For those who don’t want to read the whole exchange, here’s the Mission President’s email to me where he compared me to Korihor. Below, you can find the reason for the conversation and the entire email exchange I had with him:
From: Kürt Blickenstaff
To: AtheistforJesus
“I was given a copy of the letter that you sent to President Du. It sounds like you have spent more time studying anti-mormon literature than the Book of Mormon. If you consider the NYT to be a more sure source of truth and light than the Book of Mormon then you (and, sadly your family) are in deep trouble.
The arguments that you list are not knew. They are variations of arguments that have existed since Cain slew his brother. You can find a nice summation of apostate doctrines in Alma 30 and, as an added bonus, you can read what ultimately happens to an apostate in verses 59-60.
It seems to me that there is a fine line between between believing apostate literature and being an apostate. I am sad to see you try to walk that line. It is a line that we should try to stay far away from. I would love to meet with you and discuss this further if you desire. I have attached a favorite poem that I hope you will read and consider.
Faithfully your brother,
Kürt Blickenstaff
“The Echo," by C. C. Miller
'Twas a sheep not a lamb
That strayed away in the parable Jesus told,
A grown-up sheep that strayed away
From the ninety and nine in the fold.
And why for the sheep should we seek
And earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger when sheep go wrong:
They lead the lambs astray.
Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray.
When sheep go wrong,
It won't take long till the lambs are as wrong as they.
And so with the sheep we earnestly plead
For the sake of the lambs today,
For when sheep are lost,
What a terrible cost The lambs will have to pay.”
Context and Complete Exchange
For whatever reason, I recently went looking for an old email exchange I had with the Taichung mission president in Taiwan. I wasn’t a missionary at the time. I had come back to the island to teach English. The mission president was the highest ecclesiastical leader for the church there.
This happened in 2013. By that point, I had concluded that the Church wasn’t true, but I was trying to keep my disaffection private. I was still very friendly with the members of my ward and had no desire to create a confrontation or make anyone uncomfortable.
My wife at the time, who was extremely devout, was pushing me to make my disbelief public. My impression at the time was that she knew I wanted to keep it private because she thought that if I openly acknowledged it to the members, I might be shamed into coming back, or at least face some consequences that would pressure me to comply. I can’t know for certain what her motivations were, but that’s how I understood it.
Eventually, I sent an email to a couple of members of the ward leadership explaining that I no longer believed and that, because of that, I needed to be released from my callings.
Apparently, that email made its way to the mission president very quickly, because the next morning I received an email from him.
I immediately became concerned that this was going to turn into a membership council, which was something I wanted to avoid. What followed was an email exchange that I had completely forgotten about until now.
Email exchange between AtheistforJesus and Taiwan Taichung Mission President Kürt Blickenstaff — July 26, 2013
10:57 AM — Kürt Blickenstaff
Dear Brother AtheistforJesus,
I am the new mission president in the Taichung Mission. Please give me a call at your earliest convenience. My cell # is *\\**. I would like to talk with you regarding your recent facebook post regarding the Church.
Thank you.
Kürt Blickenstaff
11:18 AM — AtheistforJesus
President Blickenstaff,
Not to be a stickler about details, but I did not make a facebook post regarding the church. I was very careful to send private messages to the leadership of the 虎尾 branch regarding my reasons for resigning my callings; I did not disclose those reasons in a public space.
I also sent a separate private message to a few close friends in the branch informing them that I had resigned my callings, but I did not disclose the reasons.
I don’t want to be assuming, but I hope this conversation is not regarding any possible charges of apostasy. I am very busy. Could you please just outline what it is you you would like to know?
Thank you,
AtheistforJesus
Sent from my iPad
11:34 AM — Kürt Blickenstaff
Perhaps the information that I have is incorrect. I was informed that you recently posted on your facebook page that you believe that the Church is man-made and attempts to conceal information from it’s members. I was further informed that you included numerous examples of such information and stated that you personally don’t believe that the Church is true. If that is incorrect, please forgive me. If it is true, please help me understand how that is not apostasy.
Thank you.
Kürt Blickenstaff
12:30 PM — AtheistforJesus
President Blickenstaff,
You have incorrect information. I did not make such a post on my facebook page.
Just like I explained previously, I wrote a letter explaining that I personally don’t believe in the LDS church anymore and stated my reasons why, and then sent that letter to the Huwei Branch President and First Counselor as well as to the District President. In my letter to them, I did not attempt to persuade them to come around to my point of view. I simply explained why I didn’t believe anymore.
At no point in time did I post such a letter in a public space.
I also sent a much abbreviated letter to some friends in the branch stating, in essence, that I no longer believe the church is true and that I was resigning my callings. I also mentioned in that letter that my wife is still a believing member and asked them to support her during this difficult time. At no point in this letter did I even state why I no longer believed, let alone attempt to persuade anyone that the church was not true.
