August 17, 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

If you’re not a member of the LDS church, then please pardon me for sending this to you, as my ward address list is outdated.

Do you remember the postcard that I sent to you on February 17, 2013? In it, I informed you that church leaders won’t honor the principles of D&C 50:7-25. Are you familiar with that passage of scripture? Have you studied it carefully?

According to my observation, in each area I’ve lived, I’ve noticed that church leaders authorized to judge, don’t honor the principles of D&C 50:7-25, and I believe it’s because church policy instructs them, not to achieve a mutual understanding with us, but to judge us.

Because of this, I’m thinking that there needs to be a public discussion, about how members are supposed to practice the principles of D&C 50:7-25, without fearing that church leaders will judge them as apostate, for objectively questioning church teaching.

Six years ago, after I approached church leaders with questions about a church position that raised red flags in my mind, they weren’t interested in helping me understand it, but were inspired by their calling as judges, to dictate church teaching to me, judge me by it, and excommunicate me for not accepting it without question.

Before my disciplinary council was held, I begged President Davies to hold off, I begged him to please, just answer my questions, I begged him to work with me to arrive at the mutual understanding required by the Lord in D&C 50:7-25, but he ignored my pleas.

In the official letter from the First Presidency, which grants church leaders permission to ask for clarification in behalf of members about doctrinal issues, it states that if a leader needs clarification, they may ask for it.

So, President Davies said to me, that because he didn’t need clarification, he wouldn’t ask the First Presidency, causing my questions to remain unasked, and unanswered.

Basically, I’ve been left in limbo. Church leaders are saying that I must accept church teaching by "trusting" it, but D&C 50:7-25 states that "it's not of God" for me to accept it in this way.

JST Mark 9:40-48 also instructs me to refrain from "trusting" the teachings of church leaders.

And, Ezekiel 34 actually predicts, that the day would come, close to the time of His second coming, when the Lord would be against His own leaders, for abusing their authority, in requiring that they be obeyed without question.

Because of this, I propose that the church rethink the calling of those authorized to judge, that they would be shepherds of Israel as Ezekiel 34 calls them, rather than judges in Israel, that they would embrace the principles of D&C 50:7-25 and seek to edify, rather than seeking to judge.

Plus, I suggest that the church allow anyone to ask the First Presidency for clarification about doctrinal issues, if their local leaders refuse to ask for it in their behalf.

Sincerely,

Aaron McMillan

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