But if you are a "member" and never go to church, they will hunt you down like a wanted criminal no matter how many years it has been since you darkened the door of a mormon church.
I have two adult children that were baptized mormon when children, one was called after dozens of years of non-attendance and actually joining another church, to tithing settlement.
The other child is middle-aged, hasn't been in a mormon church for decades, and recently was hunted down and even though he threw the bishop off the property and told him "no contact", the mishies are knocking on the door with regularity.
And as far as the mormon excuse, "if someone just requests "name removal" through the "proper channels", that is all that's required, that is merely an attempt of the mormon church to control the situation.
Many people don't know that once a local "authority" is notified of your resignation, you are LEGALLY a non-member and further contact is harrassment.
I have two adult children that were baptized mormon when children, one was called after dozens of years of non-attendance and actually joining another church, to tithing settlement.
Three years after I received confirmation of my name removal (which took almost 3 years itself), I was contacted by the ward clerk to “update my records.”
My lawyer responded to him.