Mormon Response to My Resignation Letter
Today I received the long awaited response letter to my resignation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Needless to say I am not happy with their response. Not only did they refuse to process my request, they sent my letter to the local stake president so that he in turn can send the bishop that covers my area to me.
I will be using Mormon No More again to help set these guys straight. In the meantime I’m including scans of the letter and the pamphlet for your amusement (minus my return address for my roommates sake) and my obligatory dramatic reading from YouTube
January 27, 2009 at 5:59 pm
mormonnomore is an awesome resource, and it seems like this is happening to a ton of people who request their membership be abolished. Keep at it dude, brighter days are ahead.
January 27, 2009 at 6:50 pm
May the force be with you…
And by the force I mean the back of your hand knocking your rights right out of a controlling environment back into your park.
I have no cares one way or the other from the religious stand point, however it’s like sinning up for the “do not call list” and having research marketers call you 5 times a week to figure out why you want to be on the do not call list and then ask you to reconsider.
January 27, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Wow! I can’t believe that you weren’t moved by that wonderful insert. I, of course, am now considering becoming a Mormon after hearing you read the good word.
January 28, 2009 at 7:57 am
Ah, you’re the guy that spoke up at the PZ Myers talk in Calgary on Sunday. Kudos to you. You have guts and conviction. The ovation you got was deserved.
Last year I finally got round to asking a question: was I ever baptized? I was thinking of doing a Richard Harris and reversing the process. Bless my mother, but I was never baptized. I wasn’t sure whether to be elated or disappointed. But at least I’m 100% undiluted atheist.
Looks like in your case, LDS needs to learn about customer service.
January 28, 2009 at 11:23 am
Nathan, we do love you. I’m not just saying that cuz I’m Mormon, or cuz I’m friends with your sister, I’m saying it cuz it’s true, and cuz I do worry about you, and many others with similar feelings about church (Yes, ppl I know, not just in general. I’d like to say I care about everyone, but that’s not true, cuz it’s hard to care about someone you’ve never met, or is just a jerk in general.) You have grew up with something I wish I’d had. Yes, I know you’re dad has been ill a long time, and it’s often hard to listen to your mom. (I try to look interested, but my mind usually drifts off before she’s done, and don’t tell her that, I do love her too) but you’re basing all of this on your family. You’ve never stopped to see how wonderful it is to have a family that wants to stay together for eternity. Jesus Christ can heal that hurt. He felt everry hurt of everyone. And he still loves us all, even knowing all the hurts we’ve inflicted on each other. If your having a hard time, then work thru it. Don’t take your name off the records; don’t annul the family sealing your parents wanted for you. And wanted before they became ill, and were still able to think cleary, and with hope for the future. Give them that hope back. Love them anyways.
January 28, 2009 at 6:29 pm
That’s just absurd. It’s like quitting a job and your employer saying “no thanks”. That “please please please don’t go” prewritten letter is utterly condescending considering your stated reasons for leaving the church. I have never seen a more impersonal attempt to get someone to stay in a church.
On the other hand, I’ve never heard the word “prayerfully” before, and I like learning new things.
January 28, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Kerry
I DO love my parents but I also love many of my friends dearly too, and that is why I must make stand for what is right. Everybody deserves the same right to choose who to be with and the church actively opposes that, I cannot allow my name to be used to bolster hatred and intolerance which is just what the church is doing.
You talk of Jesus, healing my hurt, the thing is I don’t feel pain like that. If there was a god (and I strongly doubt that) and he pointed to Jesus’ suffering as evidence of his love I would call him sick and sadistic. Any supreme being who lacks the capacity for forgiveness unless it is accompanied by the brutal torture and murder of his own son is morally inferior to any rational person walking the world today.
The appeal to eternity is a fear tactic, not only do I not believe in an afterlife but find the concept disturbing, when we truly imagine eternity beyond the first thousand, million, billion years then we can see that even the most pleasant rendition will become unbearable.
