Mormon stories ces letter pdf

Just in time for christmas, jeremy runnells has released both printed and electronic copies of his ces letter 2. This open letter represents a good summary of the issues that he would later cover in the ces letter. Mormon apologists you have more than a few minutes. In 20, jeremy runnells at the request of a ces director wrote a letter documenting the issues he found with the lds church. One latterday saints questions and concerns about the lds churchs origins, history, and current practices. This booklet, which is now typically referred to as the ces letter, catalogues runnells concerns and reasons why he left the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Jeremy runnells and his ces letter have sort of become icons in the mormon world. I think adam miller did a pretty good job during his mormon stories interview of articulating that this kind of approach can also be found outside of an intellectual one, and that it is even to be found in the basic teachings of mormonism. The ces letter is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to the lds church, and they dont even realize it. Back then, i didnt think people would notice ces letter, but obviously i was wrong. It is a record of gods dealings with ancient inhabitants of the americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. It is still bound by the same paradigms that caused the distress in the first place. Jim bennett and bill reel and the issues of the ces letter.

He later published this in a pdf on his website, which is now known as the ces letter. In may of 2009, i entered the mesa, arizona lds temple for the mormon riteofpassage ceremony called the endowment, where tithed patrons learn the mysteries of god through costume, film, and pantomime. Grant hart palmer august 17, 1940 september 25, 2017 was an american educator best known for his controversial work, an insiders view of mormon origins, which ostensibly led to his disfellowshipment in 2004 from the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church. This booklet, which is now typically referred to as the ces letter, catalogs runnells concerns and reasons why he left the church of jesus christ of latterday saints mormons. I didnt leave the church this document corresponds with due to doubts with doctrine, doctrinal conflict, or. Bamboozled by the ces letter kindle edition by ash. The ces letter became infamous in mormon circles and one of the most visible examples of why lds leaders continually admonish members to avoid researching church history on the internet. This entry was posted in joseph smith, joseph smiths polygamy, mormon apologists and tagged brian hales, ces letter, grant palmer, gregory l. Chapter 3 book of mormon translation concerns 15 joseph smith used a rock in a hat to translate the book of mormon. The book of mormon sounds more similar to a book called first book of napoleon because ces letter likewise misrepresents what the book of mormon and this other book say. How ces letters false portrayals of mormons influence our.

This became very popular very fast and within a couple years he had over 100,000 downloads. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading bamboozled by the ces letter. Did the ces letter to the lds leadership ever get answered. The document is comprised of a list of issues that the author states caused him to lose his testimony, and it is hosted on a number of websites. These quotes establish the premise that the churchs religious truth claims hinge on the book of mormon. The stories are taken from a book that is sacred because it came from heavenly father. It was written by jeremy renolds originally as an honest request to a ces director for answers to the issues it raises. John dehlin june 18, 2014 best of mormon stories, book of mormon, church history, exmormon stories, top 10 exmormon, top 10 truth claims, top 25, top mormon faith crisis stories 167 comments. The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Because, according to their calculations, fairmormon remains neutral on 51% of the letter and agrees with 28% of the letter, tacitly fairmormon agrees with 79% of the ces letter.

The creators of the ces letter, in fact, claim that fairmormon disagrees with only 21% of the ces letter. Please help me help a mormon missionary having a faith crisis. Today, we are releasing to the public ces letter 2. But the ces letter is only half of an honest seeking of truth.

Mormon stories listeners, yesterday i spent an hour on the phone with a. Runnells published a pdf booklet entitled, letter to a ces director. Book of mormon stories the church of jesus christ of latterday these book of mormon stories have been written espe cially for you. The book of mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the bible. The ces letter introduces the book of mormon section with two quotes, one by president ezra taft benson and another by elder jeffrey r. Mormon stories exploring, celebrating and challenging. For the most part, it was nothing new, just a lot of rehashing a long list of antimormon doctrine. We then tackle joseph smiths treasure digging, the first vision, and begin to get into the multiple aspects of the book of mormon including translation and the level of absurdity in some of the narratives stories. The newest version, which i have not personally read, has been edited to be less. The ces letter highlights many of the issues found within the lds church that gets explained away by ecclesiastical leaders with a we arent meant to know everything in this life. Many mormons or former mormons cite the letter as a powerful influence on their various faith transitions jeremy was born into a mormon family and served a twoyear mission in new york when he turned 19. The book of mormon is a sacred text that was published in march 1830 by joseph smith, jr. Book of mormon stories the church of jesus christ of. Six months prior to writing the letter to a ces director, the author posted an open letter to elder quentin l.

