CES Letter Debunking: What Mormons Think

When it comes to questions about the history and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, few documents have generated as much attention as the CES Letter. Written by Jeremy Runnells and addressed to a CES (Church Educational System) director, the letter presents a list of perceived problems with the Church’s doctrine, history, and leadership. It’s been called a “faith crisis in PDF form,” and for many people, it has served as a significant catalyst for doubt. But how have Latter-day Saints generally responded to it?

This post explores how many faithful members of the Church might approach “CES Letter Debunking”—not through contention, but through a lens of patience, faith, and principle-based responses. 

Anti-Mormonism: A Long, Painful History

It’s important to recognize that the CES Letter is not without precedent in the world of anti-Mormon rhetoric. Individuals and organizations have been publishing inflammatory, faith-challenging material about the Church since its beginnings in the 1830s. 

Due to many local factors such as fearmongering over the unfamiliar and concern over Mormon political influence, anti-Mormon activism in the early days of the Church became heated to the point of continuous, devastating physical conflict like the Haun’s Mill Massacre. 

Violence and intolerance against Mormon communities eventually forced the Church’s members to migrate from their homes in Illinois and Missouri to the Utah Territory—a journey which was famously rife with death and suffering. 

Latter-day Saints are typically taught from childhood of the opposition in the Church’s early days, and understand that at some point in their lives, their religious beliefs will be challenged by others. Anti-Mormon activism has changed in the present day from physical conflict to mainly verbal targeting of members’ personal convictions, which is certainly a main purpose of the CES Letter PDF. The arguments within it are not new—in fact, many of them date back to the Church’s earliest beginnings. Rather, the Letter compiles many points into one convenient document that’s easy to pass around. 

Why No Official Response?

Some critics, including Runnells himself, argue that the lack of an “official” Church response to the CES Letter speaks volumes. But the idea that only the Church’s First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve Apostles can offer a legitimate response sets an impossible standard. 

The CES Letter is only one drop in the stream of anti-Mormon discourse that’s been around for the last couple of centuries. More importantly, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asserts firmly and publicly that contention—unproductive or antagonistic arguing—is the opposite of what was taught by Jesus Christ. The Church’s way of practicing the principle of “turning the other cheek” means not typically engaging in discourse over anti-Mormon topics, and instead focusing on sharing the core teachings of Jesus.

Nonetheless, it’s true that many Church members are taken by surprise and sometimes fear when presented with material like the CES Letter. In order to support these people, there are countless individuals within Church membership—teachers, parents, missionaries, and even Sunday School counselors—who have offered unofficial responses and CES Letter debunking grounded in scripture, scholarship, and spiritual insight. Their goal isn’t to win an argument, but to offer reassurance that faithful, reasonable answers do exist, and that their faith can, indeed, hold up to scrutiny.

How Do Mormons React to Being Challenged?

Tone in conversation matters to Latter-day Saints, especially when it comes to defending their faith. The Book of Mormon teaches that “he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil” (3 Nephi 11:29). That doesn’t mean Mormons should try to get out of difficult conversations; it means they try to avoid angry debates. 

Responding to the CES Letter Mormon—or any critical inquiry—requires the same kind of courage from an LDS person that any religious person would need when challenged on what’s most important to them. When defending the faith, members of the Church are advised to ask themselves:

• Is this a suitable time and place for this conversation?
  
• Is this person genuinely seeking an answer, or just looking for a fight?
  
• Will my words invite the Holy Spirit or stir up contention?
  

These questions help faithful members avoid the trap of endless arguments and instead focus on uplifting conversation.

The Place of Core Latter-day Saint Doctrine

One strength of the CES Letter LDS is that it attempts to bring many topics into one source. But that’s also a weakness. It can lead readers into a tangled web of complex details that not even the author of the letter seems to understand fully.

When conversing with others about their religion, Latter-day Saints are encouraged to focus on their core doctrines: faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, the Restoration, and the power of the Holy Ghost. This isn’t an invitation to ignore history or complications—it’s a reminder that faith is a simpler matter than it might appear.

What Mormons Really Think

So what do Latter-day Saints think about anti-Mormon literature like the CES Letter?

Each member of the Church is an individual on their own faith journey, so it’s impossible to speak for all of them as a whole. But it’s safe to say that many Latter-day Saints take this kind of material seriously. They understand why it’s troubling for some. But they also believe that truth withstands scrutiny, and they have confidence in the foundations of their faith. Most importantly, they believe that spiritual questions require spiritual answers—answers best sought through prayer, study, and personal revelation.

Faith and Questions: A Coexistence

CES Letter Debunking may raise some valid questions, but it doesn’t hold all the answers. And for many, those answers come not from a debate, but through their own personal experiences with the divine. 

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, members believe that faith isn’t the absence of questions. It’s trusting God as they actively seek answers.

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Mormonism Explained is a resource that was designed to provide objective and factual information about Mormonism, its history, doctrines, and policies. Our team of researchers consults experts and primary sources to present factual information on a variety of topics relevant to the Mormon Church.

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