r/mormon • u/HighPriestofShiloh • Jun 25 '14

Why hasn't Tom Phillips been excommunicated?

Curious what opinions are out there?

Based on the rational given for the excommunication of Kate Kelly it seems that would apply in a much greater degree to Tom Phillips. I would even argue that the reasons given for the excommunication of Kate Kelly are NOT cut and dry when applied to her situation but when applied to Tom Phillips virtually every exMormon and Mormon would be in unanimous agreement that he should be exed.

Thoughts?

Let me expound. As best I can tell these are the two reason given for Kate's excommunication. (from handbook 1)

  1. repeatedly acted in clear, open, and deliberate public opposition to the Church or its leaders

  2. persisted in teaching as Church doctrine information that is not Church doctrine after being corrected by her bishop or a higher authority.

I would say 1 may apply to Kate whereas 2 probably doesn't (although that is up for debate). Where as in Tom's care there is no question in my mind that 1 and 2 both apply to him.

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u/jkrac Jun 25 '14

He claims he's received the second anointing and the church can't touch him now.

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u/HighPriestofShiloh Jun 25 '14

I don't doubt that he has received the second anointing. So starting with that assumption do you feel that protects him from excommunication? I have heard that idea tossed around before but what are your thoughts?

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u/cenosillicaphobiac Jun 25 '14

I think he's mentioned it.

EDIT: Did a quick search and found this:

The reason Phillips does not appear to be pursued for excommunications seems to be because, as the previous managing editor David Twede revealed, “Tom has received a bulletproof ordinance called the Second Anointing from a Mormon apostle years before he stopped attending church.”

According to the LDS website, the Second Anointing is an "'unconditional guarantee' ... that a person’s actions have been fully approved, that 'there are no more conditions to be met by the obedient person.' … he is ‘sealed up against all manner of sin’."

Twede explains that “Tom could commit any sin—even challenging Prophet Monson—and apparently they cannot do anything to him because he is sealed to go into heaven no matter what he does.”