Communication outside stake leadership

[simpleguy19]

I have been asking a question to my local leadership and have been getting responses which do not address the question. I would like to reach out past my bishop and stake president. Is this possible?

[RyanGard1977]

Next up would be the Area Authority 70 member assigned to your Stake. Gotta run it up the flagpole.

[BrianEdwards]

General Handbook 38.8.25 discusses member communication with General Authorities. My understanding is that although a Stake President belongs to a Coordinating Council led by an Area Seventy, the Area Seventy does not preside over the day-to-day work of the Stake President, whose ecclesiastical leader is the Area President (who is a General Authority Seventy). So although sending a communication to the Area Seventy technically doesn't fall under GHB 38.8.25, I would expect that the principle remains that the correspondence will be returned to local leaders.

I understand that there are many times when members are sincerely frustrated by their local leaders. However, from what I have seen, the Church generally has the Stake President as the authority who handles these types of member issues.

[simpleguy19]

What I have run into are local leaders who are not helping get in contact past them or forward my concerns forward.

Im hoping that I can find a contact to express my concerns to in productive ways without causing hurt feelings or contention.

Is there a hotline, email or another source that could help?

[BrianEdwards]

The answer is likely unsatisfactory, but my understanding is that the Church does not provide members access to any kind of communication method like you describe. If you have met with your Bishop and Stake President and spoken openly about your frustrations, and your concerns remain, you could then ask your Stake President if he could forward your issue to his presiding leader. If he chooses not to do that, then you likely do not have much recourse, as the Church's structure is very linear in this regard.

Be aware that in many cases, these local leaders do indeed consult with their presiding leaders about complicated issues, but sometimes they do not share that fact with the members.

Others on the Forum may have additional insight, I'm only speaking from my experience. And I sympathize with your situation, it's challenging when there are sensitive issues of profound personal importance that our leaders are not resolving to our satisfaction. I expect that even if you might not see it that way, your leaders are as sincere as you are in their desire and efforts to help.

[russellhltn]

If there is a counselor or former leader you can talk to, that might help. They'd know what's going on and could talk to the ward or stake leaders.

BrianEdwards is correct - there isn't much of any way for members to go past the stake leadership. If this were legal or safety issue, you might try the church's main number. But odds are things would just be sent back down to the local leaders.