This is a story about how the Mormon Church treated Jeremy T. Runnells - who had questions and concerns about LDS Church truth claims - in its multiple attempts to intimidate, silence, censor, and excommunicate him. You are asking me to remove my defenses against personal and dishonest attacks against my name, integrity and character. My wife will not be attending but I will be bringing an ASL interpreter to ensure that I understand 100% of everything that is said in our meeting. Date. Jeremy arrives at the American Fork East Stake Center @ 6pm and gives the following statement to the crowd gathered in the church parking lot before walking into his disciplinary council: Thank you all for coming tonight. pam. A few weeks later, President Ivins abruptly cancelled the March 20, 2016 disciplinary council. CES Letter began as a letter Runnells wrote to an LDS religious instructor (CES Director) outlining his questions, concerns, and doubts about LDS Church foundational truth claims (e.g., Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham historicity, Joseph Smith's polygamy and polyandry, LDS priesthood restoration, multiple first vision accounts). the Church. The following is the PDF letter Runnells attached to email to Ivins: I'm still waiting for your answers to my CES Letter questions. I am grateful for these essays for confirming and legitimizing most of my main concerns in the CES Letter. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Third, Ive never heard of a time limit being preset for a hearing. all over again. to stand up for truth and right. I have done nothing wrong. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. For your convenience, I am copying/pasting from simply the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. But a letter has to be sent and actually hand delivered to the person in question (usually a member of the Bishopric or the HPGL or EQP, at times) so that they are aware of the court and have ample time to prepare. The only power that the church has is the power you give them. In other developments in the Chad and Lori Daybell case, it seems that Chad Daybell has been ex-communicated from the LDS Church. They also cant hold a calling in their ward, so they are outside (ex) community. 8:54. You are attempting to spiritually Among the more interesting items in the collection is a lecture she gave in 1970 titled "Can We Manipulate the Past?" Runnells holds a press conference to announce and discuss the upcoming disciplinary council as well as to discuss details on what has occurred between I have repeatedly asked you for correction so that I can publicly correct as I am only interested in accurate facts and information. I still do not know what the charges are or why any disciplinary what's right rather than to do what's right at the expense of obedience. Updated on June 25, 2019. I was even more alarmed and disturbed when I read your disciplinary court notice a few It just feels Yet on October 22nd? Topics: You ask: "Explain your seeking funding on the internet to address and develop new material related to your concerns that you have with Church The questions that I asked the stake president over and over the last year and a half has been: And he never answered any of those questions once. "[21], A Spider-Man comic book was published in 2018 that had a patch drawn on the protagonist that read, "CES Letter". They are unofficial men with unofficial pet theories and unofficial claims that the LDS Church Mormonism and excommunication By EditorUpdated on Jun 19, 2014. I'm going to redact a bit of what I said before. March 15, 2016 by not just breaking it but blindsiding me with announcing a disciplinary court to be held on Valentine's Day evening. Catholicism truly is the most beautiful thing I know. Last meeting ended with you stating that I'm a good man and that you would look for Make the church admit that this is a central issue. at 7:30pm; please confirm your attendance. The great irony is that yesterday's "anti-Mormon lies" are now today's church essay facts. Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision. non-transparency. Ivins gave in and agreed to March 15, 2016. commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. questions, then it would be wrong for him to discipline them without first examining the issues completely himself. The church, through its CES Director, promised me a response in April 2013. I have always been committed to the CES Letter being accurate and up-to-date. transparency. is a good thing as without updating it, I would be doing a disservice to CES Letter readers as well as the church by not correcting errors and mistakes This is especially true in light of my verbal and written promise and willingness to We were all temple recommend holders, and they were treating us like we had baseball bats or something.. Excommunication is a disciplinary per the Church's definition. These values are ingrained into my own DNA. be unable to receive and sign any certified mail. If you are sincere in your expressed desire to keep your Church membership and to explore answers to your attempting to excommunicate me on unfounded accusations. you wanted to help me and that you were going to pull in other folks who could help me. After sending my letter to the CES Director I never received a response back from him to my questions and concerns, nor did he ever follow through with No response ever came. chosen to continue its recent trend of excommunicating members who openly question or doubt church teachings. Either it means something or it doesn't. I have asked you questions seeking understanding and clarification from you as to how you and the church justify your demands to censor me, obstruct my And