Posted by:
intellectualfeminist
(
)
Date: January 03, 2012 11:27PM
This is a letter I sent to the bishop in our area almost a year ago. I'm sharing this for ajhart and anyone who might be interested in resigning as just one example of how to handle things. This is NOT my resignation letter; I already sent that to Greg Dodge at the COB, and I had already gotten my "We Want You Back!" letter & pamphlet from them.
I received an email from the local bishop stating that he and the SP wanted to come by to see me on such & such evening, at such & such time. I knew both of them well, and while I liked and respected them personally, I was no longer a member of their church, and I decided it was time to set things straight. The following is my letter to the bishop. I called both the bish & Stake prez by their first names, as I chose not to validate their so-called Mormon 'priesthood' authority. "T" is the bishop, and "C" is the SP:
From: Intellectualfeminist
To: Bishop XYZ
Cc: Intellectualfeminist's attorney
"T",
it was good to see you at the Pinewood Derby too; the boys had a good time, and I'm glad we were able to be there, albeit briefly.
Regarding your visit, I'm going to save you and "C" the trouble by way of response. I have always held you in high regard, C as well, and any time there may be an opportunity to see one another vis-a-vis scouting or any activities my children may be involved in is an occasion I do and would genuinely enjoy. But there will be no visit on Tuesday evening, or any other, to discuss the matter of my de facto resignation.
In short, my personal feelings can be summed up as follows: I find the policies and practices of your church, with regards to its LGBT membership, morally repugnant and wholly unsupportable. I am a person of sanity, logic, reason, and compassion: qualities which have led me, after scrupulous, lengthy, and thorough study of this, and numerous other issues which would merely take up time in circular argument that will lead nowhere, to conclude that, while there are many laudable qualities, and experiences I have had that I will always treasure, along with my good and longtime local acquaintance, the claims, doctrines, and official pronouncements of this fellowship, The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints, are in sum, items which overwhelmingly I can and do not condone, led and put forth by individuals in the highest echelons of leadership which I can and do not support.
Let this suffice; it is the truth, and it is now on record.
Now to the other matter, the procedural part of my resignation. As you and "C" have received my email to Salt Lake, presumably sent via Greg Dodge or an associate of his at Membership Records, you are aware of my initial statement of resignation. That statement, and its pertaining instructions, stand. My resignation is to be processed without resorting to any further delaying tactics. Note this is not a reflection on, or personal criticism of, your handling of the matter in any way. I am aware that the LDS church instructs its local leaders, via church policy, to ascertain directly from the former member if it is indeed their wish to proceed with their official resignation. This is in point of fact a procedural error: under law, any member of a church who states their resignation from that religious body in writing, is no longer a member of that religious body AT THE TIME THEIR WRITTEN STATEMENT IS FIRST SEEN BY THE RECIPIENT ACTING IN BEHALF OF THAT BODY in the handling and processing of that resignation.
You'll note that I have cc'd my attorney, XXXXXXXXX of XXXXXXXX & XXXXXXX associates, in responding to this letter. This is because my attorney is aware of this legal precedent as well as I. I am reluctant to do so, but must further point out, that if my resignation is not carried out as stipulated in writing, or if any further attempts are made to discuss the matter or dissuade me from doing so, I have instructed my attorney to contact Greg Dodge directly at the Membership records department on my behalf. And, there is another reason I would spare you an unnecessary trip that might prove to be genuinely distressing for all concerned parties. Since I am no longer a member of your church, there is no 'authority' either real or imagined, in effecting a trip to my home to see me on a matter of church business. While I appreciate the unique and genuine concern an LDS bishop and/or Stake President has in visiting members of their flock as a responsibility, such business as a matter of priesthood responsibility is in effect, null and void. Further, such a visit, coming after my explicit and final instructions, would be seen as harassment, and would be treated as such.
In conclusion, I commend you, "T", as an individual, as a human being, and as a humble spiritual leader of your flock, your XXXXXX ward. I truly mean it, when I say that I consider you to be a great man, and hold you in high regard. It is my hope, that I will continue to be able to do so, by adhering to the higher road, and letting this proceed, in mutual respect and graciousness, to its inevitable conclusion. I am grateful for my time associating with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, XXXXXX ward, as a former member. And any future visits I make, as a visitor, will be made by someone who has well and indeed moved on, but one who remains, now and always,
a friend.
My best regards,
Intellectual feminist.
I meant what I said in that letter. The local ward in this area has always been an exception to the standard ward experience, and my words were neither flattery nor exaggeration. By and large, my assessment still stands. If I'd had a "Bishop Jackwagon" and other asshat minions to deal with, I would have dispensed with social niceties completely and played a much harder ballgame. My attorney thought the letter struck a good balance of polite but firm, and it did the trick. I was left alone, my resignation was processed without further ado, and I was perfectly friendly and comfortable around the bishop when I saw him a couple months later. Anyway......there 'tis.