[First name of BP],
Thank you for talking with me last night. It was great to catch up with you about the past few months. I am copying [EQP] in this email as well, as he and I briefly talked about this subject. Additionally, I am copying my wife, [BP1C, BP2C]. I wish to be very open in my conversations regarding this matter.
First, I would like to briefly explain my current position regarding my "testimony". As mentioned previously in our meeting last Fall, my testimony of the truth claims of the Church have been obliterated. In fact, I am more resolute in my position than before. This has been a very arduous year for my wife and I. Our experience in this ward is not at all what we could have possibly imagined nor desired. I would simply reiterate that we were some of the most faithful members in the church. Born and raised in the covenant, return missionary, sealed in the temple and served in numerous callings. I am not boasting but merely reminding you that I have not changed my beliefs for any lack of devotion. I have spent countless hours reading, studying and searching in official and respected sources. Trying to find an answer to valid questions and information that contradicted everything I understood about the Church.
During this past year, it has been excruciating at times to attend church. Many things taught and said in Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School and EQ are in direct contradiction of doctrine, actual historical record and sometimes common sense. That being said, I believe in "big tent Mormonism" where all can come to freely discuss our individual beliefs, experiences and religion. I have learned that some things affect each individual differently and I hope it is possible, within the church as a whole, to welcome a variety of thoughts, opinions and circumstances to be discussed by all participants. Unfortunately, the current climate of the church culture is a "one size fits all" curriculum that has been diluted to a juvenile teaching material comprised of the same stories, year after year.
Please understand, I am not referencing my comments to any individual. The local ward members are wonderful and I love all of them. My comments are directed to the institutional church as a whole. We have been given milk and the promised meat has never been delivered. The lesson manuals are the same regurgitated information. The church leaders deliver talks that reference other talks.
So here is my proposal; I respectfully request the opportunity to occasionally teach a lesson in EQ in order to share information that is new and fresh in church publications. This information has been incalculably important in my journey this past year. This information is commonly referred to as the Gospel Topics Essays.
The essays can be found here:
https://www.lds.org/topics/essays?lang=eng
Let me address one obvious question: "Why would someone who doesn't believe in the church want to teach a lesson in church?". Since I am going to be attending church for the foreseeable future, I might as well make the best of it. In short, I hope to be the change I want to see in the church.
It is obvious the vast majority of attending church members have no idea about the information I am talking about when I say I had a "faith crisis". The children of faithful church members are going to find this information. When these kids confront their parents, the parents are usually clueless. I would hope to teach others so they can help someone who is walking down the path I have traveled. Ideally, the path would not be as rugged and lonely as it was for me.
Next question "Why should we trust you to not teach information that could cause others to doubt?" Well... That is going to require a level of trust. I promise not to teach anything that is false, unverified or contrary to official church statements and publications. I will only teach from official church sources. In fact, my goal is not to provide any personal opinion, but merely present the official information and talk about it candidly. I plead with you that if I am mistaken in any of my statements to please correct me. I am still desperately seeking answers.
Please consider this proposal and discuss in your meetings whether or not I could be an asset to this ward to share information from my journey and provide accurate and official information to others before they experience a faith crisis.
Best regards,
Bro. Korihor
…regardless of your circumstances, your personal history, or the strength of your testimony, there is room for you in this Church.”
— President Dieter Uchtdorf
“If we have the truth, it cannot be harmed by investigation. If we have not the truth, it ought to be harmed.”
– President J. Reuben Clark
In this Church there is an enormous amount of room—and scriptural commandment—for studying and learning, for comparing and considering, for discussion and awaiting further revelation. We all learn ‘line upon line, precept upon precept,’ with the goal being authentic religious faith informing genuine Christlike living.”
– Jeffrey R. Holland, “A Prayer for the Children,” Ensign, May 2003
Recently, in February 2016, Elder Ballard made the follow statement regarding this information:
https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ ... g=eng&_r=1
"Church leaders today are fully conscious of the unlimited access to information, and we are making extraordinary efforts to provide accurate context and understanding of the teachings of the Restoration. A prime example of this effort is the 11 Gospel Topics essays on LDS.org that provide balanced and reliable interpretations of the facts for controversial and unfamiliar Church-related subjects. It is important that you know the content in these essays like you know the back of your hand. If you have questions about them, then please ask someone who has studied them and understands them. In other words, “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” as you master the content of these essays. You should also become familiar with the Joseph Smith Papers website and the Church history section on LDS.org and other resources by faithful LDS scholars. The effort for gospel transparency and spiritual inoculation through a thoughtful study of doctrine and history, coupled with a burning testimony, is the best antidote we have to help students avoid and/or deal with questions, doubt, or faith crises they may face in this information age."
