Behind the CES Letter - Jeremy Runnells (Rebroadcast) | Ep. 2034

The CES Letter and Its Origins: Understanding Jeremy Runnells' Influential Critique

When Jeremy Runnells composed a lengthy letter to a Church Educational System director in 2013, few anticipated it would become one of the most widely read critiques of Latter-day Saint history and doctrine. The CES Letter, as it became known, has shaped how thousands of members, and investigators, encounter difficult questions about Joseph Smith, polygamy, the Book of Abraham, and the gap between official Church narratives and documented historical records. Understanding its origins and arguments matters not because it settles theological questions, but because it illustrates how ordinary believers navigate faith crises when they encounter information their religious education did not prepare them to address.

Background: From Believer to Skeptic

Jeremy Runnells grew up deeply embedded in Latter-day Saint culture. Baptized at age eight, he served as a missionary in New York City from 2000 to 2002, teaching deaf members in American Sign Language, a calling he approached with genuine devotion. According to the Mormon Stories podcast rebroadcast, Runnells extended his mission voluntarily and returned home with an intact testimony. He attended Brigham Young University, married within the Church, and by most external measures lived the life of a faithful member.

His awakening to troubling historical questions occurred gradually. Runnells encountered Facebook discussions and blog posts raising concerns about LDS history that he had previously dismissed as "unapproved" sources. More significantly, he began independent study using materials he considered credible: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman, Mormon Origins by Grant Palmer, and apologetic responses from FAIR (Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research).

The turning point came when Runnells examined specific historical claims. Two issues particularly destabilized his faith: Joseph Smith's practice of polyandry (marrying women already sealed to other men) and the divergence between Smith's translation of the Book of Abraham and what Egyptologists actually know about the papyrus he used as source material.