Resignation Letter

Resignation Letter

December 1, 1998

Bishop________________

President______________

Dear Sirs:

We hereby request the removal of membership records of our family from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including: [Web-editor: Names withheld.]

We request that any Church-prescribed waiting period be waived, and that this request be processed immediately, as our decision is unalterable. We request that the term 'excommunication' not be used in any correspondence concerning this matter, as we are voluntarily leaving the LDS church, and we do not wish to be the subject of any unnecessary conversation or innuendo among LDS members. We wish our friends and family in the LDS church to know that we leave not because of people or personalities, or "sin" on our part, but solely because we have come to the conclusion, after years of study and experience, that the LDS church is not as it claims to be, "the only true church of Jesus Christ." Our research has discovered that there are major conflicts and contradictions in official versions of the origins of the LDS church--Joseph Smith's purported "first vision," the origin of The Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, and other writings and claims. We have sadly learned that the LDS church engages in a continuing campaign to redact, revise, and delete embarrassing details of Mormon history which, if known, tell a different, but more truthful story of the true origins and nature of the church. We have been dismayed to learn the details of such teachings as polygamy, blood atonement, the 'Adam/God' doctrine, the 'curse of Cain' doctrine, the origin of temple rites and the revision of same, and the unequal treatment of women; and in order to maintain the church's self-claimed 'divine origin,' the church's leaders and apologists intentionally omit facts on these subjects from church literature. A favorite LDS hymn reads "I believe in being honest"; the LDS temple recommend interview requires applicants to be "honest in your dealings with your fellow man." We are disappointed that the church as an institution is unwilling to exercise that same degree of honesty which it requires of its individual members. We note that the LDS church has continually revised its teachings in order to align itself with modern mainstream Christianity, for the purpose of drawing in more potential converts. We believe that this fact alone belies the church's claim of being "guided by God in every footstep," and of being "the only true and living church." We feel that the LDS church cannot be a viable member of the Christian community unless and until it publicly disavows its questionable origins and former teachings, and eliminates current teachings and practices which we believe to be unChristian and unscriptural.

For these reasons, we hereby resign our memberships in the LDS church.

Sincerely,

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