Finally if given the choice now I would never have chosen to be sealed. While I don’t wish deliberate harm on Mom and Dad I have to do this if I’m going to be true to myself and they will have to learn to accept it.
January 28, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Hi,
I came across your blog via reading comments in PZ’s. I noticed you were displaying the “A” and I didn’t recall your name in the Out Campaign blogroll so added your blog.
Thanks for your support and showing all what a bunch of sadistic loons the Mormons are.
Regards,
/Mike
January 28, 2009 at 9:39 pm
oh wow Mike thank you
January 28, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Hi Nathan,
I was one of the people applauding you at PZ’s lecture in Calgary. I just want to say that I support you in what you are trying to accomplish and encourage you to continue to do what you know is right. Stay strong!
Also, it’s nice to meet fellow Calgarian non-believers.
January 28, 2009 at 11:06 pm
I hope it works out. Best wishes.
January 28, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Thank you truly Zetetic but I have to inform you I’m from Edmonton I made the trip with friends to see PZ at both events.
January 29, 2009 at 5:58 am
Hi Nathan,
I just found your site via PZ’s blog. I’m also a former LDS and have been through the resignation process. I just wanted to let you know that the letter you received is a form letter that they send to everyone. I don’t know what you wrote in your original resignation, but if you used the wording suggested in Mormon No More (which is the site I used–what a great resource!) and stated your resignation as effective immediately, then that’s it, you’re out! Woohoo!
The rest is their own bureaucratic brouhaha–not your problem. You’ll receive a follow-up letter in another month or two telling you that your resignation is complete (WRONG! It was complete the second they received your resignation letter.). I doubt any local church officials will come bother you.
Anyway, just wanted to offer a little reassurance about your letter. I got the same letter and the same pamphlet (with the Gordo trio instead of the new three-headed beast, but the same words), and there was no follow-up on the local level.
Best of luck to you!
January 29, 2009 at 6:14 am
thanks Betsy
I actually posted the letter’s contents prior to mailing it so I’m confident I actually made it clear that I resigned, I’m just a bit pissed at the games they try to play just to hold onto their numbers.
http://northernskeptic.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/my-resignation-lettermy-resignation-letter/
January 29, 2009 at 12:22 pm
What a joke. Best of luck getting them to complete the process. Is there any way to follow up and ensure that you are not listed in their membership once they do process your request?
January 29, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I commented on PZ’s blog about Mormon No More before I came here and found you already know about it. Oh well.
Best of luck to you on all of this! I know for me it felt really good to finally be off the records and free of the church.
January 30, 2009 at 10:19 am
Hi Nathan,
I was one of the people at the U of C lecture and the female half of the couple you shook hands with shortly afterward. I just wanted to swing by and commend you on your bravery for doing this. I had a similar falling out with my mother after I officially renounced my resignation from her church (one of the nuttier Evangelical ones), luckily her dismissal of me from her life was short-lived.
There is hope that your parents will get over it enough to ask you back into their lives.
Don’t give up, man!
-S
February 22, 2009 at 4:16 pm
[...] church itself did not even acknowledge this as a reason in their official correspondence with me. They simply referred to the matter as ecclesiastical in nature, which required local [...]
February 27, 2009 at 7:57 am
Dear Nathan,
I came here via Twitter (@gwup). I’m an atheist as well and active in the German Skeptics’ Association. I’ve never been a Mormon but a Catholic, and I’ve left this church about two years ago. All I had to do was to go to the registry office in the city hall, sign a piece of paper and pay a fee of about 30 bucks. This was quite easy. Your fight is much harder, and I admire you for your courage and strength in your self-fulfilment. I think it’s really courageous to blog/vlog about the process, your family’s reactions and your feelings. I take my imaginary hat off to you. May your example help other atheists-to-be.
I wish you all the best! Never surrender!
-Stefan-
September 2, 2009 at 3:20 am
I never knew issues like this will also require proper resignation process. I wonder how your resignation letter sample looked like. And I hope you don’t mind me asking whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is “straight catholic?”