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Been more off of here lately than on... But it seems like I'm seeing some tweets about excommunication from the church and it not being good, so I'll maybe shed some light on our family's experience on it. Obviously It's our experience- but to me it highlights what can happen.
When I was 13 my parents divorced. My dad cheated on my mom. Before that we weren't an overly active family, but we did go to church some. We were a family that would leave after sacrament or stop at the store to get things for dinner on the way home (Harmon's at 5 Points!).
My dad was excommunicated and married that woman. My mom went to her 20 year HS reunion and met my step-father and they quickly married. As a family we had some choices to make. Living with my mom we became more firm members. My step-dad is a great guy.
He taught me to serve and to help and to love and to be a member of the church. I'll forever be indebted to him for that. My dad suffered the consequences of his actions. He couldn't participate in a lot of church things during my teen years.
He didn't speak at my farewell. He wasn't there when I went through the temple. He wasn't at my wedding. He was still a great dad to me and was always there to support me in sports and school... I was very blessed. My mission seemed to be a turning point for him.
He started to come to church again even though his wife did not. They came to pick me up in Brazil and it was a great experience. In true family fashion it was both spiritual, and also the first time I went to a night club... I just sat there and drank Sprite, BTW.
About 4 months after I returned home from my mission I baptized my father. As I look back the preciousness of an experience where I got to baptize the man that baptized me becomes larger and larger. I watched my dad take all the steps back to full activity.
He divorced his second wife and eventually married his current wife in the temple. He was serving in a branch presidency at a special needs branch until COVID hit. He taught youth Sunday School. He's still a little rough around the edges and I love that perhaps most about him.
My mom and step-dad are great people too. They served a mission to NZ recently and have just led a fulfilling life. I guess what I'm saying is that A) time really does heal wounds and B) it worked out. We're all happy. We're all better, in fact. We're in better situations.
Is the process perfect? Probably not. Nothing is. But with the benefit of time I can say that it worked for us and I imagine many others. When we look at things through the lens of today many things seem to mean one thing that can mean something entirely different down the road.
Sorry for the old school rant. It's something I have experience with. It's true. </end>
