter to the leader who did it (this wouldn't be passed on to successors either), requesting that he doesn't still have a copy, who else would? (Be sure to state that you never got it at the time: it was supposed to have been hand delivered by two members, or sent certified, if I recall correctly.)

Does she know for certain that she was excommunicated?

The membership department does not have access to disciplinary information.

Letters have been standard since at least the 1960s, and probably well before that. I suppose Member Records would have it, though it may be off in archival storage by now. It was probably a paper copy and was microfilmed.

And she may find out she was never exed, she just thought she was. Which means she can resign!

I was under the impression that the membership department knew everything about everybody. I thought I read here that the member's record was noted that they were excommunicated if that was the case.

I doubt very much if the old bishop from nearly 40 years ago is still alive.

She knows she was excommunicated.

Just because she knows she was excommunicated doesn't mean Member Records knows about it. She needs to contact them to find out what their records indicate. Then if there is a discrepancy between her recollection and their records, she can straighten it out.

My friend got ex'd around 1975 for being pregnant and unmarried.
She received a letter telling her she was not a member and had been excommunicated. She kept the letter.

A few years ago mormons show up on her porch and tell her she is still a member of the church. She told them she isn't and still has her excommunication letter.

Her experience makes me believe any and all membership numbers are totally bogus. Now the church doesn't excommunicate teens for being pregnant before getting married.
I think tscc thought they would add her back onto the rolls.
She told them No Thank you.

Ex'ing women for being pregnant and unmarried - just what Jesus would do - yeah right...