Not once did I ever feel that the Church closed its doors to me while I was going through my “time out”. The church leaders were very loving and concerned towards both myself and my husband. They would call to see if everything was all right, was there anything they could help us with, did we need blessings of comfort etc. Christ forgave me the second I said I was sorry for what I had done/not done. But there are steps to repentance, recognizing you are doing wrong, repenting of it, and then not doing it again. Bishops did not come up with this plan. Christ implemented it Himself.

Not once have I felt in the last 3 years or during the year I was disfellowshipped that I was being punished or scared into doing what was right. I always have the freedom of choice to stay where I am or leave. No one is holding a gun to my head. I willingly went to speak with my leaders when I came back and willingly opened up my heart. At all times I felt safe and secure. I felt and knew I was loved and was given compassion.

Just as we as parents discipline our children when they do wrong so do our leaders. I have been in the Bp/SP offices on more then many occasions (not all mine ) when disciplinary action had to be taken and NOT ONCE was it ever “doled out” in anything but a kind and loving manner. Not once.

When I commented that I now give 110% of my time and energies… that isn’t just now I do it to keep on the good graces. I have always done that in all my callings over all the years. When I could not hold a calling for my year I did help out where I could. Not once was I told to “do this or that”. I was asked if I could help and was always given the option to assist someone in need. No I do not just help out in our ward and stake. I assist people with their family history. I help out in our local library to read to children. I help out in my community with the elderly. I am the same way at home and in my life as I am at church. I am the same woman on Sundays as the rest of the week.

I am grateful for my experience. It has taught me that Christ does still love me, he will always forgive me and that he died for the sins I did commit in my years of temporary insanity.

I do not follow your logic here – Where is God’s open arms when the church closes itself from you? Are you promoting the theory of punishment (torture) as being a form of love?

Sally’s experiences might be called a form of Love but perhaps it was really more punishment to scare her into behaving the way LDS leaders want her to. When I was a child, my father would spake us and the emotional scars are still there while all the punishment really did was scare us children into obeying his rules.

I do not recall reading where Jesus preached disfellowship as a part of the religion he started. I can recall where he forgave and told people to sin no more but I do not recall disfellowship being practiced by Jesus.

I am glad that you had the courage to write about something as taboo as being disfellowshiped. I would be interested in reading/discussing how you were able to plod forward and how you believe that it took such and act for Jesus to forgive you for whatever really happened.

I could have came back and not told a soul about any misdeeds instead staying everything had been peachy kean. But I know that would have been false. It had been my choice 100% completely to go and see my Bishop. I was not disfellowshipped for not attending meetings due to illness. What I was disfellowshipped for is between my husband, my bishop and the Lord.

I am thankul I went through what I did. I value my temple recommend, I treasure my membership in the churh and you would be hard pressed to find anyone in our wards that would say I did not give 110% of my time talents and energies. And I do it because I am loved and because that was what the Lord needed for me to do for myself.

I am sorry you feel that it was not deserved or needed. It was deserved.

you would need to be active for a year before regaining your temple recommend

There is no set time for reactivated members to wait before receiving a temple recommend. It varies with each situation.

I was not aware a person/couple could or would be disfellowshipped for not attending services especially when illness was also involved. I guess if you can be disfellowshipped for something as simple as allowing your children to attend a non LDS cub scout pack then non attendance would also fit right in.

It does seems strange for the Bishop to hold a church court since you would need to be active for a year before regaining your temple recommend so I do not understand the purpose of this kind of punishment for someone who wants to start attending again.

I remember 1 1/2 years ago on this blog when I wrote about some of the things I had experience via LDS leaders were discounted by some and now I believe the stories I have read here this month about being disfellowshipped over cub scout attendance and non attendance make my experiences seem mild.

Sally must be a true Pioneer in every sense of the word to be able to plod on with such tribulations to endure for a religion.

Interesting how many allergies surface in mid-life. That is when I got my chocolate allergy.

Gluten, though, can be a killer. I’m glad it was diagnosed in time.