Ordination record of former bishop

[aplucinik]

A brother in my stake brought it to my attention that his membership record properly shows that he was ordained a bishop in 1988 but it doesn’t show who ordained him.

I have looked at other brethren in the stake who have been bishops and their membership record show who ordained them but they were all ordained much more recently.

Just asking for an explanation for this difference in a former bishop’s ordination record. Is it because the church was not recording who ordains a bishop prior to a certain year? Were they not recording this information back in 1988?

[russellhltn]

Is it because the church was not recording who ordains a bishop prior to a certain year? Were they not recording this information back in 1988?

Quite possible. I know there was a time period when the church stopped recording "by whom" for everything, but then realized that for priesthood ordinations, it was kinda needed. That might be around the tail end of that.

[scgallafent]

If the bishop has a record of who ordained him, you can submit that to the Global Service Center and they will update the record.

[mevans]

If you go back to that time period, records weren't maintained as well as they are now. You used the DOS program and/or mailed things to Salt Lake. Salt Lake mailed back membership records that were on paper and stored in a file box. The church's computer systems also didn't have the business rule checks the way they do today. I was a ward clerk in the early 1990s and it was somewhat common to find inaccuracies on records because of all the manual effort to update them. I remember someone who had just returned from a mission. His record showed he was endowed and had served a mission, but his priesthood office was Priest. The church's systems are greatly improved now. Business rules enforce doctrine and policy from the Handbooks.