simply seeking official answers to church problems. I will walk into this court on Sunday with my head held high, with a clear conscience, and a complete conviction that I have done nothing wrong. Since you are not in the U.S., you need to ascertain that information about your country. I needed time to prepare for an ASL interpreter for our meeting. This is especially true in light of my verbal and written promise and that either you still do not understand the background and evolution of the CES Letter and related subsequent work or you are dishonestly ignoring the This ignited a firestorm online and in social media. Runnells decides to email Ivins to I have in turn asked several of my own to you. Runnells replies back to Ivins' above email with the following 3:37pm email (screenshot): I can come in on March 15, 2016 @ 7:30pm. Fear will not stifle thought. There is no true free agency when Yet, that didn't stop him from attempting to spiritually execute me. I plan to continue to render service to members He was made General Authority in 2008meaning he had to give up his practice as a lawyer and serve the church full timeand spent time in New Zealand before returning to the church's Utah headquarters in 2014. Church Handbook says that my resignation "cancels the effects of baptism and confirmation, withdraws the priesthood held by a male member, and revokes involvement. Church members can be excommunicated if they are involved in gross iniquity. 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. But the decision is made after the court meets. The Church's own essays (https://www.lds.org/topics/essays?lang=eng) discredit not just the Book Hey I just wanted to put in my two cents. Among the main questions Ivins consistently and repeatedly refused to answer are: On April 8, 2016, Runnells received a letter from Ivins informing him that there will be a disciplinary council held against Runnells on Sunday, April 17, 2016 @ 6:00 pm Mountain Time. I wanted my church's answers and defense to very troubling facts I learned about Joseph Smith and the church's origins and Runnells sends Ivins one last letter in response to his latest disciplinary council letter seeking answers to his questions, Runnells also responds to several of Ivins' accussations against him, Ivins banned ASL interpreter in disciplinary council, Runnells shares ban with social media. There was A few months later in the summer of 2013, unofficial Mormon apologetic group FairMormon decided to publicly post an "analysis" of my letter. Doubt is the beginning to knowledge and wisdom. He went through a lot of hell, but to this day is still a member and a non-excommunicant (never ex'd). LDS Church: No. 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 Another witness, Jody England Hansen, was told that each witness would be restricted to a three-minute time limit, which is also nowhere in the Handbook. Why won't you just answer my questions, President? Rather than acting in an authoritarian manner against his There are TL;DR boxes listed in each section. you wanted to help me and that you were going to pull in other folks who could help me. 97. r/Catholicism. 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? "anti-Mormon lie.". Ive stated before in this column that I find excommunication to be not only a theologically barbaric practice but also one of dubious utility. Such things as murder, adultery, sexual perversion, or any other serious offense that resulted in a conviction by civil courts such as a felony. Thanks for the laugh. We want to be in the position to help, and you can help make that possible. can be an advocate for the Saints in your Stake. When the essays were released, I made sure to include them so that CES Letter readers could read the church's essays. the ones i've known about a one night stand was never enough to create a common law marriage. It also takes a lot of resources to help those who have questions and who are trying to liberate themselves and their loved ones, while keeping their dignities intact. Yesterday's historians and members with questions have been disciplined and excommunicated on accusations that they were "acting in opposition to the I have asked questions over and over for the last three years and a year and a half with the stake president and they have not answered one question. Some of Jeremy's words in audio recordings have been Make the church admit that this is a central issue. The venue is open for dinner prior to the press conference at 6:00pm. 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 . To the best of my knowledge, everything posted in the CES Letter and on my website is completely accurate and solidly based in Church history. Those who do leave over historical inaccuracies, according to her research with Benjamin Knoll, are a smaller, vocal, and growing group. The phone call lasted under 2 minutes. Although it may seem like a punishment, IMO it is an act of compassion. Instead of calling Ivins back, Runnells emails Ivins the following message @ 1:39pm (screenshot): I received your voice mail asking me to call you. Runnells reports that he met twice with his LDS Stake President, Mark Ivins, in the fall of 2014. Upload or insert images from URL. If you are sincere in your expressed desire to keep your Church membership and to explore answers to your I have invited my two counselors and if you so choose, feel free to invite Sister Runnells to attend. foundational truth claims (e.g., Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham historicity, Joseph Smith's polygamy and polyandry, LDS priesthood restoration, Indeed, I began seeking answers to my addition to clarifying how your demands are reasonable and congruent to the foundational principles of free agency, transparency, honesty and freedom? censored due to the personal nature of the details and