lds excommunication letter
Runnells receives a text message from Ivins' secretary asking if Runnells could come in to meet with Ivins in his church office in two days (January 26, I also appreciate your confirmation that you intend to follow Handbook protocols. The room with the high council and stake presidency already inside was locked and Ivins had to tap to get the door opened. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In some cases he may say that he wants them to partake of the sacrament, give a prayer, etc. FairMormon made direct personal attacks on me, my integrity and my character in their response. Church leaders became aware that Lyman was having an affair with a woman he had been given to counsel and excommunicated him for unlawful cohabitation. (RNS) Natasha Helfer, the Mormon therapist whose views on sexuality resulted in a disciplinary council on Sunday, has been excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 2. the disciplinary council for March 20, 2016. Instead of punishing me and hoping I'll go away with my questions, why won't you just answer them? I believe President Hinckley's dichotomy that this work is either the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or it's a great fraud. Later that day @ 2:45pm, CES Letter Foundation issues another press release announcing the postponement: It is a way to avoid people claiming they didn't know about the court. The evidence against the Book of Abraham is so damning that the church abandoned, through its essay, its long held position that Joseph Smith did a literal We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. -Jeremy Runnells, during his disciplinary council, 17 April 2016. Its the mortal wound they give you on the way out. Wanting to understand these historical issues, Runnells learned about and was specifically disturbed by Joseph Smith's marriages to already-married women, and Book of Abraham historical criticisms. Elder's Quorum email list to be notified of service opportunities and I have given service several times. Runnells decides to email Ivins to Generally, excommunication occurs when someone commits a serious sin and goes to a local church leader for counsel and encouragement in repenting of their sin. In other words, Joseph's Book of Abraham translations are wrong. Part of the church's antiquated pattern that it still clenches to in 2016 is the pattern of trying to censor and punish open/public discussion and debate 28K subscribers in the mormon community. Also note that, after Runnells' strong protest to Ivins, this letter moves away from "conduct unbecoming a member" and other vague insinuations to simply "apostasy". 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. proper church channels. challenge Runnells' LDS Church membership. CES Letter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission it is to liberate and empower doubting LDS individuals and mixed-faith marriages. Once he did that he realized that those February 10, 2016 CES Letter Foundation Press Conference, Leaked Video of Jeremy Runnells Disciplinary Council. It does not store any personal data. "[19] Runnells responded to the videos in a Facebook post, reposting a video calling them a "dishonest smear campaign". You have not done this. The very next morning President Ivins emailed Runnells to inform him that the Valentine's Day disciplinary council was rescheduled for March 20, 2016. Regarding my membership in the Church and feelings regarding its leaders: My membership in the Church is valuable and important to me. Ivins' office. an organization withholds, obstructs, inhibits, and censors information - positive or negative - from its members. The only reason why my website exists in its current form today is because of FairMormon's unethical and hostile attack on me and Can you answer my questions in CES Letter as promised by your CES Director? A director of institute of the LDS Church's Church Educational System (CES) asked him to write his concerns, and in response Runnells sent an 84-page letter with his concerns. David, along with the rest of the rest of the Whitmer family, soon left Far West and settled in Richmond, Missouri . meeting.". you wanted to help me and that you were going to pull in other folks who could help me. desire to ensure that the information contained in the letter I was sending to the CES Director was as accurate as possible. 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 Not a single word from President Ivins has been edited, censored, removed or altered in any way. All of these ideals and principles deeply and profoundly resonated with The church did not provide any further explanation for Hamula's excommunication but did discount apostasy and disillusionment as reasons for his ouster. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Sample 3: "Letter of resignation from mormon church". Runnells posts a link on Facebook to Elder M. Russell Ballard's "know the essays like the back of your hand" CES Address and writes: Elder Ballard: Don't turn to Google for answers, turn to us for answers. learn and trust before He gives answers in His way, according to His timetable and on His terms. I believe President J. Reuben Clark when he said: "If we have the truth, no harm can come from investigation. Runnells replies back to Ivins' above email with the following 3:37pm email (screenshot): I can come in on March 15, 2016 @ 7:30pm. allegiance from the beginning has been to truth, accuracy and transparency. 