Archive Section II
30
A LETTER OF RESIGNATION FROM
THE MORMON CHURCH
How Not to Be Excommunicated
There are many people who wish to resign their membership from the Mormon Church because they do not believe in its doctrines and practices any longer but are unsure as to the best proceedure. Sadly, many who do request their names to be removed from the records can find their names blackened by a Mormon excommunication court and it is not untypical for many false charges to be levelled against them.
According to the laws of the United States (at least) they have certain rights and may insist that their names be properly removed without having their reputations dragged through the mud. The following letter is one of the best I have read which covers most of the legal rights of citizens. You may wish to adapt it for your own needs and circumstances, changing, of course, names, places and dates.
Letter of Resignation
Dear Bishop Smith,
My name is Joe Bloggs. I was born on the 1 January 1959 in Dodge City, Kansas. I was raised as a Mormon since birth, and baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (heretofore "the LDS church"), when I was 8 years old. My membership records are currently under your administration, in Bellingham, Washington.
At this time, I officially resign from the LDS church. I am no longer a member of the LDS church, and I require that my name be voluntarily removed from all LDS church membership records, to reflect this fact.
In this voluntary removal process, the LDS church must adhere to the following eight guidelines:
1. The LDS church shall NOT impugn my character, slander my good name, nor disseminate any form of speculation, misinformation, or personal comments regarding me, to anyone.
2. The LDS church shall NOT hold a church court, execute a disciplinary action, excommunicate me, or otherwise harass me, nor make any attempt thereto, since I have done nothing to warrant such an action.
3. The LDS church shall remove my name from all membership records, cancel my baptism, revoke all ordinations to church "authority", dissolve any "sealings", and remove all promise of "blessings" for obedience to such.
4. The LDS church shall provide me with specific, written confirmation when this task is officially complete. This letter of confirmation will reflect that my resignation from the LDS church was not due to any pressure from or determination by LDS church authorities, but rather per my own request.
5. The LDS church shall exercise due diligence in carrying out this procedure. I hereby notify you that you have 30 days, (no later than July 15th, 2000) to provide written confirmation of my voluntary removal from the LDS church. Delays beyond this may result in my engaging legal counsel to pursue other options, including but not limited to;
seeking punitive damages for physical, emotional, and sexual abuses performed by LDS church leaders.
6. When I am deceased, the LDS church shall NOT have my body dressed in any form of LDS temple ceremony costume, nor in any type of LDS temple "garments" (ritual underclothing) at any time. My funeral is NOT to be held on ANY property owned by the LDS church, nor is my U. S. combat veteran's burial flag to be displayed on LDS church property or military honors be rendered on my behalf on LDS church property. (these honors will be rendered at a location more fitting the theme of freedom and democracy, for which I risked my life.) No LDS church "symbolism" is to be placed on my grave marker.
7. Related to this, the LDS church shall NOT use my name in baptismal (or other) ordinances for the dead.
8. The LDS church shall NOT (under ANY circumstances), estrange me for my practicing LDS family (father, mother, brother or sisters, nor their offspring, etc.) by labeling
me an "apostate" or "anti-mormon". (see guideline #1) Also, the LDS church will NOT threaten or intimidate ANY of the aforementioned people by "withholding" the "blessings" stated in guideline #3 to include their temple recommends.
Assuming you would like to know my reasons for this voluntary resignation, In short, I do not believe in the religious doctrines or moral authority of the LDS church. Also, I do not find LDS history, dogma, abuses or culture to be acceptable moral or social models for myself and for my family. Frankly, I am happier and healthier outside the LDS church, so this is an obvious choice.
In closing, I ask that you respect this resignation as an exercise of my religious rights as a United States citizen under the United States Constitution and in accordance with the LDS church's own 11th Article of Faith.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Joe Bloggs
This page was created on 12 June 2000
Updated on 10 March 2001
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