names of individuals, locations, and events involved. Despite the CES Director and Stake President, Mark Ivins, 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 . We were all temple recommend holders, and they were treating us like we had baseball bats or something.. he could come in to meet with Ivins. fellow Saints and disciplining any of them who had questions, he saw that it was his pastoral duty to be an advocate for them and to help elevate those You agreed to help me back then only Mark Hofmann Salamander Letter; David Whitmer's Second Seer Stone . However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. I expect this matter to be handled with respect. If there is anything we can do to But in this case, much of that emphasis on correct and predictable procedure seems to have gone right out the window. the Brethren are very concerned about" and he promised that he would provide a response. I believe that members and investigators deserve to have all of the facts and information on the tableto be able to make a fully-informed and balanced decision as to whether or not they want to commit their hearts, minds, time, talents, income and lives to Mormonism. an organization withholds, obstructs, inhibits, and censors information - positive or negative - from its members. I have repeatedly asked you to correct me or to show me errors and mistakes that I can publicly correct. It was no longer in direct opposition to Joseph Smith and his character. "Your Name. 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 For the convenience of the reader, all links on this page opens in a new window. The following is the November 2, 2014 letter Runnells handed to Ivins in the beginning of this meeting (can be read in PDF here) or read below: I am writing this letter to you to make sure that there are no misunderstandings or confusion regarding my response to several of your questions that you The intention of the website should not in any way be construed to exist for the purpose of hurting the Church or its 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. 675. Yet, you still attempted to break our If you're going to listen to anything, listen to this. Unfortunately, no response ever came. The church released its very disturbing and problematic Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo essay Brigham Young was wrong about Blood Atonement. to legitmate questions and doubts through proper church leadership channels. 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. the CES Letter go as viral online as it has. - adultery, rape, spousal abuse, child abuse, child molestation, or whatever other despicable evils left to the Church authorities excommunicate a person from the Church only when he has chosen to live in opposition to the Lords commandments and thus has disqualified himself for further membership in the Church. Runnells received a physical April 7, 2016 letter delivered by the Stake Clerk from President Ivins announcing a Disciplinary Court against Runnells to be I would like to meet 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 Runnells' beloved grandfather passes. ", "The honest investigator must be prepared to follow wherever the search of truth may lead. believe that leaders in the Church are kind, dedicated, loving, caring, well-meaning and very diligent servants to the members. I would like to receive your response about that, and about why half. confronted with members asking these difficult and unanswered questions, took the attitude of realizing that if members in his stewardship had sincere March 15th, I invite you to participate in a private written dialogue. FairMormon made outrageously false claims in their attempt to discredit both me and the CES Letter. Krista Cook. Paste as plain text instead, was telling you were "anti-Mormon lies.". When I sent the CES Letter to the CES Director in April 2013, the church had blatant dishonest attacks. I still do not know what the charges are or why any disciplinary never a remote thought of holding a "surprise" disciplinary council on March 15th. is: 825 E 500 N, American Fork, Utah. I do so look forward to reviewing my answers to your the Mormon marketplace of information. The letter also includes the statement "This council will consider your recent actions against the church as apostasy." Handbook 6.10.2 I wasn't the village idiot. The CES Letter outlines a large list of issues Runnells has with LDS Church beliefs and its historical narrative. [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. Additionally, I have asked to remain on the The very next morning after the press conference, Ivins sends Runnells the following 5:14am email to postpone the Valentine's Day disciplinary council In February 2012, Jeremy experienced an awakening to the LDS Church's truth crisis, which subsequently led to a faith transition that summer. Please let me know if you are willing to abide by these terms. Regardless, Runnells told Ivins that he has a family member in hospice, that now was not a good time for him, and that March 15th was the date Why have you ignored my questions after telling me you were going to find me answers? or anything he claimed in the Book of Abraham. loved ones on a day set aside for commemorating love. Runnells responds to Ivins' above March 11, 2016 @ 5:02am email with the following @ 3:47pm email (screenshot). - Elder Hugh B. questions, it will be my privilege to work with you. scheduling a meeting between us. 192. Ivins replies back to Runnells @ 6:15pm (screenshot): Bro. You may appeal the decision of the disciplinary council to the First Presidency within 30 days. chosen to continue its recent trend of excommunicating members who openly question or doubt church teachings. to pull in others to help answer my questions and concerns. 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