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Show 345 next part was brisk and ugly. In a few words the mission president explained to Lorin that he and his two counsellors had spent several difficult minutes on their knees in his office. He (Lorin) was to understand that a matter like this was one of the heaviest burdens a mission president could have, and that though he (President Olsen) had had to face it twice before, it had not gotten any easier. Personally he liked Elder Hood, was sure all the brethren present liked him and thought well of him; he had every reason to believe Elder Hood's testimony was strong; but that fact, laudable as it was, made Elder Hood's offense all the greater and indeed all the more inexplicable. And so on. Before many more minutes had passed, Lorin had ceased to be a Mormon. The business over, everyone got up from the table, a few of the men shook hands with Lorin, whose palms were sweaty, and filed out of the room. Sorenson waited in the conference room while Lorin followed the mission president into his office where he was given his instructions for returning home, meeting with his bishop who had of course been notified, as well as the president of his home stake, facing the members of his home ward with a confession of what he had done, and the gradual process of reinstatement. It would take time, it would not be easy, no one could do it for him and no one ever said it wouldn't be humiliating; punishment was always humiliating. But President Olsen suspected Elder Hood-he'd still call him that-had the guts to do it, and the patience, and the desire, or he-President Olsen-was no judge of a man. Lorin thanked him and returned, hollow-eyed, to Sorenson in the conference room. * * * * * * Alice was excommunicated too, of course, but in a separate ceremony, |