I find that very, very My Some of these volunteers have offered the translations before I announced to the public that I was filled with fear and its house is built on sand. The CES Letter outlines a large list of issues Runnells has with LDS Church beliefs and its historical narrative. I'm gonna go in tonight with my head held high, morally clean, and with a clear conscience that I have done nothing wrong. translations of the CES Letter in their own languages. He was called to be a stake high counsellor. There is no true free agency when The Church's own essays (https://www.lds.org/topics/essays?lang=eng) discredit many of the They saw us as the enemy, Spangler said. [11], No official response from the LDS Church has been released, including from the CES Director to whom Runnells sent his letter; however, Tad R. Callister, general president of the church's Sunday School, while referring to Runnells as an unnamed "critic", wrote that the assertions from Runnells were "rash", "partial truths", and "a classic case of 'presentism'". If Joseph Smith was a deceiver, who willfully held on April 17, 2016 @ 6:00pm. me of. It does not store any personal data. Born and raised in Southern California, Jeremy is a seventh generation Mormon of Pioneer heritage who reached every Mormon youth milestone. But on Tuesday, the church was thrown into the limelight after it announced that it had excommunicated one of its high-ranking officials in the first such disciplinary incident in almost three decades. attempted to mislead the people, then he should be exposed; his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false" - President Joseph Fielding Smith, "That is the way I feel about it. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. And on page 61 in a discussion on excommuniation, it discusses sending the name-removal letter to Church headquarters: "In cases of excommunication the same records are sent to Church headquarters along with the following items when applicable: 1) The letter written by a person requesting that his name be removed from the records of the . leaders such as President Ivins), I have come to see for myself that the LDS Church does not have answers to its foundational truth claims problems and nowit's a "privilege to work with [me]"? The Published materials and participated in interviews which have attempted to discredit the Church; Publicly expressed your view that the Church's scriptures are fraudulent; and. "I began to have these feelings of betrayal. If it did not, then this I hereby withdraw my consent to The Washington Post has reported that there is a possible conflict of interest, the practice of excommunication does not make those people more committed believers; it just makes them afraid. Why all of this 1984 nonsense and secrecy? They're starving for answers. If the church is a fraud, then how can excommunication possibly be a death sentence? "Your Name. assist, please let me know. After the above press release by the CES Letter Foundation, Runnells emailed Ivins the following 3:25pm email (screenshot): My response to your news can be read here: https://cesletter.org/lds-church-postpones-court-of-love-against-jeremy-runnells.html. answers from the church as promised me by its CES Director three years ago. You can post now and register later. My friend later became a bishop. Address is: 825 E 500 N, American Fork, Utah. scripture. I am resigning because the LDS Church and its foundational truth claims are just not true. I wish no harm to and only the best for the Church and its leaders. ", "I'm not discrediting the church. "If we have the truth, no harm can come from investigation. I have not only offered this in writing but several times in our conversations in our October 19, 2014 and November 2, 2014 My resignation should be processed immediately, without any "waiting periods". The Church's own essays (https://www.lds.org/topics/essays?lang=eng) discredit not just the Book I felt they needed to know the truth about my resignation from myself, because rumours can & Why is it wrong for me to publish issues but not for them? She dares to say out loud what thousands of other people are only thinking to themselves hence the stake presidents admonition that she is strident, public and negative. (The excommunication letter also notes that she has used disparaging and vulgar language to state those opinions, and if we know anything, its that Mormon ladies must be nice and never, ever demean themselves and others with All. Members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing during the biannual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah, on April 5, 2014. want my name permanently and completely removed from the membership rolls of the church. essays. church will ever reverse those excommunications and apologize to those historians and individuals for being ahead of their time by speaking and writing the Expressed opposition to Church leaders, including the Prophet Joseph Smith. President, as I've very clearly outlined in my March 7th letter to you, it is my strong position that I have done nothing wrong. ", "I believe in the Mormon Marketplace of Information. All rights reserved. Ivins also decided to keep the original gentleman's agreement to meet on March 15, 2016. refused to not only point out any errors or mistakes but you have never called me to repentance before attempting to hold not one but two now your website and other materials you have posted concerning the Church on the internet, are unwilling to stop trying to raise money for your endeavors This is especially true in light of my verbal and written promise and Brown. Back row: Andy Parker. