Mormonpedia

CES Letter

The CES Letter is a highly influential document in modern Mormon discourse. Written in 2013 by Jeremy Runnells, a then-member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), it details his doubts and criticisms regarding the Church’s truth claims. The name comes from the fact that Runnells initially wrote it as a response to a CES (Church Educational System) Director who invited him to share the concerns that had triggered his faith crisis.

Purpose

Runnells' stated goal was to compile a clear, organized presentation of the issues that troubled him most, in hopes of receiving answers or reassurance from Church leaders or scholars. The letter is not framed as a declaration of rebellion, but as a plea for clarity. It asks: Can the foundational claims of Mormonism hold up under historical, scientific, and logical scrutiny?

Many people view the letter as an honest attempt to engage with difficult questions. Others—especially defenders of the LDS Church—view it as rhetorically dishonest, accusing Runnells of writing a "Gish Gallop": a flood of loosely connected arguments designed to overwhelm rather than invite honest engagement. Regardless of one’s stance, the CES Letter has become a cultural artifact in its own right, especially within Ex-Mormon and faith-transition communities.

Content

The CES Letter covers a broad range of historical and doctrinal issues. These include:

• The translation and historicity of the Book of Mormon
• Problems with the Book of Abraham, including its translation from Egyptian papyri
• The evolving and conflicting accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision
• Smith’s practice of secretive polygamy, including marriages to already-married women and teenagers
• The timeline and credibility of the restoration of priesthood authority
• The lack of DNA evidence supporting the Book of Mormon’s claims about Native American origins
• The Church’s historical racism, including the priesthood ban on Black members
• Prophetic fallibility and selective transparency by Church leaders
• Shifts in core doctrines over time
• The use of spiritual feelings ("burning in the bosom") as a replacement for empirical truth claims

Impact

The CES Letter went viral soon after its release. For many Ex-Mormons, it became a kind of Rosetta Stone—a single document that distilled years of confusion, suppressed doubts, and personal anguish into organized questions. It was something people could point to and say: “This. This is why I no longer believe.”

Its impact was amplified by the fact that it didn’t offer conclusive answers. Instead, it raised questions that many members had long been discouraged from asking. In doing so, it reframed religious doubt as a legitimate, even necessary, part of intellectual integrity.

Within the faithful LDS community, the response to the CES Letter has been mixed. While the institutional Church has never issued a formal response, organizations like FAIR Latter-day Saints and Plausible Faith have attempted to rebut its points. These rebuttals argue that the CES Letter presents a skewed view, omits important context, and assumes malicious intent from Church leaders.

But the letter’s cultural significance doesn’t lie in whether it’s “right” or “wrong.” Its power lies in its utility. It gives voice to a growing group of people for whom the traditional Mormon narrative no longer fits. It articulates the questions they were told not to ask. It shows that a crisis of faith can also be an act of intellectual courage.

A Final Note

This article, like the CES Letter itself, is not written from a position of neutrality. I am an Ex-Mormon. I’m upfront about that. But just as the LDS Church teaches its version of history with an eye toward preserving its authority, I believe those of us who leave have a right—and a responsibility—to document what made us leave, and what questions remain unanswered.

You are welcome to disagree. You are welcome to scrutinize. But I ask that you apply the same scrutiny to official sources, Church history, and leadership as you do to this document or to Runnells' letter. If truth is what we’re all after, it should withstand honest questioning from every side.

To read the original CES Letter, visit cesletter.org.