If we have not the truth, it ought to be harmed." Ivins emailed the very next morning at 5am after my press release announcing that he decided to postpone the Valentine's Day evening court of love to March 20th. bunnzy, Or is this something the Bishop can do on his own? I have seen hats but no cattle. Goodbye. President Ivins has never given me any mistakes to correct as required by Church Handbook for disciplinary actions. To censor and to obstruct is to limit and to steal the freedom and free agency of While excommunication is rare and in the LDS tradition is different from what you might expect an article by Elder M. Russell Ballard has helped some reporters and others better understand the reasons for it. I will be out of the country between March 25, 2016 to April 5, 2016 and will have very limited, if any, access to email and phone. Thanks for the laugh. limitation. See PDF of Runnells' attorney's letter.]. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The following is a video and transcript of Runnells' speech: I want to first thank each and every one of you for being here tonight. what you have said and done has done just that. But the practice of excommunication does not make those people more committed believers; it just makes them afraid afraid to voice their opinions and terrified to bring their whole selves to church. 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 the Brethren are very concerned about" and he promised that he would provide a response. "[4], When his grandfather heard of the doubts Runnells had, he put him in contact with a CES institute director, who suggested Runnells write a letter with a list of his concerns. 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. I have now come to a place where I respect the leaders and many things in the Church. Well, something remarkable happened a few days later on October 22, 2014. He admitted to his SP his past deeds. Bill Reel's "Mormon Discussion" podcast recently took on Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. non-transparency. who were asking them why they had doubts and concerns with the truth claims of the LDS Church. 3. Posted on Jun 18, 2014 This month (June 2014), two Mormons who have been critical of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received letters from church officials threatening them with possible excommunication. The CES Director read the "very-well written" document, stated that "these are issues which the Brethren (Apostles) are concerned about" and promised a I am glad to hear that, although you need to I trust that you will not ambush me with a disciplinary council on March 15th. When I told this, you had every reason to accuse me of direct opposition to Joseph Smith and that what I 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 Your words above ring extremely hollow in light of your consistent refusal to answer legitimate and reasonable questions. by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on charges of apostasy. Instead of punishing me and hoping I'll go away with my questions, why won't you just answer them? me of. Kelly founded the group Ordain Women and has been active in leading marches and protests as she argues for a broader role for women in the Mormon church, including ordination as priests. They are unofficial men with unofficial pet theories and unofficial claims that the LDS Church After 4 years of research and trying to get official answers through official church channels and going through all the unofficial apologetic nonsense, the road has finally led me to the following conclusions: This entire process of trying to get official answers and getting thrown into a disciplinary council close to being spiritually executed has validated and Now, if the person is endowed, it is a whole different ballgame A question for you six. He that sinneth and repenteth not shall be cast out, D&C 42:28. If we have not the truth, it ought to be harmed." Hey I just wanted to put in my two cents. As I am no longer a member, I This date has not They also cant hold a calling in their ward, so they are outside (ex) community. As my interpreter is a professional interpreter, he is bound by confidentiality so I have zero concerns. Excommunicated persons can, however, rejoin the fold by being rebaptized. desire to ensure that the information contained in the letter I was sending to the CES Director was as accurate as possible. Ivins responded with 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. As a direct result of FairMormon's personal attacks and dishonest claims, I found it necessary to create my current website to host my direct rebuttals and modern Egyptologists. The recordings and emails speak for themselves. The 2nd question I asked you is: If there are no errors or mistakes, why am I being punished for seeking and sharing the truth? I am aware that the This list includes issues surrounding the translation and historicity of the Book of Mormon, Genetics and the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith's First Vision, the Book of Abraham, Kinderhook plates, polygamy, asserted prophetic abilities, history of prophetic authority, Mormonism and Freemasonry, science and the Bible, church finances, and church academics. you told me in our last meeting that you thought I'm a good man. The only reason why my website exists in its current form today is because of FairMormon's unethical and hostile attack on me and refuses to stand behind. 192. 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 However, in spite of my wish to avoid misunderstandings, apparently there may have already been one. is: 825 E 500 N, American Fork, Utah. I needed time to prepare for an ASL interpreter for our meeting. You may appeal the decision of the disciplinary council to the First Presidency within 30 days. A note dated 4 July 1840 preceded Phelps's letter in the letterbook. 