Join us today as we rebroadcast the story of the man behind the famous CES Letter: Jeremy Runnells. In February 2012, Jeremy Runnels experienced a crisis of faith, which subsequently led to a faith transition in the summer of 2012. In the spring of 2013, Jeremy was approached and asked by a Church Education System (CES) Director to share his concerns and questions about the LDS Church’s origins, history, and current practices. In response, Jeremy wrote what later became publicly known as Letter to a CES Director. Letter to a CES Director very quickly went viral on the internet. The CES Director responded that he read the “very well written” letter and that he would provide Jeremy with a response. No response ever came. From then on, thousands of Mormons have stumbled across the CES Letter and it has caused them to question their faith. Other believing sites have attacked Jeremy Runnells over the years, saying that he was insincere or that he never believed the church was true. His story clears up all doubt that he was a true-believing Mormon. Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/the-man-behind-the-ces-letter/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:03 Background on Jeremy Runnells 00:05:14 The start of the rebroadcast 00:07:22 Jeremy is deaf in both ears (How cochlear implants work) 00:08:40 Jeremy’s Mormon background 00:15:04 Jeremy received a blessing to restore his hearing from a Mormon leader 00:19:22 He was fascinated by Joseph Smith and identified with him 00:21:07 He was called to serve a mission in New York teaching ASL 00:23:36 9/11 happened on his mission 00:30:33 What led him to start to doubt? 00:34:48 Joseph Smith’s polygamy 00:39:03 What were his main sources of study or learning? 00:43:00 What led to the CES Letter’s creation? 00:52:14 Criticisms he has received 00:58:41 Why make it so comprehensive? 01:03:13 The CES Director never responded 01:07:43 Why do we need the CES Letter and not just Mormon Think? 01:08:28 Creating his own website 01:09:11 Some of the main issues covered in the CES Letter 01:12:21 Concerns with the Book of Mormon 01:18:24 DNA and Book of Mormon Geography 01:25:09 The loose translation argument 01:27:13 Other potential sources for the Book of Mormon 01:36:13 What is Jeremy’s theory of where the Book of Mormon came from? 01:41:53 The plates were never used in the translation process 01:43:58 First Vision and Witnesses 01:54:16 What is NOT in the Book of Mormon 01:56:25 The troublesome parts of polygamy 02:02:52 Positive responses to the CES Letter 02:07:44 FAIR’s response to the CES Letter 02:20:51 How much money has Jeremy Runnells made off the CES Letter? 02:26:58 How has his family reacted to this? 02:29:49 How do intellectuals still believe? 02:34:36 How does Jeremy want the CES Letter to be used? 02:37:07 Has he been disciplined or excommunicated? 02:41:57 Do the apostles know the issues? 02:44:19 Snufferites with Denver Snuffer 02:49:36 Where is Jeremy spiritually right now? ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117