The CES letter was popular because it was a PDF

[drumdude]

As far as I remember, the CES letter doesn’t overtly push a conclusion that the LDS church is false and horrible. It just presents a set of difficult questions and leaves them there. As a critical approach, I think this is an instance of less being more.

That’s what makes the apologists so angry. They want everyone to know the questions were asked in bad faith.

John Dehlin has testified that he has seen the original letter which was indeed sent to a CES director with sincerity.

But what is the value of witness testimony?

[L.E.Hills]

The CES Letter is stupid.
By some lazy dude who had questions then was too stupid to figure them out on his own - then turned into a crybaby.

Alfred E. Nueman Endorses The CES Letter - what me worry?


What's even "stupider" is LDS Apologists pushing the stupid Two Cumorah theory as being legit.
What's even "stupider" is not knowing it came from a Reorganized Member whose theory was rejected by the RLDS Church Presidency the year before he wrote his last book - a book to go over the head of his Church leadership and appeal directly to his fellow RLDS Members.

Then the book survived and F.A.R.M.S. took it up. It was never meant for the LDS Church.

Talk about stupid. LOL
Two Cumorahs is spoken here:
https://tinyurl.com/LEHills1924bookM2C

[Tom]

Thank you, Gadianton and Everybody Wang Chung, for your kind words. I confess that I doubt that Public Square Magazine will make any corrections to the article. My sense is that its editorial practices differ from the editorial practices of Interpreter, which made silent corrections in many cases when I identified errors in its pieces (see here for an example) but failed to give credit for those corrections.

Posted from Eggnog, Utah

[I Have Questions]

Has the Church managed to prise open L. Tom Perry’s old suitcase yet? It’s got all the answers in it. Apparently.

[L.E.Hills]

Wow!
That CES Letter is really something!
Endorsed by MAD and Cartoon characters, everywhere.

[drumdude]

Well if it’s next to the MAD cartoon guy it must be bunk.

[sock puppet]

As far as I remember, the CES letter doesn’t overtly push a conclusion that the LDS church is false and horrible. It just presents a set of difficult questions and leaves them there. As a critical approach, I think this is an instance of less being more.

And the best rebuttal, therefore, to questioning members is for the Mopes to try this as a diversionary tactic: "The CES Letter doesn't ask the right questions. You know in your heart what the right questions are." Voila! It causes the questioning member to feel ashamed that he/she doesn't, in his/her heart, know what the right questions are. Heaven forbid he/she would show that by asking what the right questions might be. Guilt and shame, the two emotional manipulation tools of religion.

[L.E.Hills]

One of the fascinating things one learns from the CES Letter is that The Prophet Joseph Smith used the word "the" from the English language.
That's obvious plagiarism.

Everyone knows Joseph Smith didn't know of the word "the." Ask our scholars.

What one learns from studying the three 501(c)(3)s:

• F.A.R.M.S. now ScriptureCentral started by that Welch guy

• DCP and his Private Interpretations of the Scriptures Foundation

• Gordon what's his name that runs FAIRly

... is that Joseph Smith used books by John Lloyd Stephens to discover the geography of The Book of Mormon.
That's obviously not plagiarism.

Imagine using the equivalent of the now defunct National Geographic Magazine to discover the geography of The Book of Mormon and using the word "the?"

Such high IQ stuff.

Tattooed on the arm of flesh

[huckelberry]

Well if it’s next to the MAD cartoon guy it must be bunk.

On the other hand it may mean that it is excellent though not the sort of thing approved by some Book of Mormon fans.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Has the Church managed to prise open L. Tom Perry’s old suitcase yet? It’s got all the answers in it. Apparently.

Tom Perry publicly stated that his briefcase had documents that answered all the troubling questions. We know this is true, because why would an Apostle of God lie to anyone about that?

Notwithstanding, I know there are a few people who feel that Tom Perry was lying for the Lord and are doubting the magical contents of the briefcase.

How can the Church respond to these doubters and lazy learners? One solution is to let the Prophet choose three witnesses (all men of course) who stand to materially/financially benefit from the existence of the briefcase contents. These witnesses can then sign a statement someone else (the Prophet) wrote for them, stating an angel showed them the briefcase documents and that God declared the briefcase contains all the answers.

The Prophet will then select eight friends and relatives of his and then take them to a private location and show them the briefcase contents.

The contents will be written in a language that these eight friends and relatives cannot read. They will then sign a statement, written for them by the Prophet, attesting that they have been shown the contents.

At that point, an angel will take the briefcase back to heaven so that nobody else will ever see it. There is no reason why this should not convince any reasonable person. And then everyone can go back to doubting their doubts and never question again.