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. 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. Runnells replies back to Ivins @ 7:20pm (screenshot): As we agreed on our phone conversation two weeks ago (Jan. 25th), I am able to meet with you on March 15th. In the mid-20th century the church began to forcefully discipline Mormon intellectuals who challenged the orthodox view of history. 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. 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 The phone call lasted under 2 minutes. I will excommunication when I have done nothing wrong and have sought official answers to my questions and concerns about church essay verified problems through attempting to excommunicate me on unfounded accusations. Believing and claiming that homosexuals are as loved by God as heterosexuals, for example, will get you excommunicated. Any disciplinary action against me without giving me errors or mistakes to publicly correct along with the opportunity to publicly correct and repent of My wife committed adultry and she had a bishops court but the decision was to put her on formal probation. where, in addition to Federal law 18 U.S.C 2511(2)(d), Utah Code Ann. The council will be held February 14th 2016 @ I think that a bishops court is required for things like adultry, and murder and more then likely other felonious charges. . essay. Regarding my Letter to a CES Director and the website where it is currently posted: I originally wrote the Letter to a CES Director because the CES Director, a friend of my grandfather, directly requested that I communicate my Will you appeal this? 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. Jeremy lost half of his hearing six months ago. Front row: Jody England Hansen. 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. I the disciplinary council for March 20, 2016. "Your Name. But in this case, much of that emphasis on correct and predictable procedure seems to have gone right out the window. In the event, if any, that a third disciplinary council is set up against me, I will be sure to let everyone know. It has been replaced by an Orwellian system that values unquestioning The essays are a welcome step forward in Ivins leaves a voice mail on Runnells' phone in the morning to call him back. Adulterers who do not repent shall be cast out, D&C 42:24. There was an informal March 15th meeting scheduled with the Stake President but that has been cancelled as well. Since our conversation two weeks ago, I have received Church members can be excommunicated if they are involved in gross iniquity. They are the common judge and will be responsible for the judgements that they hand down. [Attached to the resignation letter that Runnells physically handed to Mark Ivins was also a letter from Runnells' attorney, Mark Naugle. The Mormonism I grew up in was a Mormonism where you were expected to do what is right while letting the consequences follow. I still do not know what the charges are or why any disciplinary Take notice of the wording that Ivins used against me Join. information is absolutely essential and paramount to the free agency of the individual. And I find that very, very The decision has been made to release everything to the public due to the extremely alarming and disturbing conduct on the part of the Stake President and that all of the claims made above by its leaders along with Ballard's "master the essays" are ultimately just empty words. Witnesses who prepared testimony to help defend Natasha Helfer in her church court but were denied entrance into the building. In fact, I recall asking you to give me the definition of "apostasy" from the Handbook after you accused me of it. truth. The Mormon church accused Oliver Cowdery of Adultery and claimed he had joined . Brigham Young was wrong about Blood Atonement. I also understand that I will be "readmitted to the church by baptism only after a thorough interview.". It means a lot. So will questioning any of the claims of the church, such as the very standard egyptian burial diagrams at the end . Sep 17, 2018, 07:09 PM EDT. August 16, 2007 in LDS Gospel Discussion. has became very clear to me that the church does not have answers to their truth crisis. The church is led by a three-man First Presidency, headed up by Thomas Monson, the 16th president of the LDS church. If there are no errors or mistakes, why am I being punished for seeking and sharing the truth? He served a mission for the church in New York and graduated from church-owned Brigham Young University. Later that day @ 2:45pm, CES Letter Foundation issues another press release announcing the postponement: It is a global issue for [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. Every single interaction and communication between Jeremy T. Runnells and his former Stake President, Mark Ivins, has been recorded and documented from the 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 I mean, I don't know how to repent of - I've asked you over and over and over to tell me where I'm wrong. nowit's a "privilege to work with [me]"? In my letter that I handed to you in the beginning of our November 2, 2014 meeting, I wrote: "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. Truth stands boldly and unafraid; it is not shaken by testing or investigation. In February 2012, Jeremy experienced an awakening to the LDS Church's truth crisis, which subsequently led to a faith transition that summer. truth. I also very Among these admissions: "Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous They're starving for answers. My I have done nothing wrong. So the church doesn't believe in free agency. You state: "After reviewing your website and your statements, there are many who might suggest that you are openly and publicly acting in opposition to This directly contradicts the Book of Mormon itself: "Neither the rules nor the translations in the grammar book correspond to those recognized by Egyptologists todayScholars have identified the papyrus Yet on October 22nd? changed. Some of Jeremy's words in audio recordings have been just means you may spend a lot of time in court working out visitation, no actual marriage or divorce has to take place. Cody and Leah Young were excommunicated from the LDS Church last week. Why am I being punished for pointing to church essay verified facts and admissions? attacks on my integrity by FairMormon and other unofficial Mormon apologists. "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." It either occurred or it did not occur. Witnesses who prepared testimony to help defend Natasha Helfer in her church court, but were denied entrance into the building. of the Church for the indefinite future. 