April 17, 2016

President Ivins,

This letter is my formal resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and it is effective immediately. I hereby withdraw my consent to being treated as a member and I withdraw my consent to being subject to church rules, policies, beliefs, and "discipline". As I am no longer a member, I want my name permanently and completely removed from the membership rolls of the church.

For the purpose of expediting this process my personal information is as follows:

[Redacted for Privacy]

I have given this matter considerable thought. I understand what you consider the "seriousness" and the "consequences" of my actions. I am aware that the Church Handbook says that my resignation "cancels the effects of baptism and confirmation, withdraws the priesthood held by a male member, and revokes temple blessings." I also understand that I will be "readmitted to the church by baptism only after a thorough interview."

My resignation should be processed immediately, without any "waiting periods". I am exercising my constitutional right to extract myself from this religion with dignity and therefore my resignation is effective immediately and unconditionally. I expect this matter to be handled with respect.

I followed the counsel of my leaders and my patriarchal blessing to search for truth wherever it may be found. Indeed, I began seeking answers to my questions with the complete expectation of a victorious outcome in favor of the LDS Church's foundational truth claims.

I believe President Hinckley's dichotomy that this work is either the restored gospel of Jesus Christ or it's a great fraud.

I believe President J. Reuben Clark when he said:

"If we have the truth, no harm can come from investigation.

If we have not the truth, it ought to be harmed."

I believe President Joseph Fielding Smith when he wrote:

"Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a Prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground. If Joseph was a deceiver, who willfully attempted to mislead people, then he should be exposed, his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false..."

I was contacted by a CES Director in March 2013 to share my questions and concerns regarding the LDS church and its foundational truth claims. CES Letter was my response. The CES Director confirmed that he read the "very well-written" letter and acknowledged that these are issues "which the Brethren are very concerned about" and he promised that he would provide a response. Unfortunately, no response ever came.

I have desperately tried to get official answers from the church to these serious problems for several years now. After four years of research into Joseph Smith and LDS origins, doctrine, and history and after years of silence from the CES Director and leaders of the church (including a Church Historian and 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 truth crisis. I have seen some icing but no cake. I have seen hats but no cattle.

I have offered leaders - both verbally and in writing - many times to publicly correct any mistakes or errors in the CES Letter and website. President Ivins has never given me any mistakes to correct as required by Church Handbook for disciplinary actions. My offer still stands to this day as I am only interested in correct facts and information.

I am a product of Mormonism. The Mormonism I grew up in was a Mormonism where you were expected to do what is right while letting the consequences follow. It was a Mormonism where you were expected to search for and embrace all truth regardless of where it may be found. It was a Mormonism that claimed the freedom of the individual and free agency as one of its most cherished principles. All of these ideals and principles deeply and profoundly resonated with me. They still do.

I have come to see for myself that the church does not want people who ask hard questions. Despite the CES Director and Stake President, Mark Ivins, offering to answer my questions or to find answers to my questions, I have found that rather than getting answers, I instead get silence and ultimately threats of excommunication. It has become obvious from my meetings with church leaders that they are only interested in blind obedience at the expense of what's right rather than to do what's right at the expense of obedience.

I have painfully come to accept for myself that the truth claims of the LDS Church cannot possibly be true. I have discovered, borrowing the above words of Joseph Fielding Smith, that Joseph Smith was a deceiver who willfully attempted to mislead people and that he should be exposed, his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false.

I have painfully come to see for myself that the Mormonism of my youth is dead. It has been replaced by an Orwellian system that values unquestioning obedience and conformity over the pursuit of truth and virtue of individual free agency. Doubt your doubts, God not Google, stay on the boat rather than to seek and accept truth no matter its source and where it leads. Do what is right and the consequence is excommunication.

I am resigning from the church due to its extremely disturbing lack of transparency and honesty to its members and investigators about the real Joseph Smith and the real origins and history of Mormonism.

I am resigning because of the way the church treats me and other members who have sincere questions, concerns, and doubts.

I am resigning because I absolutely resent and am disgusted by the LDS Church's and President Ivins' treatment toward me and their attempts to spiritually murder and place me in the same category as murderers, rapists, wife beaters, and child molesters through the archaic, barbaric, and un-Christlike use of excommunication when I have done nothing wrong and have sought official answers to my questions and concerns about church essay verified problems through proper church channels.

I am resigning because I refuse to submit myself to a dishonest Orwellian kangaroo court filled with men who value obedience and conformity over morality 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 answers to its truth crisis and serious problems and challenges to its foundational truth claims.

I am resigning because I no longer want to be a part of or associated with a fundamentalist religion that does not value and respect intellectual honesty, free agency, transparency, and truth.

I am resigning because the LDS Church and its foundational truth claims are just not true.

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 all over again.

In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight.

Jeremy T. Runnells