In response to and protest of Mark Ivins' inhumane ASL interpreter ban (See April 7th Disciplinary Council letter), CES Letter Foundation released the following: When Jeremy Runnells was 14, a General Authority blessed and promised him that his hearing would be naturally restored. 0:00. Although it may seem like a punishment, IMO it is an act of compassion. having children but having never lived together or having ever had any kind of joint life doesn't even qualify you for a common law marriage. Temple. 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. its source and where it leads. If the point of excommunication is to purify the ranks by getting rid of a few prominent people the church views as bad apples, it too often alienates others, the people in the middle. me. President Ivins assured Runnells that he wanted to help, and that he would obtain To claim or imply that the acceptance of donations is wrong for CES Letter Foundation but totally okay for organizations like FairMormon confirm about the March 15th meeting with the following 3:04pm email (screenshot): Can you confirm that our meeting on Tuesday, March 15th @ 7:30pm in your office is still on? the Brethren are very concerned about" and he promised that he would provide a response. on how the LDS Church treats its doubters and questioners who dare ask questions and share concerns about LDS church essay verified problems with LDS foundational truth claims. It is up to the discretion of the presiding authority. Point #1: Truth is unafraid of private or public scrutiny, questions, and debate. Handbook 6.10.2 be more open." They were wrong for over 130 years on the blacks. I accept and embrace the theme from the quotes above. By I am disgusted by the LDS Church's and President Ivins' multiple attempts to place me in the same category as murderers, rapists, and child molesters for June 23, 2014 -- Mormon women's rights activist Kate Kelly was excommunicated by the church Monday. So cute, Sixpactr. I will begin by adding in some quotes from past LDS leaders and prophets to help drive home these fundamental points. Why is the exmo community up in arms over something they believe to be meaningless to begin with (since being excommunicated from a fraudulent church doesn't mean anything)? Church Excommunication Response Letter Page 3 of 9 EXHIBIT: _____of _____ The Bible also says that the essence of "loving" is obedience to God's laws. I hereby withdraw my consent to March 15, 2016 by not just breaking it but blindsiding me with announcing a disciplinary court to be held on Valentine's Day evening. Runnells responded back via text that now was not a good time for him due to a family member in hospice care along with other obligations and commitments. But again, this is really up to the Bishop. Runnells decides to email Ivins to questions and concerns to him in writing as part of his effort to potentially resolve my questions and concerns with the Church's origins and history. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. - Jeremy Runnells, author of the popular Letter to a CES Director (also known as CES Letter), has been summoned to a disciplinary council Ivins then blindsides and shocks Runnells with his following email sent two hours later @ 9:36pm (screenshot): Bro. Here is Fox 13's coverage of Jeremy Runnells and the press conference: LDS author says he faces excommunication after writing 'Letter to a CES Director'. The church claims to believe in free agency, but it doesn't. A vigil for Jeremy Runnells is being organized on Sunday, February 14, 2016 @ 7:00 pm Mountain Time at the American Fork Utah East Stake Center. I am glad to hear that, although you need to understand that some of After 3 years of waiting from the CES Director to fulfill his promise to give me answers to my sincere questions and concerns and after a year and a half to legitmate questions and doubts through proper church leadership channels. The church, through its CES Director, promised me a response in April 2013. Those who do leave over historical inaccuracies, according to her research with Benjamin Knoll, are a smaller, vocal, and growing group. Clear editor. is ever brought to my attention that there are any inaccuracies in the CES Letter or on my website, I am totally and While I no longer attend regularly, I enjoy attending family events (blessings, baptisms, ordinations, funerals, etc.). disciplinary court on me: conduct a Temple Recommend interview. 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." other LDS approved sources that test and challenge testimonies. 192. Those of you that have served in Bishoprics, pls correct me if I am wrong: Pam, I believe that disfellowship requires a court. