What is the CES Letter?

The CES Letter is a persuasive document that presents familiar questions about the Church in a way designed to create doubt. It builds that doubt gradually by using volume-based arguments, selective facts, and quotes taken out of context to suggest the Church has been dishonest. As the document progresses, the arguments intensify, often leaving readers confused, overwhelmed, and more likely to lose faith rather than find answers. Learn more about what the CES Letter is.

Who Wrote the CES Letter?

The CES Letter was written by Jeremy Talmage Runnells, a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Runnells has stated that he was raised in the Church, served a full-time mission, and was married in the temple. At the time he wrote the CES Letter, he lived in American Fork, Utah. He does not have formal academic training in Church history, theology, archaeology, or ancient languages.

Jeremy Runnells has described himself as working in business and online projects, and his primary publicly visible work and ongoing activity has centered on creating, promoting, and maintaining the CES Letter as a long-term project. Learn more about the author of the CES letter.

When Was the CES Letter Written?

The first draft of the CES letter was written in 2012 and early 2013 and was first published publicly online in April 2013, after which it was revised multiple times by its author. Read more about the origin of the CES Letter.

Original CES Letter vs Current version, what is different?

There are thousands of differences. The original CES Letter was a shorter document written in 2012–2013 and presented as a personal letter, while the current version has been expanded, reorganized, and revised multiple times to improve readability, tone, and persuasive impact, with added sections, softened language, and responses to critics incorporated over time. Learn more about the changes to the CES Letter.

What is the Motive for The CES Letter? 

Jeremy has claimed that the CES Letter was written to help explain to his children why he left the Church, even though his oldest child was very young at the time. From my perspective, the letter seems more focused on justifying his departure and reinforcing his decision to leave.

Over time, the CES Letter has become a tool that leads people away from faith, encouraging doubt and distance from God and sacred covenants.

After the letter gained widespread attention, Jeremy appeared to enjoy the recognition and reach it provided. Eventually, that success revealed the possibility of monetization, and the project took on the characteristics of a business. Learn more about the motive of the CES Letter.

How is the CES Letter a Business?

With the widespread success of the CES Letter, and the boost it received from platforms like Mormon Stories, Jeremy found a way to make it profitable, very profitable. Beyond the influence of having the letter shared repeatedly and persuading others, he also found a way to generate income from it.

He began accepting “donations” through the CES Letter website in the summer of 2013 and later started selling the letter as a paperback book. He also formed a nonprofit corporation for the project in Las Vegas, which has not filed public reports since 2019, despite continuing to claim nonprofit status. Learn more about the “doubt creating” business. 

How Much Money does the CES Letter Foundation Make?

It’s hard to say because Runnells hasn’t performed the public filings for the CES Letter Foundation since 2019. In addition, he has set up several other corporations related to his Doubt creating business in Nevada and Delaware making it very hard to trace the money.

Is the CES Letter Factual?

The CES Letter contains a mix of factual information, selective sourcing, and interpretation. Many historical events and quotations referenced in the document are real, but they are often presented without full context, alternative explanations, or acknowledgment of scholarly disagreement.

Rather than functioning as a neutral summary of facts, the CES Letter frames information in ways that support predetermined conclusions. Quotes are frequently isolated from their broader historical setting, unresolved questions are treated as evidence of deception, and complexity or development over time is framed as contradiction. 40 Lies of the CES Letter.

Where does the information found in the CES letter originate from?

Much of the information in the CES Letter is drawn from earlier critical and anti-LDS sources rather than original research. Many of the arguments trace back to nineteenth-century critics such as Philastus Hurlbut and Eber D. Howe, who were among the earliest opponents of the Church and actively sought material to discredit Joseph Smith.

The CES Letter also relies heavily on later critics and writers, including John C. Bennett, Fawn Brodie, Jerald and Sandra Tanner, and more contemporary figures such as John Dehlin. In many cases, the CES Letter repackages these earlier arguments with updated language, selective quotations, and modern framing, rather than presenting new historical discoveries.

As a result, the document largely recycles long-standing critical claims that have been debated for decades, often without engaging responses, additional context, or more recent scholarship that challenges those claims.

Who is the CES Letter for?

The CES Letter is primarily written for members of the Church who are already experiencing doubt or uncertainty. The author has stated that his intended audience includes “fence sitters,” those who are questioning Church history, doctrine, or leadership but have not yet decided whether to remain active.

It rarely has much influence on individuals who are firm in their faith, but it can be highly persuasive for those who are already struggling or looking for reasons to justify existing doubts. Because of this, the CES Letter is most often shared by former members seeking to persuade friends or family that they have been misled, using the document as a central source to validate their departure and promote a worldview rooted in skepticism rather than faith.

Where Can I read the CES Letter?

Because the letter is so manipulative and full of half truths and miscontexted framing, you should probably look to actual history instead. But if you really do feel like reading it, you should read this version with commentary.

The CES Letter is also published by Jeremy Reynolds as a “Free” Paperback Book. Free because Jeremy is just such a good guy who wants to share the “truth” he has learned. But, in ourder to get it you  have to pay a minimum “donation” of $18.95 ” to his CES Letter Foundation that is illegally claiming to be a registered 501c Non Profit organization.

Read a summary of the CES Letter here. 

Has the CES Letter been debunked?

Yes. so many times. My personal preference is the Light and Truth letter as this is the real story of a man who fell away from the church because of the CES Letter but realized that his life was missing something without the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He studied through his concerns, he found the real history, the real context, and received personal revelation that helped to restore his faith.

Other fantastic debunk sources include:

Some of the initial responses to the CES Letter thought that Runnells really was sincere in his quest to find Truth, but the research of Sarah Allen and others helped reveal that this guy was already outside the church and was just looking for ways to justify his doubts and persuade others including his wife so that his children wouldn’t have to “suffer” growing up in Mormonism like he did.