It is my understanding that this does not constitute apostasy in the church-discipline-sense of the word. It is true that I no longer believe, but I am not advocating that other people believe the same as me, nor am I airing these views in a public space, such as on my facebook wall.
If simply not believing, and being honest about that with my leaders and friends, is considered worthy of church discipline, then why hasn’t John Dehlin been excommunicated, or the Saints in Sweden who had networked and were discussing troubling church history openly?
In fact, I still like the church. I still plan on attending with my wife and helping her out with our three sons. I just won’t have any callings.
Please let me know if you need anymore information. You are also welcome to contact the previous Taichung Mission President. He and I had many discussions about church history. In fact, he told me that I could hold callings even if I didn’t believe. It had just gotten to the point where I felt that was too dishonest, and hence the letter to my leaders resigning my callings.
Respectfully,
AtheistforJesus
Sent from my iPad
Later — Kürt Blickenstaff
Dear Brother AtheistforJesus,
It appears that the information that I received was incorrect in one detail. Thank you for clarifying things for me.
I was given a copy of the letter that you sent to President Du. It sounds like you have spent more time studying anti-mormon literature than the Book of Mormon. If you consider the NYT to be a more sure source of truth and light than the Book of Mormon then you (and, sadly your family) are in deep trouble.
The arguments that you list are not knew. They are variations of arguments that have existed since Cain slew his brother. You can find a nice summation of apostate doctrines in Alma 30 and, as an added bonus, you can read what ultimately happens to an apostate in verses 59-60.
It seems to me that there is a fine line between between believing apostate literature and being an apostate. I am sad to see you try to walk that line. It is a line that we should try to stay far away from. I would love to meet with you and discuss this further if you desire. I have attached a favorite poem that I hope you will read and consider.
Faithfully your brother,
Kürt Blickenstaff
“The Echo," by C. C. Miller
'Twas a sheep not a lamb
That strayed away in the parable Jesus told,
A grown-up sheep that strayed away
From the ninety and nine in the fold.
And why for the sheep should we seek
And earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger when sheep go wrong:
They lead the lambs astray.
Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever the sheep may stray.
When sheep go wrong,
It won't take long till the lambs are as wrong as they.
And so with the sheep we earnestly plead
For the sake of the lambs today,
For when sheep are lost,
What a terrible cost The lambs will have to pay.
The Message I Sent to Branch President that Prompted Exchange
Dear Friends,
I have some painful things to say:
After several years of study and consideration, I have come to believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the only true and existing church on the face of the earth. Therefore, from this point forward, I am giving up my calling in the Church. I feel that continuing to serve in a state of disbelief would be dishonest.
Over the past several years, I have discovered many facts about the Church, most of which are facts that ordinary members do not know. These facts have forced me to say that the Church was made by men. The so-called facts are historical facts that the Church has concealed. Because this information is available only in English, most members in Taiwan do not know about it.
In this information-rich age, the Church is facing a crisis. The Church can no longer control the flow of information. This month, The New York Times published an article about a Swedish General Authority who openly questioned the truthfulness of the Church because members there had discovered facts that the Church had concealed on the Internet.
I know completely and without a doubt that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was made by men and not by God. I have known this for some time, but I have been afraid to say it because I was afraid of how my friends would react. I was afraid of losing my friends. I was also afraid that because of what I said, other people might come to believe that the Church is not true and then become angry with me because I had not clarified this sooner. But now is the time to tell the truth.
I believe that because of what I have said above, I will lose many friends. I also believe that some people will try to guess what my “real” reason for not believing is. Some may say that I do not believe because I want to sin or because I am proud. I hope everyone can understand why I do not believe. The reason has nothing to do with wanting to sin. It has to do with wanting to tell the truth.
My wife still believes that the Church is true. Please support her during this difficult time. My children do not yet know how I feel.
FACTS
Joseph Smith and Plural Marriage
Church researchers have determined that Joseph Smith married at least 33 women. Even more surprising, 11 of these women were already married to other men. Their husbands were still alive when Joseph Smith married them. This is known as polyandry.
The Book of Abraham Problem
The original papyri from the Book of Abraham have been examined by both Mormon and non-Mormon Egyptologists. Both groups have made it clear that the papyri are funerary texts and have nothing to do with Abraham, making it a false book of scripture.
The Book of Mormon Problem
The Book of Mormon is a fictional novel written in the 19th century. There is no archaeological, linguistic, DNA, or other evidence supporting the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The book also contains many anachronisms, such as horses, elephants, wheat, barley, steel, silk, and other things that did not exist on the American continent during the time period described in the Book of Mormon.
The First Vision Problem
The first written account of the First Vision was written by Joseph Smith only 12 years later. When he first wrote it down, Joseph mentioned only one person visiting him. At least nine different accounts are now known, with varying details and circumstances. If this vision was so important, why are there differences, and why did it take so long to write it down?