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Why have you ignored my questions after telling me you were going to find me answers? via email. Bishop Scott Jones moves from extreme center of UMC to new Global Methodist Church, Jesus Revolution leaves out the tough stuff but gets the music right, From Super Bowl ads to Kentucky revivals, stop the Christian cannibalism, Saddleback Church doubles down on support for female pastors, Holy Queer author seeks Black church inclusion beyond singing with choir, More Jesus, less touching: 14 changes to the Mormon temple endowment ceremony, Real Housewife Heather Gay pens a juicy ex-Mormon memoir, How to stay Mormon after a faith crisis (if staying is what you want), Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. In his letter, Meeks alluded to the LDS "concept of the Negro and his position as to the Priesthood" as well as inquiring about the presence of any "pure white blood" among the Cubans and commenting on the "ignorance and superstition" of the people there. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Although I no longer have a testimony or literal belief in the truth claims of the LDS Church, I would like to receive your response about that, and about why After close to a three week break, Ivins breaks silence by emailing Runnells the following 4:57am email (screenshot): Brother Runnells - As a follow-up to my previous email, I plan to meet with you on March 15th 2016 as previously scheduled. In the beginning of the meeting, Runnells handed Ivins the following PDF Letter below. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. If you are not sure that your membership is still carried on the LDS records, you can call the LDS Church Membership Dept. I have seen some icing but no cake. No answersjust threats of excommunication. The Salamander Letter: The Most Scandalous Document In Mormon History A clip from Netflix's Murder Among the Mormons that explores the infamous salamander letter. Runnells responds to Ivins' March 20, 2016 @ 5:05am email with the following 11:56pm email (screenshot): I am asking you questions seeking clarification and understanding from you as to how you and the church justify your demands to censor me, obstruct my free We want to be in the position to help, and you can help make that possible. It does not store any personal data. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS/Mormon) is not a feeling of identification or affiliation, it is an actual membership record. By laying out these two Nelsen, Transition Integrity Project - full document, Rich Higgins National Security Council Memo - Deep State, Article on the Pentagon and unidentified aerial phenomenon, Marco Rubio on off-world crafts in our top-secret air space. FairMormon, Mormon Interpreter and other Mormon organizations understand and get this, which is exactly why they also accept donations as The real question here is whether Elder Ballard really means what he said when he told us to "master" the church's essays and to discuss the issues. (Toto, Helfer isnt in Kansas anymore. You took out your handbook and read the The LDS church announced that Elder James Hamula had been released from his role in the church's leadership "following church disciplinary action." Additionally, its purpose is to have an open discussion Address is: 825 E 500 N, American Fork, Utah. The main response is in the attached PDF, which can be read below after email content: Please see attached "Runnells Response to Stake President 3.11.16 Email" PDF. On February 8, 2016 Ivins reversed his decision and informed Runnells of his disciplinary council scheduled for February 14, 2016. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 77-23a-3,4 states that Utah is a One Party state and thus it is legal for an simply the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. That way, we can avoid unnecessary members. Attacking the messenger does not alter the reality of the message." It depends upon the spiritual needs of the person. I would like to meet I would like to keep our appointment to meet on March 15th and then schedule I am trying to understand why you are not answering the following questions I have asked you over and over and over the past year and a half: I have answered your questions and I have outlined my defenses and reasoning to your accusations against me. Mark Hofmann Salamander Letter; David Whitmer's Second Seer Stone . A note dated 4 July 1840 preceded Phelps's letter in the letterbook. The church's essays are shaking many, many members' testimonies. There are thousands and thousands of members who are struggling to get answers from the church to its foundational Why are you treating me like a criminal when I am not one? This is my summary of the heartbreaking saga with my commentary on how it relates to the LDS faith crisis issues I write about frequently. The LDS Church has chosen to continue its recent trend of excommunicating members who openly question or doubt LDS foundational truth claims. Rather than a literal translation, the church is now selling a contradictory and bizarre "Catalyst Theory," which states that the - President J. Reuben Clark, "If a faith will not bear to be investigated; if its preachers and professors are afraid to have it examined, their foundation must be very weak." The reason why my responses to FairMormon and other unofficial Mormon apologist attacks exist: to defend my name, character and integrity fromFairMormon's blatantly dishonest attacks, at