The CES Letter LDS: Why No Official Response from the Church?

Within the last decade, one document has stirred significant discussion in the Latter-day Saint online community: The CES Letter. Written by Jeremy Runnells in response to a Church Education System (CES) director’s invitation to articulate his doubts, the document now spans over 130 pages and seeks to challenge the foundational truth claims of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Given its widespread visibility and impact on some members’ faith, a common question arises: Why hasn’t the Church issued an official response to the CES Letter?

The short answer is that the Church is more focused on building faith than engaging in reactive apologetics. However, this doesn’t mean there are no answers to the CES Letter LDS, or that the questions don’t matter.

The Origin and Nature of the CES Letter

The CESLetter was mainly written in 2012. After Jeremy Runnells lost confidence in the Church’s teachings, he compiled a list of troubling issues into a letter for a CES director. The letter, which has since been adapted for public consumption, takes a critical approach to Church history, doctrine, and leadership. Runnells himself is transparent about his critical perspective in the Letter. He’s “a disaffected member who lost his testimony,” and the document is “no longer about getting answers from the LDS Church,” but about exposing what he believes the Church “does not want its members and investigators to know.”

The Letter is structured around 13 topical chapters, covering everything from the Book of Mormon to prophetic fallibility. However, it is not a neutral document, since its narrative operates on the notion that the Church “cannot possibly be true.” This underlying assumption is crucial to understand, as it colors the tone of the entire work. Readers are not being led through an objective investigation, but rather through a case designed to undermine faith.

Why No Official Response?

Despite the influence of the CES Lettter, the Church has chosen not to issue a direct, formal rebuttal. For some, this silence might seem evasive or dismissive. However, the reasoning becomes more clear in light of the Church’s wider mission.

The Church doesn’t often issue official positions on non-doctrinal matters—areas where there is room for honest discussion and differing opinions. The majority of the issues raised in the CES Letter fall into this category. 

The Church’s primary focus is not to engage in polemical debates, but to provide pathways for spiritual growth. The Church’s educational resources—like the Saints history volumes, Gospel Topics Essays, and the Joseph Smith Papers—are intended to educate and uplift, not to reactively respond to every critic. Critics will always have concerns. To respond to every single one would not only be unsustainable, but would shift the Church’s focus from proclaiming the gospel of Christ to defending itself at every turn.

One point that the Church does publicly recognize is that not all information online is created equal. The internet is full of voices, some helpful and some deeply misleading. The Church encourages discernment, urging members to consider the source and intent behind what they read.

A Wealth of Faithful Responses

While the Church itself has not responded directly to the CES Letter LDS, numerous faithful Latter-day Saints have—in thoughtful, detailed, and well-researched ways. Here are only a few of the comprehensive responses written by scholars and lay members alike:

• Jim Bennett’s “A CES Letter Reply”, a 372-page line-by-line response
  
• Michael Ash’s “Bamboozled by the CES Letter”, addressing 93 distinct claims
  
• Sarah Allen’s 70-part rebuttal series, originally published on Reddit and later on FAIRLatterdaySaints
  
• Brian Hales’s “CES Letter: A Closer Look”, which overlays the original text with faithful commentary
  

These are not casual blog posts or defensive rants. They are extensive, researched works written by believing Latter-day Saints who take concerns like the Joseph Smith CES Letter seriously and aim to build bridges of understanding. These responses, while unofficial, represent the rich intellectual and spiritual engagement found within the faith community.

The Purpose of the Church Is Not Debate

When reading critical literature like the CES Letters, it’s important to remember that history is often messy. The LDS Church’s history is no exception. Some people—like Runnells—lose faith over these complications. Others study the same issues and come away with a stronger, more informed testimony.

The Church encourages members to deepen their understanding, not suppress questions. But it does so by offering context-rich resources, not defensive counterattacks. In doing so, it remains aligned with its mission: not to win arguments, but to invite people to come unto Christ.

A Call to Charity and Personal Study

The CES Letter LDS has become a touchstone of modern doubt within the Latter-day Saint community. But the Church’s lack of a direct, official response shouldn’t be seen as avoidance. It is a deliberate choice to focus on faith-building rather than reactive apologetics. While the CES Letter asks hard questions, many thoughtful and faithful Latter-day Saints have taken up the challenge to respond in loving, informed, and constructive ways.

The Church continues its mission to share the gospel, provide uplifting resources, and encourage personal spiritual growth. In the end, belief in its truth claims is not about having all the answers, but about continuously seeking with meaningful intent.

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