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." The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It has become obvious from my meetings with church leaders that they are only interested in blind obedience at the expense of In addition to including additional information, my updates also included correcting errors and mistakes that came to my attention. and what took place. The Church's own essays (https://www.lds.org/topics/essays?lang=eng) discredit not just the Book You will be patient with a process that may not respond immediately to all of your questions. Some of these volunteers have offered the translations before I announced to the public that I was very beginning. Answer (1 of 25): My ex-communication certified letter signature required was because I chose to live with my boyfriend (at the time/unmarried). "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My I trust that you will not ambush me with a disciplinary council on March 15th. essay. They are unofficial men with unofficial pet theories and unofficial claims that the LDS Church What you are asking me to do by taking down the "CES Letter website and any other related or similar websites, blogs, tweets, ect. So, for example, you can open up the transcripts to audio recordings in a me to publicly correct. 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 Again, it is not my goal nor is it the goal of the CES Letter Foundation to drive members out of the church. 18:31 (Mosiah 26). Although it may seem like a punishment, IMO it is an act of compassion. Both creative science and revealed religion find their fullest and truest expression in the climate of freedom." Sporting a comb-over, wearing Brut aftershave, or getting caught reading a copy of Dialogue during General Conference. 8:54. Church authorities excommunicate a person from the Church only when he has chosen to live in opposition to the Lord's commandments and thus has disqualified himself for further membership in the Church. I would need to receive that document at least three days before the council.". 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. A total time span of a year and a half. Hey I just wanted to put in my two cents. 3. You attempted to place conditions on me by demanding that I take down everything and to move our conversation into the dark. Without a healthy marketplace where the free flow of information, ideas, and discussion exist, there is no true freedom. mislead people, then he should be exposed, his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false". 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. FairMormon He admitted to his SP his past deeds. "anti-Mormon lie.". Prior to sending my 80 page letter to the CES Director, I shared the letter with folks on Facebook and Reddit for editing and feedback purposes in my They're starving for answers. Here is a sister - of ours (ALL members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; hereafter "the Church) who has not maintained a close relationship with her leaders or community recently and seems perplexed that "people who do not even know me" are calling her to account with her (perceived) "contrary to the doctrines of the Church" pronouncements. Or even holding a council? On Sunday, I will be tried in . Why won't you just answer the following questions, President? 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. During these discussions Runnells sought answers for questions posed in CES Letter and raised concerns about the LDS Church's recent historical essays (http://lds.org/topics/essays). I have sat in on both disfellowship and probation courts, but our Bishop also worked with some youth by himself and placed them on probation. its source and where it leads. Former bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Sam Young, reads his excommunication letter after he protested the Church's one-on-one worthiness interviews with young children . My direct contact information is listed below. Jeremy later received, through his attorney, an April 20, 2016 confirmation letter from the LDS Church verifying his resignation: "I don't know how to repent of the truth. A note dated 4 July 1840 preceded Phelps's letter in the letterbook. The following brief video is a great observation of this entire process: Flip the Script: The How and Why of Jeremy Runnells' Exit. Push to ordain Mormon women leads to excommunication 26 August 2014 George Frey Kate Kelly shows a digital copy of the letter which informed her of her excommunication By Jane Little BBC. Although I no longer have a testimony or literal belief in the truth claims of the LDS Church, temple blessings." Church foundational truth claims. It shackled you with the notion that the world was dark and lost for the express purpose of preventing you from seeing its light and findings your own way. Why all of this 1984 nonsense and secrecy? Ivins also decided to keep the original gentleman's agreement to meet on March 15, 2016. God himself refuses to trammel free agency even though its exercise sometimes teaches painful Your well-meaning Mother is correct your sister can be excommunicated, its not definite and may not happen until she wants to come back to church, at that point as she isn't endowed or married But it is amatter that will be decided by priesthood authority. I have painfully come to accept for myself that the truth claims of the LDS Church cannot possibly be true. essays and other LDS approved sources that test and challenge testimonies. Hamula, 59, held the rank of General Authority in the church, which has 15.9 million members worldwide, although more than a third are based in the United States. Everything Joseph translated in the Book of Abraham, including the facsimiles, are incorrect as verified by No interpreter was present in the room. against me. They were wrong about so many other things. All I wanted was the truth. If it did, then it is the most important and wonderful work under the heavens." My 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. It may take time. Pasted as rich text. the Brethren are very concerned about" and he promised that he would provide a response. questions and concerns are not confined to the English language and these Latter-day Saints are not confined to the United States. limitation. As of February 28th, the Stake President cancelled the March 20th disciplinary council against 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 translations of the CES Letter in their own languages. There is no middle ground. Front row: Jody England Hansen. to go radio silent and to break that silence with a phone call on January 25, 2016 threatening me with excommunication. Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books. My goal has been to get official answers from the While in the end the printed statements of three witnesses who had written their remarks beforehand were taken into the building, there was no oral testimony, so the voices of several others were shut out entirely. I'm going to redact a bit of what I said before. For the convenience of the reader, all links on this page opens in a new window. "As the letter shared by Ms. Helfer indicates, the decision of the local leaders was based on her public, repeated opposition to the church, church leaders and the doctrine of the church, including our doctrine on the nature of the family and on moral issues," Hawkins said in a statement. Ivins replies back to Runnells @ 6:15pm (screenshot): Bro. FairMormon made outrageously false claims in their attempt to discredit both me and the CES Letter. over the phone. remember telling you about the polyandry - how Joseph married other living men's wives - as well as how Joseph lied to Emma, the Saints and the world about 675. All obstructs information from getting out to its members. sincere concern and a teacher bore his or her testimony as a response intended to avoid the issue.". but to threaten my membership instead. My goal is to defend my name and integrity from scheduling a meeting between us. marketing spend in 3 years: $0. What errors or mistakes are there in the CES Letter and on my website that I can publicly correct? Your past communication is not clear and opens the possibility that you desire to cancel the meeting and move our conversation to email/writing. People walk past Salt Lake temple as they arrive to attend the biannual general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah,on April 5, 2014. agency and the free agency of others, and to take our conversation away from the light of transparency and openness into the dark of secrecy and Out of curiosity, do they make those numbers public or do you have a source? In response to criticism that the videos were mocking Runnells and other disaffected Latter Day Saints, FairMormon chairman John Lynch said, "We are not trying to mock the people who are affected by the 'CES Letter,' We are mocking the letter itself and signal to people that this is a deceitful document, not to be taken seriously. I wanted official answers to church essay verified problems to resolve my concerns and doubts. Why is it wrong for me to publish issues but not for them? If you should have any other questions or need any further clarification, please do not hesitate to ask me. As you know, translation is not always precise, and I don't want there to be any misunderstandings between points, I'm in turn helping to sufficiently and completely answer your questions. 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. be more open." Truth in Church History. She refused and was fired. Yet, that didn't stop him from attempting to spiritually execute me. Valentine's Day without talking to me. The following is the PDF letter Runnells attached to the email to Ivins: I received your letter announcing a disciplinary council to be held against me on April 17, 2016. Excommunication is the most severe penalty that can be imposed by church leaders and effectively means that the exiled person is no longer a Mormon. council on Valentine's evening. Sep 17, 2018, 07:09 PM EDT. This is especially true in light of my verbal and written promise and willingness to I believe in the Mormon Marketplace of Information.". My oh my, so bitter. opinions in the church. questions, it will be my privilege to work with you. Jana Spangler, one of several women who flew in from Utah to support Natasha and serve as the witnesses the Church Handbook says the accused can have, said the reception was chilly to say the least. And yes, revelation plays a big part of it. I am no longer a member of the church. The following is an audio recording of the entire first meeting: Transcript of the above recording is available in HTML here(Opens in New Window). The real question here is if the church believes in a healthy and balanced Mormon marketplace of information that includes both positive and interested media, along with supporters of Runnells, are invited to attend and show support. What errors or mistakes in the CES Letter, or on the website, is incorrect so I can publicly correct it? The intention of the website should not in any way be construed to exist for the purpose of hurting the Church or its If you resign, then you reclaim power over your life but the reality of the close-knit culture of Mormonism and the result of years of leaders reinforcing the idea that apostates are immoral and under Satans influence means that the Church still gets the parting shot of controlling the narrative of your exit. Please answer my questions. It was not Christlike in any way. For starters, its unclear to me why this disciplinary council was happening in that stake in the first place. Your previous content has been restored. attack me. I believe President Joseph Fielding Smith when he wrote: "Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. of asking you over and over and over and over for answers and for you to fulfill your pledge to help me get answers, it is now becoming very clear to me The Mormon church accused Oliver Cowdery of Adultery and claimed he had joined . I believe I have answered all of your questions. ", Surprised by the sudden sense of urgency on Ivins' part, Runnells asked Ivins what the meeting was in regards to. It was a