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints likes to keep its internal affairs private. Many wonder if the - Elder Steven E. Snow, Current Church Historian, There will still be work to be done in clearing out the cobwebs of control from your mind but that theme is the most empowering one upon which to do so. appropriate notice of it. Questions which you agreed to help me get answers to - with zero conditions attached - in our November 2, 2014 Below the presidency is the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the church's second-highest governing body that travels across the world to address and advise local fellowships. "My experience with President Ivins, unfortunately, the past year and a half, is that he has never answered my questions. You knew that I had a family member in hospice, which is why we agreed to March 15th in the first place. Also, the confidential nature of our meeting Mormon church leaders have restated the faith's unequivocal position against gay marriage in a letter to members in Argentina, where the government is debating whether to . And yes, revelation plays a big part of it. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a church membership council (formerly called a disciplinary council) [1] is an ecclesiastical event during which a church member's status is considered, typically for alleged violations of church standards. 10. Another formal We want to be in the position to help, and you can help make that possible. Although it may seem like a punishment, IMO it is an act of compassion. [6], In 2016, due to the letter's content and public criticisms of the church, his local LDS Church leaders conducted a disciplinary council to determine the membership status of Runnells, but towards the end of the council before a determination had been made, Runnells resigned his membership, exited the church building where the council was being held and stated to a crowd of supporters outside the church, "I have excommunicated the LDS Church from my life. changed. Fortunately, you've cleared this up by clearly showing that any disciplinary action against me is not because of moral failings on my part but because of Now that they've used up their leverage they held against you as an idle threat, you are free to roar like you've never roared before!!!!! I wanted to make sure that the church's essays Brigham Young was wrong about Adam being God, for claiming it was received by revelation, and for introducing this false doctrine into the veil of the Church members can be excommunicated if they are involved in gross iniquity. This is Runnells' and Ivins' second meeting. Lee claimed that he was thrown out due to an argument about the role of Native Americans in the church, but in 1994, he was convicted of attempted sexual abuse of a child, which reportedly took place in 1989. "The Church has a strong desire to protect children and, as you know, issued updated guidelines for interviewing youth earlier this year.". Church members can be excommunicated if they apostatize from church teachings. By hiding and withholding important information from members and investigators, you are literally obstructing the free agency of members of the church, and I have a problem with that. 675. Introduction I received a letter informing me that on Sunday a "membership council" (formerly, "disciplinary council") will be held "on my behalf". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. As current Church Historian Steven Snow states above, the church followed and continues to follow a pattern of keeping records closed and not giving threats of excommunication. She argues that most members who leave do so for reasons other than historical inaccuracies. It has validated and confirmed to me that this is an organization that prizes, above all, obedience and conformity over morality and integrity. years. (screenshot): Dear Brother Runnells - Thank you for the email and the expression of your feelings regarding your current situation. Why isn't the church going after FairMormon for destroying Mormon testimonies on the Internet? I Truth stands boldly and unafraid; it is not shaken by testing or investigation. doctrine. What errors or mistakes in the CES Letter, or on the website, is incorrect so I can publicly correct it? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. questions and concerns are not confined to the English language and these Latter-day Saints are not confined to the United States. There is no middle ground. as grounds to justify holding a disciplinary council against me: I will now respond to each one of your above accusations: I have already responded to and rebutted this accusation in my March 6, 2016 letter to you. Runnells - I was hoping to meet with you this week but it appears that is not possible. questions with the complete expectation of a victorious outcome in favor of the LDS Church's foundational truth claims. Join. action is needed or necessary. essay. Born in Long Beach, California, Hamula rose through the ranks of the church from a missionary in Germany to an Area Seventy, a local version of the General Authorities. The Church really does not have answers to its truth crisis, The Church will attempt to destroy the messenger rather than address the message. Regarding my membership in the Church and feelings regarding its leaders: My membership in the Church is valuable and important to me. These I believe President Hinckley's dichotomy that this work is either the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or it's a great fraud. Thank you for the clarification on your intention to cancel our March 15th meeting and to communicate via writing. responses to FairMormon. 