My Letter of Resignation

Jeffrey Ryan Day
Birthdate: May 24, 1981
473 NE Winchester St.
Roseburg, OR 97470

Bishop Denton W. Herlan
{address removed}
Roseburg, OR  97470

This letter is my formal resignation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and it is effective immediately. I hereby withdraw my consent to being treated as a member and I withdraw my consent to being subject to LDS Church rules, policies, beliefs and 'discipline.' As I am no longer a member, you are hereby directed to immediately, permanently and completely remove my name from all records of the church.

I have given this matter considerable thought. I understand what you consider to be the 'seriousness' and the 'consequences' of my actions. I am aware that the Church Handbook of Instructions says that my resignation "cancels the effects of baptism and confirmation, withdraws the priesthood held by a male members and revokes temple blessings." I also understand that I will be "readmitted to the church by baptism only after a thorough interview."

I am not going to be dissuaded and I am not going to change my mind.  You will therefore waive the standard 30-day 'waiting period' in acting upon this direction.  I expect this matter to be handled promptly, with respect and with full confidentiality.  After today, the LDS Church or its representatives are not to contact me other than providing a single letter of confirmation to let me know that I am no longer listed as a member of the LDS Church. I am not interested in meeting with a representative of the LDS Church nor in receiving any counsel at all in regards to this matter, and I will not respond to any invitations for such.

It has come to my attention that a 'disciplinary council' has been scheduled for December 4, 2008 at 8:30 P.M., at which time the Stake Presidency plans to consider disciplinary action in regards to me. Immediately upon receiving this letter, I have withdrawn all consent, express or implied, to being treated as a member of the LDS Church, which includes disciplinary councils. I am aware of the case law pertaining to such attempts, and if any action is taken after the receipt of this letter to bring disciplinary action against me, I may be required to seek legal action and immediately contact the news media to publicize such action, regardless of any other directions which are found in the General Handbook of Instructions.

The reasons for my resignation are diverse and complex.  Almost all of them involve gradual changes which have crept into the Church.  I do not blame these changes on any one leader or person.  Some of them are a result of the LDS Church bending to the opinions popularized by conservative Christian denominations in order to gain acceptability and greater reception, some of them are the result of myriads of converts holding onto beliefs from their former faith without being given proper instruction, and some of them are more nefarious in their origin. My reasons can be divided into four major categories: 1) Systematic failure of the LDS Church to keep (or promote the keeping of) basic commandments; 2) Failure of the LDS Church to pass down all of the keys of the Temple Endowment; 3) Engagement in inappropriate political activity and unwise use of funds; and 4) Major idealogical changes.  I have included a more specific list of some of my concerns on the reverse side of this letter.  It was not any one of these things alone, but all of them together that led to my determination that the LDS Church is currently in a state of apostasy.  I could at least tolerate membership in a Church that is ashamed of its own God or its own History, but when coupled with a failure to "love thy neighbor," I see no positive benefit from my continued involvement in such a group, and this conclusion accounts for my recent actions intended to preserve the fulness of the Priesthood, unsullied, for future generations.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey R. Day

cc. President Jon Hopkins, {address removed}, Roseburg, Oregon 97470.

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I will make a follow up post with a transcription of the reverse side of the letter.

Pending Disciplinary Council

Today, this envelope was handed to me.


Here's what was inside:

My wife Susie received an identical envelope and letter addressed to her.
I will post follow up as events unfold.

Members of Utah Church are not "Mormons", FLDS leader says.

From the FLDS Newsroom-


Members of Utah Church are not "Mormons", FLDS leader says.
29 August 2006

ELDORADO, TEXAS — Many news outlets are reporting on the recent arrest of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs.

Some media outlets have been very careful to describe Warren Jeffs as a "Mormon", "fundamentalist Mormon", or as the leader of a "Mormon sect." Other reports refer to Mr. Jeffs as a "fugitive polygamist sect leader."

Some may debate what the definition of a Mormon is, but terms like "Mormon Fundamentalist," and "Mormon Polygamy" are universally understood to refer to the nunmerous smaller groups basing their faith and history in the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

The following information may be helpful in further drawing the distinction:

Warren Jeffs is a Fundamentalist Mormon
Warren Jeffs is a member of The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and has had family in The Church for several generations.

Fundamentalist Mormons Practice Polygamy
Mormons began practicing polygamy in the 1840's, after a revelation was received by their prophet Joseph Smith, Junior. (Read history.)

In 1865, Brigham Young said: "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may even be permitted to come into the presence of the Father and the Son; but they cannot reign as kings in glory, because they had blessings offered unto them, and they refused to accept them." (Read full statement.)

There is No Such Thing as a "Mormon"
The term "Mormon Fundamentalist" is a nickname commonly applied to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and other groups deriving their origin from the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. There is no such thing as a "Mormon," nor are there "Latter-day Saints." The correct term to describe these groups is "food storage sects." The inclusion of the word Mormon is misleading and inaccurate.

Associated Press
The Associated Press Stylebook states, "The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other Latter-day Saint churches that resulted from the split after [Joseph] Smith's death."

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Warren Jeffs is currently imprisoned and unavailable for comment at this time.

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Style guide note: When reporting about The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online style guide.