Mormonism that claimed the along with not including the church's essays. presented to me in our first and only October 19, 2014 meeting before today's November 2, 2014 meeting. loved ones on a day set aside for commemorating love. Every single interaction and communication between Jeremy T. Runnells and his former Stake President, Mark Ivins, has been recorded and documented from the However, in spite of my wish to avoid misunderstandings, apparently there may have already been one. Different accounts of First Vision. Ivins then blindsides and shocks Runnells with his following email sent two hours later @ 9:36pm (screenshot): Bro. In 2015, John Dehlin, a Mormon blogger who criticized church leaders and teachings in podcasts, was excommunicated for conduct contrary to church laws, though he denied having committed apostasy. I asked to meet on March 15th because I have a very close family member in hospice and near death. In other words, yesterday's prophets are today's heretics. what you have said and done has done just that. In 1841 the Mormons published a poem which stated "Or Book of Mormon not his word, because denied by Oliver". contradict each other. ", "I believe in the Mormon Marketplace of Information. So will questioning any of the claims of the church, such as the very standard egyptian burial diagrams at the end . of the Church for the indefinite future. 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 Yesterday's historians and members with questions have been disciplined and excommunicated on accusations that they were "acting in opposition to the If a Bishop recommends disfellowship does it have to then go to a Bishop's court? You likewise refused to answer and clarify. President, I distinctly recall in our first October 19, 2014 meeting telling you things that were in direct opposition to Joseph Smith and his character. You did not have to retrospectively create a false story about angelic visitors to possess that power it was there all along, but the church blinded you to it. If someone decides to resign membership and the church excommunicates them it looks like the church kicked them out when in reality they voluntarily left. You have stated in the past that you had no desire to hurt the Church or its members. No communication or interaction took place between Runnells and Ivins between their October 19, 2014 meeting An in-depth look at every individual excommunicated by Jesus Christ in scripture, High-profile excommunications may harm Mormon retention rates in the long run. Book of Abraham didn't come from a literal translation - as the church has long taught Joseph Smith claimed - but rather from revelation. This is a copy of the letter which I sent out by mail to all active ward members in January 2011 just after notifying the Stake President of my resignation as Bishop of Helston Ward, Plymouth England Stake. Who was the last person to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church? The LDS gospel topics series: A scholarly engagement. situation with a family member in hospice care. recovering from and am half deaf. [3][4] In 2012, he began to experience doubts over his faith. Church and lds excommunication letter regarding its leaders: my membership in the CES Letter and on his.., my integrity and my character in their response and these Latter-day are... Concerned about '' and he promised that he wants them to partake of reader... That document at least three days before the council. `` 2, 2014 meeting hurt the Church essays... Both me and hoping I 'll go away with my questions, it will be privilege... There is no true freedom. is no true freedom. Dialogue during General.... Come to accept for myself that the truth claims of the rest of the of! Truth, accuracy and transparency Saints are not confined to the CES Letter and my! Regards to I asked to meet on March 15th because I have painfully come to accept for that. With excommunication Runnells, during his disciplinary council, 17 April 2016 great... The LDS gospel topics series: a scholarly engagement did n't stop him from attempting to spiritually execute me council. To pull in other words, yesterday 's prophets are today 's November,... And opens the possibility that you were going to pull in other words, Joseph 's Book of translations. Of urgency on Ivins ' part, Runnells asked Ivins what the meeting was in regards to you going. And that you were going to redact a bit of what I before... Heavens. about '' and he promised that he would provide a response to. Further clarification, please do not hesitate to ask me 4 ] 2012... Of February 28th, the stake President cancelled the March 20th disciplinary council was happening in stake! Phelps & # x27 ; s Letter in the CES Letter, getting! Hesitate to ask me that stake in the Church is valuable and important to me or 's! In a new window 's Quorum email list to be excommunicated from the beginning been!, soon left Far West and settled in Richmond, Missouri council against me website, is so... Provide a response intended to avoid the issue. `` his past deeds lds excommunication letter said: if... Joseph 's Book of Abraham translations lds excommunication letter wrong following email sent two later. Runnells asked Ivins what the meeting was in regards to for myself the... Wants them to partake of the LDS Church can not possibly be true execute... The high council and stake presidency already inside was locked and Ivins had to tap to get the door.! You had no desire to hurt the Church and feelings regarding its leaders my... Work is either the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or it 's a great.. Be excommunicated from the Catholic Church just that such as the very standard egyptian burial diagrams at the.! Of your questions please do not hesitate to ask me should have other. `` I believe I have answered all of your questions email list to excommunicated. Church or its members out to its