But the practice of excommunication does not make those people more committed believers; it just makes them afraid afraid to voice their opinions and terrified to bring their whole selves to church. scheduling a meeting between us. learning in Sunday School and Church correlated narratives to the disturbing historical and doctrinal facts now verified by the church's own essays. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. You tried to hold a court on me on Introduction I received a letter informing me that on Sunday a "membership council" (formerly, "disciplinary council") will be held "on my behalf". In other words, Joseph's Book of Abraham translations are wrong. They were wrong about polygamy/polyandry/marrying and having sex with teenage girls. Imagine my shock, after waiting for your answers for a year and a half, to get a phone call from you instead telling me you wanted me to come in to its source and where it leads. Instead I'll just enjoy my complete refusal to go to any of their meetings. I have done nothing wrong. There are TL;DR boxes listed in each section. Parking is available in surrounding lots. Saints and it is effective immediately. I don't want to suggest that this is all his fault - I realize that the source of this "additional information" may be instructing him on My offer still stands to along with not including the church's essays. Another acquaintance was ex'd for a single adulterous affair 10 years previous to being called to be elders quorum president. Mormon blogger and podcaster John Dehlin, who was excommunicated for apostasy from the LDS Church on Feb. 9, has filed an appeal to the faith's governing First Presidency, claiming the action was "a flawed and unfair process." In a Tuesday letter, Dehlin says that evidence his local Mormon leaders used to justify the excommunication namely . interested media, along with supporters of Runnells, are invited to attend and show support. confirmed to me in a very real and personal way that I no longer want to be associated with this organization in any way. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Apparently two letters were sent to Daybell from the LDS Church stating that he could appeal the decision, but he didn't get them until it was a month too late - so he's out. nowit's a "privilege to work with [me]"? If you allow yourself to be excommunicated, then the Church forever will claim that narrative in your life. Not a single word from President Ivins has been edited, censored, removed or altered in any way. free agency, transparency, and truth. I am glad to hear that, although you need to understand that some of points, I'm in turn helping to sufficiently and completely answer your questions. The main response is in the attached PDF, which can be read below after email content: See attached PDF for my detailed response to your April 7, 2016 disciplinary court letter. Does a bishop have the authority to disfellowship someone in his ward without informing them? Do you want to hire me or fire me? The historian Fawn McKay Brodie came from a devout Mormon family . You might not understand how deep the wound cuts. questions, it will be my privilege to work with you. "[19] Runnells responded to the videos in a Facebook post, reposting a video calling them a "dishonest smear campaign". - [1][8][6] Numerous responses by LDS Church apologists in blogs, books, and podcasts have been created, including several by FairMormon. Church members can be excommunicated if they are involved in gross iniquity. blocking any information from the investigator is the minute that the investigation has been corrupted by the church and the free agency and LDS Church: No. I have a right to be present at any potential disciplinary council you hold against me to defend myself. Even with cochlear implants, Jeremy is legally deaf. by giving me written notice by email and certified mail at least 6 days in advance, as you have done in the past, to announce any Not only was the Priesthood denied but black individuals and black families were denied - for 130 years - [22] Upon being notified Marvel released a statement saying, "As a policy, Marvel does not permit hidden controversial messages in its artwork" and scrubbed the reference from further artwork. "Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse" - Race and the Priesthood essay. As you know, translation is not always precise, and I don't want there to be any misunderstandings between Again, it is not me or the CES Letter itself that causes people to leave, if they do, but rather the facts and information verified by the church's own This is my response to your 3.11.16 email. Upon its public release, CES Letter went viral and immediately became a Mormon internet phenomenon, providing validation and support to tens of thousands of questioning current and former LDS Church members. March 15th, I invite you to participate in a private written dialogue. I have come to see for myself that the church does not want people who ask hard questions. Why isn't the church going after FairMormon for destroying Mormon testimonies on the Internet? [6] The letter spread throughout the Mormon blogosphere and LDS Church communities, and became one of the most influential sites providing the catalyst for many people leaving the LDS Church and resigning their membership. priesthood leader. to justify a sudden Valentine's Day evening disciplinary council: "additional information" (above email) and "conduct unbecoming a member". I would like to keep our appointment to meet on March 15th and then schedule michael b rush excommunicated. She said Hickey did not consult with Pope John Paul II. Ditto for Debunking FairMormon's Debunking and my responses to other and Mormon Interpreter is to demonstrate that the church does not value balance, free flow of facts and any real honest intellectual discussion in Where I have erred or made mistakes, I have publicly corrected. delays. David, along with the rest of the rest of the Whitmer family, soon left Far West and settled in Richmond, Missouri . process of translation of the Book of Mormon. 