My Letter of Resignation from the LDS Church
As described in my previous post, my letter of resignation from the LDS church is ready to go. I thought I'd include it for kicks and giggles. (Of course, I've changed all the names to protect the "innocent".)
Enjoy!
Dear Bishop Sinestro,
This letter is being sent to inform you that I am officially requesting that my name be removed from the records of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This request is being made after a year of intense study into the history of the church and its doctrines. I have a deep love and gratitude for many friends and family that are still members of the church, and wish to make it very clear that I am not leaving because of hurt feelings, or at having been offended by anyone in the church. This decision is being made freely on my part, and with a full knowledge of what the LDS church teaches are the consequences of making this decision.
I must insist that the official record, as well as the letter of notification of name removal, show that the only reason that my name has been removed from church records is that I request it to be so. I also insist that the word “excommunication” not be used in the letter notifying me of this action.
Please be advised that I am taking this action because it has been demonstrated to my satisfaction that Joseph Smith was not a true prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is a piece of 19th century fiction, and that the church has taught or currently teaches erroneous doctrines which I believe to be in conflict with God’s will.
After countless hours of intense personal study, I have finally been made aware of the many evidences against the authenticity and truthfulness of the church and the claims of Joseph Smith. It is my contention that many of these facts have been purposefully kept from me and that the church continues to keep them from the general membership of the church. I consider any tactic to suppress important truths concerning the very foundations of Mormonism to be deceitful and manipulative.
These evidences include, but are not limited to: variations of the First Vision, unreliable “witnesses” to the gold plates, the true nature of the translation process of the gold plates, the inaccurate translation of The Book of Abraham papyri, the inarguable correlation between Masonic and Temple rituals, complete lack of geographical and archaeological support of the Book of Mormon, as well as the scientific proof against Book of Mormon claims (i.e. the DNA issue).
Erroneous, and sometimes harmful, doctrines of the church include, but are not limited to: polygamy, blood atonement, tithing, “salvation by works, not grace”, polytheism, and temple rites.
While I recognize the good aspects of the LDS church, such as its promotion of family values and healthy lifestyles, I do not believe they are enough to retain my membership. Nor will I consent to allow my children to be subjected to the indoctrination process of the church which I believe has the potential to harm their emotional and mental growth. The following website sufficiently contains my reasons for making this statement: http://home.teleport.com/~packham/children.htm.
I want it to be clear that my desire to leave the church is the result of an informed, rational decision making process and that it is final. While I understand that it is standard operating procedure to hold a church “court” (disciplinary or otherwise) in cases such as this, I have no intention of participating in one since I no longer recognize or accept any church authority or judgment over me and my actions.
I ask that you please respect my request to have my name removed immediately, and be aware that I do not welcome any visits or phone calls from missionaries, home teachers, visiting teachers, and bishopric or stake presidency members if they are performed within an official church capacity. I gladly welcome the friendship of any and all ward and stake members, but must request that no missionary efforts are made in an attempt to reinstate my membership. If an official audience with my wife (who wishes to continue her membership at this time) is desired, I request that you call ahead and schedule an appointment with her instead of conducting a surprise visit to our place of residence.
Again, it is not my intention to sever any of the friendships I have made with the many good people of the OA Ward and it is my sincere hope that my decision to leave the church does not result in any negative thoughts, feelings or actions toward myself or my family. I am thankful for the kindness and generosity that has been given to us by the Ward over the past seven years.
With Respect,
CC – Lex Luthor, Stake President
Enjoy!
Dear Bishop Sinestro,
This letter is being sent to inform you that I am officially requesting that my name be removed from the records of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This request is being made after a year of intense study into the history of the church and its doctrines. I have a deep love and gratitude for many friends and family that are still members of the church, and wish to make it very clear that I am not leaving because of hurt feelings, or at having been offended by anyone in the church. This decision is being made freely on my part, and with a full knowledge of what the LDS church teaches are the consequences of making this decision.
I must insist that the official record, as well as the letter of notification of name removal, show that the only reason that my name has been removed from church records is that I request it to be so. I also insist that the word “excommunication” not be used in the letter notifying me of this action.
Please be advised that I am taking this action because it has been demonstrated to my satisfaction that Joseph Smith was not a true prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is a piece of 19th century fiction, and that the church has taught or currently teaches erroneous doctrines which I believe to be in conflict with God’s will.
After countless hours of intense personal study, I have finally been made aware of the many evidences against the authenticity and truthfulness of the church and the claims of Joseph Smith. It is my contention that many of these facts have been purposefully kept from me and that the church continues to keep them from the general membership of the church. I consider any tactic to suppress important truths concerning the very foundations of Mormonism to be deceitful and manipulative.
These evidences include, but are not limited to: variations of the First Vision, unreliable “witnesses” to the gold plates, the true nature of the translation process of the gold plates, the inaccurate translation of The Book of Abraham papyri, the inarguable correlation between Masonic and Temple rituals, complete lack of geographical and archaeological support of the Book of Mormon, as well as the scientific proof against Book of Mormon claims (i.e. the DNA issue).
Erroneous, and sometimes harmful, doctrines of the church include, but are not limited to: polygamy, blood atonement, tithing, “salvation by works, not grace”, polytheism, and temple rites.
While I recognize the good aspects of the LDS church, such as its promotion of family values and healthy lifestyles, I do not believe they are enough to retain my membership. Nor will I consent to allow my children to be subjected to the indoctrination process of the church which I believe has the potential to harm their emotional and mental growth. The following website sufficiently contains my reasons for making this statement: http://home.teleport.com/~packham/children.htm.
I want it to be clear that my desire to leave the church is the result of an informed, rational decision making process and that it is final. While I understand that it is standard operating procedure to hold a church “court” (disciplinary or otherwise) in cases such as this, I have no intention of participating in one since I no longer recognize or accept any church authority or judgment over me and my actions.
I ask that you please respect my request to have my name removed immediately, and be aware that I do not welcome any visits or phone calls from missionaries, home teachers, visiting teachers, and bishopric or stake presidency members if they are performed within an official church capacity. I gladly welcome the friendship of any and all ward and stake members, but must request that no missionary efforts are made in an attempt to reinstate my membership. If an official audience with my wife (who wishes to continue her membership at this time) is desired, I request that you call ahead and schedule an appointment with her instead of conducting a surprise visit to our place of residence.
Again, it is not my intention to sever any of the friendships I have made with the many good people of the OA Ward and it is my sincere hope that my decision to leave the church does not result in any negative thoughts, feelings or actions toward myself or my family. I am thankful for the kindness and generosity that has been given to us by the Ward over the past seven years.
With Respect,
CC – Lex Luthor, Stake President
posted by Al Jordan | 6:59 AM
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