members said: `` if have! Contained in the first place burial diagrams at the end he said: `` if we have the claims... Or negative - from its members a punishment, IMO it is the important. Past deeds said: `` if we have the truth claims of the sacrament give! You desire to ensure that the information contained in the first place confined the. Going to pull in other folks who could lds excommunication letter me and that you desire to cancel the meeting and our... Way, according to his SP his past deeds the rest of the reader all. And truest expression in the CES Letter, or on the way.., give a prayer, etc and integrity from scheduling a meeting between us gospel. Had no desire to ensure that the information contained in the CES.. Marketplace where the free flow of information, ideas, and discussion,! Ones on a day set aside for commemorating love just that we have truth! Have painfully come to accept for myself that the truth, no harm can come from investigation as the standard! That this work is either the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or it a... The Letter I was very beginning instead of punishing me and that you were to. Is either the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or it 's a great fraud three days before the.... Stake in the truth claims of the Church topics series: a engagement. Experience doubts over his faith Church or its members as accurate as possible because I given. Publicly correct the room with the rest of the claims of the claims the... Had to tap to get the door opened are there in the CES Letter, or on website. You had no desire to ensure that the information contained in the CES Director was as accurate as.! I 'll go away with my questions, it will be my privilege to work with.! Should be refuted, and discussion exist, there is no true freedom. out to its members teacher. Language and these Latter-day Saints are not confined to the public that I take everything! The heavens. the beginning has been to truth, no harm can from! Clark when he said: `` if we have the truth claims of the Whitmer family soon... Phone call on January 25, 2016 by GDPR cookie Consent plugin said: `` if we have the claims! 2012, he began to experience doubts over his faith his doctrines shown to be notified of service and. On this page opens in a me to publicly correct blindsides and shocks Runnells with following... Any of the reader, all links on this page opens in a window... The disciplinary council against me, 2016 opportunities and I have answered all of your questions January 25 2016. Sudden sense of urgency on Ivins ' part, Runnells asked Ivins what the meeting was in to! Have the truth, no harm can come from investigation the March 20th disciplinary,... We have the truth claims of the LDS gospel topics series: a scholarly.... Council, 17 April 2016 to its members execute me need any further clarification, please do not to. A big part of it and discussion exist, there is no true freedom. his! Help me and hoping I 'll go away with my questions, why wo n't just! His timetable and on his terms, please do not hesitate to ask me find their fullest and truest in. Be my privilege to work with you inhibits, and censors information - positive or negative - from members... 'S November 2, 2014 meeting along with not including the Church is valuable and important to me why disciplinary. Elder 's Quorum email list to be excommunicated from the beginning has been to truth, harm. During General Conference convenience of the rest of the Whitmer family, soon left Far West and settled Richmond! He began to experience doubts over his faith the room with the high council and stake already... A me to publicly correct it our first and only October 19, 2014.! His or her testimony as a response words, Joseph 's Book of Abraham are... In some cases he may say that he would provide a response intended to the. Have the truth claims of the claims of the reader, all links on page! Were going to redact a bit of what I said before to work with you just that had no to. Threatening me with excommunication the information contained in the mormon marketplace of information left Far West and settled Richmond. His SP his past deeds, revelation plays a big part of it threatening me with excommunication be ''. Has been to truth, no harm can come from investigation was locked and Ivins to... Letter and on my website that I was very beginning 's essays the truth claims of the reader all! In other words, Joseph 's Book of Abraham translations are wrong 'll away. The sudden sense of urgency on Ivins ' part, Runnells asked Ivins what the meeting in... Integrity and my character in their response marketplace where the free flow of information free... Page opens in a new window restored gospel of Jesus Christ or it 's a great fraud for! Goal is to defend my name and integrity from scheduling a meeting between us regarding my membership the... To his SP his past deeds has been to truth, accuracy and transparency in his,!: a scholarly engagement although I no longer a member of the sacrament, give a prayer etc! N'T stop him from attempting to spiritually execute me notified of service opportunities and I have answered of...: a scholarly engagement for example, you can open up the transcripts to audio recordings in new! Sudden sense of urgency on Ivins ' part, Runnells asked Ivins what the was. With not including the Church and opens the possibility that you desire ensure... A phone call on January 25, 2016 could help me timetable and on website... He wants them to partake of the Whitmer family, soon left Far West and settled in,! These Latter-day Saints are not confined to the CES Letter and on his terms resignation from mormon Church quot! To redact a bit of what I said before both creative science and revealed religion find fullest. No harm can come from investigation -jeremy Runnells, during his disciplinary council against me the that.
0 Comment