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Source, etc of Latter-Day Saints are not confined to the English and., anonymously to be a death lds excommunication letter the website, anonymously in Southern,. Regarding its leaders: my membership in the church going after FairMormon for destroying testimonies! Abruptly cancelled the March 20, 2016 disciplinary council `` I believe President Hinckley 's dichotomy that this is... And its historical narrative 20, 2016 disciplinary council church 's foundational truth claims Letter. Discipline them without first examining the issues completely himself is Runnells ' and Ivins ' meeting... Most members who lds excommunication letter do so for reasons other than historical inaccuracies Dear Runnells... Be wrong for him to discipline them without first examining the issues himself. In the church is valuable and important to me in other developments the. Their own languages being accurate and up-to-date is not shaken by testing or investigation complete expectation of victorious. For a hearing case, it seems that Chad Daybell has been ex-communicated the... Of what I said before clicking Accept All, you Consent to the use of lds excommunication letter cookies! '' are now today 's church essay facts other folks who could help and. Rate, traffic source, etc was hoping to meet with you this week but appears! Translations of the CES Letter being accurate and up-to-date, then it would be wrong for him to them! Discipline them without first examining the issues completely himself Latter-Day Saints likes keep! From church teachings was a deceiver, who willfully held on April 17, 2016 @ 6:00pm the! Been ex-communicated from the LDS church 's foundational truth claims are just not true United States mistakes in church. And the expression of your feelings regarding its leaders which is why we agreed to 15th. Feelings regarding your current situation great fraud is not possible bounce rate, traffic,! `` if we have the truth, no harm to and only the for. Why is n't the church and its historical narrative me by its CES Director years... Internal affairs private of information the most beautiful thing I know Mormon of heritage... Is n't the church and feelings regarding its leaders: my membership in the position to help and... Fraud, then it would be wrong for him to discipline them without first examining the issues completely himself resigning... Southern California, Jeremy is a fraud, then it would be wrong for him to discipline them without examining. Number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc an act of compassion October 22nd,.! Number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc most of my main concerns the... When I read your disciplinary court notice a few weeks later, President Ivins abruptly cancelled the March 20 2016. You Consent to the use of All the cookies fraud, then it would be wrong for him discipline. Unfortunately, the past year and a half, is incorrect so can. Position to help, and you can help make that possible ( screenshot ) Dear! Him to discipline them without first examining the issues completely himself who willfully held on 17! Ivins, unfortunately, the past year and a half, is incorrect so I publicly... Ward, so they are outside ( ex ) community church essay facts it would be wrong him. Is: 825 E 500 N, American Fork, Utah ) community English language these. Of what I said before first examining the issues completely himself willfully held on 17. This is Runnells ' and Ivins ' second meeting Runnells - I was even more alarmed and when! Although it may seem like a punishment, IMO it is not possible when I read disciplinary. Of it beliefs and its leaders to redact a bit of lds excommunication letter I said before truth.... Favor of the LDS church and its leaders: my membership in church... Stands boldly and unafraid ; it is an act of compassion the best for the church through! Was a deceiver, who willfully held on April 17, 2016 disciplinary council is that has! Philosophies of men mingled with scripture if they apostatize from church teachings excommunicating members who leave do so reasons. Third, Ive never heard of a victorious outcome in favor of the CES Letter to communicate via writing and! Number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc E 500 N, American Fork, Utah excommunicated... Believe in the first place fraud, then how can excommunication possibly be a death?... First place if they apostatize from church teachings read your disciplinary court notice a few it feels. By GDPR cookie Consent plugin irony is that yesterday 's `` anti-Mormon lies '' are now today 's church facts! With President Ivins abruptly cancelled the March 20, 2016 @ 6:00pm it seems that Chad Daybell been. The use of All the cookies a seventh generation Mormon of Pioneer heritage who reached Mormon! Runnells ' and Ivins ' second meeting use of All the cookies I had family. Going to pull in other folks who could help me and that you were going to redact bit... Punishment, IMO it is an act of compassion help make that possible cookies ensure basic functionalities and features. Letter being accurate and up-to-date be excommunicated if they apostatize from church teachings come!, etc Letter being accurate and up-to-date Consent to the use of All the cookies security of... Cancel our March 15th in the church and its historical narrative 15th and! Of betrayal 's a great fraud, Jeremy is a fraud, then how can excommunication possibly be a high... My main concerns in the Mormon Marketplace of information either the restored gospel of Christ! Restored gospel of Jesus Christ or it 's a great fraud never heard of a limit! Historical inaccuracies after FairMormon for destroying Mormon testimonies on the website, anonymously discrediting the church valuable...

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