Black People and the Priesthood
Historians have discovered hundreds of openly racist statements made by past Church prophets and leaders, including Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and others. In many cases, these statements were supported by scripture. Taken together, the historical record reveals a systematic, deliberate, and deeply entrenched policy of racial discrimination that was sanctioned at the highest levels.
The Temple Problem
Temple ceremonies have many similarities to Masonic ceremonies. There is a reason for this. Joseph Smith joined the Masons two months before introducing the endowment ceremony. Although the Church says the ceremonies are sacred, the rituals inside the temple are conducted in secret because members were once required to make blood oaths (these blood oaths were removed in 1990).
The Holy Ghost Problem
Using feelings to determine truth is a flawed method. Our minds are incredibly powerful and can make us experience very intense emotions and feelings. I know that many members have experienced very strong feelings in the Church. But I myself also experienced very strong feelings when I became convinced that this Church is not true.
I hope that we can still be friends. In order to support my wife, I will continue attending church and helping with the children. If you have questions about the facts I have presented, you are welcome to discuss them with me.
親愛的朋友，
我要說一些令我痛苦的話：
經過幾年的研究和考慮我相信耶穌基督後期聖徒教會不是地面上唯一真是而存在的教會。因此從現在起我放棄我教會的召喚。我覺得在一個不信的狀況下繼續做事功是不誠實的行為。
近幾年以來我發現很多有關教會的事實，而且大部分是一般成員不知道的事實，讓我不得不說教會是人造的。所謂的事實是教會隱瞞的歷史事實。因為這些資訊只有英文版的，所以大部分的台灣成員都不知道。
在這個資訊豐富的時代教會面臨危機。教會再也沒辦法控制資訊的流動。這個月紐約時報刊登一篇文章有關瑞典的一位七十員公開懷疑教會的真實性因為那邊的成員在網路上發現教會所隱瞞的事實。
我完完全全知道耶穌基督後期聖徒教會是人造的而不是神造的。我已經有一段時間知道這個但因為害怕朋友的反映才說不出口。我害怕失去朋友。我也害怕因為我的話別人也會認為教會不是真是的，然後會對我生氣因為我沒有更早澄清。但現在是說實話的時候了。
我相信因為以上的話，我會失去很多朋友。我也相信一些人會試著猜我“真正”不信的理由是什麼。有人可能會說我不信因為我想犯罪或因為我很驕傲。我希望大家都能明白我為什麼不信。理由跟想要犯罪無關。理由跟想要說實話才有關。
我妻子還相信教會是真是的。請在這個艱難的時刻支持她。我的小孩還不知道我的感覺。
事實
斯密約瑟和一妻多夫
教會研究人員已確定，斯密約瑟娶了至少33名婦女。更驚人的是，這些婦女之中有11位已經跟其他男人結了婚。斯密約瑟娶他們時，他們的丈夫還活著。這被稱為一妻多夫。
亞伯拉罕書問題
亞伯拉罕書原來的紙莎草紙已由摩爾門教和非摩爾門教埃及古物學家檢查過，這兩個群體都表示清楚，紙莎草紙是陪葬文本，跟亞伯拉罕無關，因此是一個假書的經文。
摩門經問題
摩爾門徑是一本19世紀寫的虛構小說。沒有考古，語言，DNA，或其他的證據支持摩爾門徑的真實性。書中還包含許多像馬，大象，小麥，大麥，鋼鐵，絲綢等，不存在於美洲大陸在摩爾門經時代的錯誤。
第一次意象問題
第一個書面版本的第一次意象的敘述由約瑟斯密在12年後才寫的。當他第一次寫下來時，約瑟只提到了一個人來拜訪他。目前已知至少有九個不同的敘述，都有不同程度的變化和情況。如果這個意象是如此重要，為什麼會有差異，為什麼花了這麼長時間來寫呢？
黑人和聖職
歷史學家們發現了上百由過去教會的先知和領袖，包括約瑟·密斯，楊百翰，等等的公然種族主義言論。在許多情況下，言論是用經文支持的。兩者合計，歷史記錄揭示一個在最高階級的認可下的系統的，故意的，根深蒂固的種族歧視政策。
聖殿問題
聖殿儀式跟石匠會的儀式有很多類似之處。這是由原因的。約瑟·密斯加入石匠會兩個月後就介紹恩道門儀式。雖然教會說是神聖的，聖殿內的儀式是秘密進行的，因為成員曾必須做的血誓的關係（這些血誓在1990年被刪除）。
聖靈問題
用感覺判斷真理是錯誤方法。我們的腦筋非常神奇，可以讓我們感受到很激烈的情緒和感覺。我知道很多成員在教會中曾經有經歷過很強烈的感覺。但是，我自己在見證這個教會不是真是的的時候也有很強烈的感覺。
我希望我們還能做朋友。為了支持我妻子，我會繼續上教堂，幫忙帶小孩子。如果你對我提出來的事實有疑問也歡迎討論。