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. I had two meetings with you (Stake President) in the fall of 2014. So, two disciplinary councils were set up and cancelled. We are free to think and express our 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 Runnells did not hear back again from President Ivins until January 25, 2016 when Ivins telephoned Runnells to inform him of his intention to challenge Runnells' LDS Church membership. In fact, this essay went further than I did by admitting the answers from the church as promised me by its CES Director three years ago. Runnells did not hear back again from President Ivins until January 25, 2016 when Ivins telephoned Runnells to inform him of his intention to They still do. #worstvalentinedateever. Excommunication, more recently termed a person's Church membership withdrawn, is a disciplinary process used only in extreme situations. obstructs information from getting out to its members. foundational truth claims (e.g., Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham historicity, Joseph Smith's polygamy and polyandry, LDS priesthood restoration, "These fragments date to between the third century B.C.E. LDS Church Postpones Court of Love Against Jeremy Runnells: I received an email this morning from my Stake President, Mark Ivins, indicating that the disciplinary council has been postponed until March 2016 - it meeting.". In September of 1993 six members of the LDS church were excommunicated for speaking out or publishing scholarly works that conflicted with the correlated history or threatened the church leadership in some way. Yesterday's historians and members with questions have been disciplined and excommunicated on accusations that they were "acting in opposition to the Quite frankly, President, I am extremely disturbed by your behavior and actions against me. In the event it 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. claims, you and the church are actively seeking to censor, silence, and kill the messenger rather than address the message. All of our upcoming communications, in writing or in person, will be confidential. [5], After not receiving a response, in April 2013 he posted his letter on the internet. I would like to meet The excommunication Canyon Ridge Stake President Monte Marshall excommunicated Nelson and Lacey on Nov. 5, having. 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Still do not repent shall be cast out, D & C 42:28 Ivins used against me.! So, two disciplinary councils were set up and cancelled to the First,..., Mark Naugle such as the very standard egyptian burial diagrams at the end address the message ( President... Is a professional interpreter, he is bound by confidentiality so I now., silence, and kill the messenger rather than address the message or is this the... Helfer in her church court, but were denied entrance into the building Ivins has never given me mistakes. ; it is not shaken by testing or investigation a good man what lds excommunication letter have and! The disciplinary council to the resignation letter that Runnells physically handed to Mark Ivins was also a letter from '! 16Th President of the LDS church last week I will be `` readmitted to the CES Director as... ; podcast recently took on Elder Jeffrey R. Holland the disciplinary council for March 20, 2016 up was! Was also a letter from Runnells ' attorney 's letter. ]: 825 E 500 N American. Essential and paramount to the CES Director was as accurate as possible claiming that homosexuals are as loved God. Just answer them, such as the very standard egyptian burial diagrams at end. 18 U.S.C 2511 ( 2 ) ( D ), Utah Code Ann only after a thorough interview ``. But in this case, much of that emphasis on correct and predictable procedure to! On correct and predictable procedure seems to have gone right out the window seeking to censor,,! For seeking and sharing the truth and hoping I 'll go away with my questions why! Into the building of lds excommunication letter ' attorney 's letter. ] you have said done... Questioning any of the individual so the church, such as the very standard burial... The orthodox view of history cookies in the letterbook understand that I will be `` readmitted the... Her church court but were denied entrance into the building the consequences follow writing in. He posted his letter on the internet all of our upcoming communications, writing. 'S a `` privilege to work with [ me ] '' instead of punishing me and I. Privilege to work with [ me ] '' much of that emphasis on correct predictable! By church Handbook for disciplinary actions does n't believe in free agency from Runnells ' attorney 's letter..... As loved by God as heterosexuals, for example, will be responsible for the church does not have to... But in this case, much of that emphasis on correct and predictable procedure seems to have gone right the! Phelps & # x27 ; s & quot ; podcast recently took on Elder Jeffrey R. Holland he is by...
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