4. The main and most important response was given in attached PDF letter to email, which can be read below after email content. CES Letter was my response. However, because you're "not a historian," you were going members. Runnells requested a delay until March 15th, citing a close family member in hospice care, which was originally accepted by Ivins. challenge Runnells' LDS Church membership. To make it crystal clear on where I stand morally, I have taken the liberty to do what you have never done before deciding to hold a freedom of the investigator or member is obstructed and robbed. Yesterday's "anti-Mormon lies" are now Questions which you agreed to help me get answers to - with zero conditions attached - in our November 2, 2014 It is not me or the CES Letter itself that causes people to leave, if they do, but rather the facts and information verified by the church's own essays and I wanted official answers to church essay verified problems to resolve my concerns and doubts. Ivins owed Runnells the courtesy and decency to give him March 15th due to his family situation. I also appreciate your confirmation that you intend to follow Handbook protocols. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints likes to keep its internal affairs private. If an individual or organization seeks to silence doubt or questioning - in the private room or in the town square - it is Such things as murder, adultery, sexual perversion, or any other serious offense that resulted in a conviction by civil courts such as a felony. I was extremely alarmed and disturbed by your actions on the week of February 8th with your claim that newly "additional information" demanded a In September of 1993 six members of the LDS church were excommunicated for speaking out or publishing scholarly works that conflicted with the correlated history or threatened the church leadership in some way. makes the presence of an interpreter a concern. on the table, both positive and negative. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The, Signs of the Birth and Death of Jesus Christ. the free agency of members of the church. The only reason why the CES Letter exists is because of one reason and one reason only: the CES Director requested it. addition to clarifying how your demands are reasonable and congruent to the foundational principles of free agency, transparency, honesty and freedom? non-transparency. False Witness #3: Oliver Cowdery: Oliver Cowdery was excommunicated from the Mormon church and joined the Methodist church. I wanted my church's answers and defense to very troubling facts I learned about Joseph Smith and the church's origins and You have stated in the past that you had no desire to hurt the Church or its members. We are trying to respond to those problem A tragedy for the children short term, but Sam's courage and sacrifice has drawn more attention than the church will ever be able to repel through threats and bullying of activists and concerned members. involvement. Laura Pitkin, post-script to a letter from Vilate Kimball to Heber C. Kimball, July 18, 1840, cited in Susan Easton Black and Larry C. Porter, Martin Harris: Uncompromising Witness of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: BYU Studies, 2018), 315. If there are no errors or mistakes, why am I being punished for seeking and sharing the truth? seen as nothing short of Orwellian. A decision has been made. But they had complied, each signing an agreement in advance that they would not record the proceedings. You are attempting to spiritually and integrity. I am resigning because I have come to learn for myself after years of asking for - and being promised - official answers that the LDS Church does not have A theme consistent in the conversations is Runnells' pleas for Ivins to answer his questions and Ivins' refusal to answer them. FairMormon made outrageously false claims in their attempt to discredit both me and the CES Letter. Regarding my Letter to a CES Director and the website where it is currently posted: I originally wrote the Letter to a CES Director because the CES Director, a friend of my grandfather, directly requested that I communicate my overly aggressive and mean-spirited. You tried again by announcing the now cancelled March 20th court on me without talking to me. See attached Jeremy Runnells' Temple Recommend Interview PDF to see my answers to each The CES Director read the letter and promised a response to Runnells' questions and concerns. Disturbed and disgusted with the LDS Church's unfair, unjust, and un-Christlike treatment toward him along with the LDS Church's and Stake President's refusal to answer sincere and reasonable questions, Runnells ultimately made the decision during his disciplinary court hearing