And what better way to do that then to surreptitiously leave ces letter passalong cards in hymnals and grocery stores, and to write ces letter graffiti in marriott nightstand copies of the book of mormon, and to send anonymous emails of the ces letter to the student body of lds colleges, and to leave a pdf of the ces letter on local library. Reflections on the ces letter daniel peterson 2014 fair mormon conference duration. How to help a mormon who has been influenced by ces letter. I have seen jeremys excommunication trial, and i found hi. In fact, i remember that it took dehlin by surprise because he.

As a mormon who has read the ces letter in its entirety. I find this question to be fascinating, because its a leading question in that it wants an answer that focuses on one disagreement with any one of the many minor peripheral issues and concerns raised by the ces letter and how that one disagreemen. The name camorah appeared in the 1830 edition of bom, but the spelling was changed in later editions. Jeremy runnells and the book of abraham rational faiths. According to smith, the book is originally written in an otherwise unknown language called reformed egyptian on golden plates and it should be of similar importance as the bible. The irrational world of brian hales polygamy part i. The ces letter alleges that by reading novels that mentioned captain kidd, joseph smith learned of a small island off the coast of africa called comora, whose largest city is moroni and placed those names in the book of mormon. Mormon author whose ces letter helped many leave the.

For example, when i started mormon stories podcast, or when jeremy runnells created ces letter, or when kate kelly and i were excommunicated, or when the lds church came out with its november, 2015 lgbt policy i thought that these things might spark significant outrage, and possibly even lead to a large number of people leaving the church. Some antimormon invited me to read ces letter years ago, and i didnt give it more than a five second glance because ive heard all the same arguments before. A current lifelong latterday saint, jeremy runnells was asked by a ces director in april 20 to share with him jeremys questions and concerns regarding the lds church and its truth claims. Do not sell, print or offer existing ces letter or your new work for profit or commercial purposes. On average, the typical latterday saint has never needed to think outside of the box on mormonrelated philosophical, historical, or scholarly issues.

The html and audio versions are in final production and will be released shortly in december 2017. Mormon stories ces letter mormon think fairmormon lds apologists. As you read these stories, remember that they are about real people who lived in america long ago. Ces letter is one latterday saints honest quest to get official answers from the lds church on its troubling origins, history, and practices. Letter to a ces director questions and concerns about mormonism. This web page is dedicated to the accomplishments of jeremy runnells and his dealings with the mormon church.

Do not set up or offer ces letter for mass print on or any other printers. If mormonism is all truth, then the brethren should be rushing to switch all quads out for copies of the ces letter any day now. The biggest and most substantial change in ces letter 2. On todays episodes of mormon stories, we interview dr. If this letter is the end of your journey with mormonism, i understand to a degree. Jeremy runnells was offered an opportunity to discuss his own doubts with a director of the church educational system ces and was assured that his doubts could be resolved. Criticism of mormonismonline documentsletter to a ces. The mormon fear of loud laughter and good sex zelph on. In part 1 of a 3 part series, jeremy runnells discusses his childhood, his love of the church and why he wrote letter to a ces director. Unfortunately, the reason the ces letter has enjoyed any success is that most latterday saints have never been exposed to some of the more complex matters in early mormon history. My search for answers to my mormon doubts as of 2017 is an online document which is critical of latterday saint truth claims. Chris thomas as we discuss his book a pentecostal reads the book of mormon.

Also included is an 1808 map with hundreds of place names including comora, but not moroni. Its like rocky horror picture show meets freemasonry. On the ces letter by common consent, a mormon blog. Out of the mormon church my wife and i left the lds church on august 7 th, 2002, the same day that i resigned as institute director of the pullman washington institute of religion, and the lds church education system ces. Ces letter claims 2,000,000 people died at hill cumorah, but doesnt mention that most of them died in jaradite times which was many thousands of years ago. The only official response, to date, is the series of recent essays by the lds church, which is available on the churchs own website. After reading jeremys letter, the director promised him a response. After you read the stories in this book, you will also want to read them from the book of. Ces letter my search for answers to my mormon doubts. A millennials brief guide to the ces letter zelph on. The letter admittedly had a tone of anger and frustration. The church will not answer contentious literature as is the letter to a ces director, so do not expect any official reply to it. In part 1 jim gives us a history of him and his father and the why of his response to jeremy runnells ces letter.