“CES Letter Author Jeremy Runnells to Face Disciplinary Action: The Non-Scandal”

“CES Letter Author Jeremy Runnells to Face Disciplinary Action: The Non-Scandal” April 18, 2016

 

Timpanogos Temple
The Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in the city of American Fork, Utah.  (LDS.org)

 

Mr. Runnells was actually excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday.  Or, if you prefer his narrative, he himself excommunicated the Church immediately upon his emergence from the disciplinary council that decided to void his Church membership.  (He emerged, by the way, to the cheers and applause of a crowd that had gathered outside the chapel in American Fork where the council took place.  At least one person is reported to have traveled from California in order to join the happy throng.)

 

Still, this blog entry, posted by Stephen Smoot back in February, seems relevant:

 

http://www.plonialmonimormon.com/2016/02/ces-letter-author-jeremy-runnells-to.html

 

I have to say that Mr. Runnells did not seem to me, in his “CES Letter,” to be merely asking questions.  He had already reached firm conclusions — quite sadly mistaken conclusions, in my judgment — and was no longer in even remotely an open-but-questioning mood.  His irate and personally insulting response to my remarks at the 2014 FairMormon conference, which he unjustly described as merely ad hominem and insulting — I never so much as mentioned his name, and I concentrated entirely on issues that he had raised — made it painfully obvious to me that he wasn’t interested in civil discussion, let alone in open-minded inquiry.

 

I take no pleasure in his departure from the Church.  Quite the contrary.  In my view, however, he left the Church a long time ago.  His excommunication merely recognized that departure, and made it official.  And, if any excommunication was ever justified, sadly his was.

 

 


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