Plea for help: Mysterious Letter
02 Jan 2012 5 Comments
in Practice Tags: creepy, LDS inc., privacy
I was out a few days ago and when I got home, in the post was a mysterious card saying that they had a letter for me from the church which required my signature before I could have it. I’ll now need to take the card to the post office to retrieve it. My mind is full of questions and I could really use some input from Outer Blogness on how to react. Here’s what’s swirling through my mind:
1. I have successfully concealed my address from LDS, Inc. for three years. It’s very creepy that they have tracked me down. If I accept the letter, they will have a confirmation of where I live.
2. What on earth can they have to send to me? I haven’t been a member of LDS, Inc. since November of last year, and in my resignation letter I specified that I wanted to be left alone. What can they have to say to me now? Why is it important enough to warrant a certified letter?
3. A big part of me just wants to ignore it, but I also recognise that it would be foolish to remain ignorant as to why a large, shadowy, powerful office building in Salt Lake City is trying to send me information.
What to do?
Jan 02, 2012 @ 21:05:31
Very curious. Can’t think of why they’d contact you in that way. I found a thread (here: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,279267,279282 ) where someone had a similar experience. Doesn’t look like they accepted the letter, but it was followed up a few days later with a visit from the missionaries for her teenage children.
Jan 02, 2012 @ 21:28:23
If you specifically asked to be left alone, I would go get the letter, and report the church to the police for harassing you. Or contact the church in order to threaten to call the police if they do it again. You shouldn’t have to put up with this crap. But that’s just how I would feel. You might feel completely different about it.
Jan 02, 2012 @ 22:20:49
My guess is LDS Inc. can track you down regardless. When I moved a few years ago, I kept my address private with the exception of informing creditors. BYU immediately started sending me their alumnus magazine with the correct new address. And no, BYU was not a creditor. Somehow, they have access to private address info in the same way a creditor does.
I would pick up the letter. Once you know what it is you can decide how to deal with it. If they are violating your express directive for no contact, I would hold them accountable. It does seem very odd and creepy.
Jan 03, 2012 @ 05:57:12
PS a lot of people say that believing family members have a tendency to hand out private information like that to the lds church. Is that a possibility?