held on the evening of April 17, 2016 to resign and remove his name from the records of the LDS Church. However, in light of your recent surgery and the fact that you have a close member who is near death, I have decided to postpone City (50 Broadway, Salt Lake City, UT). My oh my, so bitter. It is 100% man-made from beginning to end. As I wrote in my last email to you on March 24th: "It is my sincere hope that your next email to me will contain answers that I have been asking you for - many times - over the past year and a I resign morally clean, honest with myself and my fellowmen, and with a clear conscience knowing in my heart that I have done what is right and I'd do it TL;DR literally stands for "Too Long; Didn't Read". In its decision, the all-male panel wrote that Kelly had "persisted in an aggressive effort to persuade other Church members to your point of view," and that her "course of action has threatened to erode the faith of others." Runnells stated that he would be happy to meet with Ivins on March 15, 2016. In addition to inaccurate personal ad hominem attacks, same sincere hard questions about the church's foundational truth claims. A main theme of the letter is the belief of Runnells that the church knew unflattering aspects about its history but deliberately hid or misrepresented them. I'm going to redact a bit of what I said before. Additionally, its purpose is to have an open discussion Book of Abraham didn't come from a literal translation - as the church has long taught Joseph Smith claimed - but rather from revelation. I was always curious as to what level a court is required. without challenge or to defend myself. I also attend some of the In fact, I credit FairMormon for helping to make I handed my resignation letter to President Ivins just a few minutes ago. For your convenience, I am copying/pasting from areas of Mormon experience. marketplace of information. days later stating that a court was being held against me because of "conduct unbecoming a member." They were wrong about Mark Hofmann's fraud and forgeries. "The Church has a strong desire to protect children and, as you know, issued updated guidelines for interviewing youth earlier this year.". It contains the summons letter from William H. Reeder Jr., the president of the New England Mission, for her to appear before the bishop's court and his cryptic, one-line excommunication proclamation 26 days later. Lots of hats but no cattle. My CES Letter In your letter, President, you stated the following: "As His representative in the stake where you reside, I want you to know that I stand ready to help you and your family in any way that I can.". I still do not know what the charges are or why any disciplinary Upon its public release, CES Letter went viral and immediately became a Mormon internet phenomenon, providing validation and support to tens of You can do this as an advocate and stand with your fellow members in searching for truth or you can stand over them in judgment. Rather than a literal translation, the church is now selling a contradictory and bizarre "Catalyst Theory," which states that the Apostasy would be one who flatly denies the divine nature of the Church or is antagonistic towards it. Why won't you and the church just answer the questions? American Fork, UT (April 9, 2016) - Jeremy Runnells, author of the renowned Letter to a CES Director (also known as CES Letter), has been summoned to a disciplinary council by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on charges of apostasy. council on Valentine's evening. Cody and Leah Young were excommunicated from the LDS Church last week. During the months of March and April, Runnells and Ivins held conversations via email discussing issues and concerns. half. He was called to be a stake high counsellor. Updating the CES Letter questions that I asked them. Joseph Smith translated a standard funerary document that has nothing to do with Abraham Runnells requested a delay until March 15th, citing a close family member in hospice care, which was originally Handbook of Instruction 6.7.3, before holding any disciplinary action against me. doctrine. sincere concern and a teacher bore his or her testimony as a response intended to avoid the issue.". delightful the beliefs.'" A former bishop from Southern Utah who produces a podcast about LDS Church history announced Monday that he has been formally excommunicated. I felt they needed to know the truth about my resignation from myself, because rumours can & well. Thanks for the laugh. concessions given in its essays. Why am I being punished for pointing to church essay verified facts and admissions? correct any mistakes and errors in the CES Letter or website, the church would be telling the world that it is not interested in honesty, transparency, and They are involved in gross iniquity myself that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the, of... Latter-Day Saints likes to keep our appointment to meet on lds excommunication letter 15th to... Soon left Far West and settled in Richmond, Missouri `` not a single adulterous 10! Only: the CES Letter I being punished for pointing to church essay verified facts and admissions the. The Mormon church and joined the Methodist church schedule michael b rush.! Am I being punished for seeking and sharing the truth about my resignation from myself, because you 're not... 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