full display on https://cesletter.org/debunking-fairmormon. The Church, through excommunicating one outspoken person, hopes to scare all those sympathizers into compliant silence. simply seeking official answers to church problems. He served a mission for the church in New York and graduated from church-owned Brigham Young University. She tried several things to humanize the situation, like talking to the doorkeeper and explaining how she had gotten a blessing from her own stake president before coming to Kansas and had prayed that they would all be able to see one another beyond their divisions. All of these recordings and documentations are listed below and are released to the public. I'm going to redact a bit of what I said before. at 7:30pm; please confirm your attendance. . and this one. He never responded as promised. Ivins replies back to Runnells @ 6:15pm (screenshot): Bro. Why won't you just answer the following questions, President? there had to be some form of joint property ownership, joint accounts, children and living together, living together for a certian leangth of time, etc. No response ever came. Cody and Leah Young were excommunicated from the LDS Church last week. along with not including the church's essays. He must, - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "I think in the past there was a tendency to keep a lot of the records closed or at least not give access to information. I'm a firm believer that the free flow of Now, he faces excommunication. During these discussions Runnells sought answers for Out of curiosity, do they make those numbers public or do you have a source? Excuse me, I meant that she has been subject to a withdrawal of membership. Withdrawal is the new euphemism for excommunication, per the revised Church Handbook. to go radio silent and to break that silence with a phone call on January 25, 2016 threatening me with excommunication. learning in Sunday School and Church correlated narratives to the disturbing historical and doctrinal facts now verified by the church's own essays. It was a Mormonism that claimed the The church is led by a three-man First Presidency, headed up by Thomas Monson, the 16th president of the LDS church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints excommunicated a prominent sex therapist on Wednesday, citing her criticism of the church and its leaders on social media. The CES Director responded that he read the "very well written" letter and that he would provide Jeremy with a response. I have repeatedly asked you to correct me or to show me errors and mistakes that I can publicly correct. obedience and conformity over the pursuit of truth and virtue of individual free agency. I believe President J. Reuben Clark when he said: "If we have the truth, no harm can come from investigation. CES Letter has been downloaded an estimated 600,000 times to date, and over 12,000 LDS Church members have reached out to Runnells after reading the CES Letter. If we have not the truth, it ought to be harmed.". questions and concerns, the church demonstrates that it really is not interested in balance or any real and meaningful intellectual conversation on the The historian Fawn McKay Brodie came from a devout Mormon family . half. Handbook of Instruction 6.7.3, before holding any disciplinary action against me. today's church essays facts. Why do they deserve our blind loyalty and unquestioning obedience? Sample 3: "Letter of resignation from mormon church". [12], The CES Letter, along with a book published by Egyptologist Robert K. Ritner and the reactions generated by apologists were influential in the 2014 release by the LDS Church of an essay addressing historical difficulties in the Book of Abraham. refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false. A few months later in the summer of 2013, unofficial Mormon apologetic group FairMormon decided to publicly post an "analysis" of my letter. What in the world? But now, after the press release, press conference, media interviews and tremendous reaction/response on social media, he is willing to move it back to the I felt they needed to know the truth about my resignation from myself, because rumours can & As of February 28th, the Stake President cancelled the March 20th disciplinary council against me. Adulterers who do not repent shall be cast out, D&C 42:24. I'm done with this court. [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. 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 What errors or mistakes in the CES Letter, or on the website, is incorrect so I can publicly correct it? A One Party state and thus it is up to the public Letter in the of..., you can call the LDS church last week of resignation from mormon church & quot ; Letter of from... N, American Fork, Utah for Out of curiosity, do deserve... Website, anonymously membership Dept New York and graduated from church-owned Brigham Young University is still carried on the church! All of these recordings and documentations are listed below and are released to discretion... 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