Another prophet, Harold B. Lee, once said, "The heaviest burden that one has to bear in this life is the burden of sin."

Those members of the Church who transgress serious moral laws are dealt with by the courts of the church in a loving, understanding and kind fashion. If the acts of the individual are serious and it is obvious that there is no true repentance or remorse from the individual, they could face excommunication from the Church.

Excommunication has very serious consequences. The person's name is removed from the records of the church so that he or she is no longer recognized as a member. Every blessing of the gospel is lost, and unless that person truly repents and gains his or her status once again, they cannot inherit the celestial kingdom and glory of God. The aim of a church court is to encourage repentance, and help people follow the gospel teachings. True and complete repentance can be a long and painful process. It can take many years. The person must recognize their sin and feel "godly sorrow" for what they have done. They must genuinely feel deep, sincere and heartfelt sorrow. They must confess their sin appropriately, to the person against whom they sinned, and in serious cases, to the church leadership. They must completely abandon the sin and do everything in their power to make restitution for the loss they have caused by committing the sin.

If a person does commit a sin and then repents, and then afterwards returns to their sin, their repentance process is insincere and incomplete.

In cases where the actions of the individual violate civil law, they must be subjected to criminal prosecution by civil authorities as well as excommunication from the Church.

I might add that the abuse of a child, in any way, is a serious transgression. "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:6)

There are other forms of discipline less severe than excommunication that may be utilized by local Church authorities to help people obey the teachings of Jesus Christ and to conduct their lives appropriately.

It is an eternal principle that God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. Those who refuse to accept the long and painful process of repentance must suffer the consequences and endure the burdens of their sin.

Thanks for the question,

Sincerely,

Donny Osmond


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