While working on a separate research project, I spent a significant amount of time studying the CES Letter and the persuasion techniques it uses. What stood out was the deceptive way the arguments are framed, sequenced, and presented to create doubt.
There is far more evidence supporting the truth claims of the Church when you actually look at both sides of the argument and are able to learn the actual history.
I thought? What would a letter be like if the same techniques used in the CES Letter were applied in reverse?
So I tried it.
And wrote a letter to the CES Letter in reverse.
This project uses the same narrative structure, framing, and persuasive style found in the CES Letter, but turns those methods back onto the letter itself. It raises questions about methodology, sources, omissions, and assumptions in the same way the CES Letter raises questions about the Church.
The narrative setup is intentionally fictional. There is no dying uncle who handed me a letter. That framing device is used for storytelling purposes, just as the Letter to the CES Director uses a narrative presentation that is not fully literal. What is different is that the gospel principles and historical evidence discussed here are real, well documented, and carefully sourced.
This project is meant to be thoughtful and, yes, a bit playful in its approach. But it also makes a serious point. When the same persuasive tools are applied consistently, the confidence many place in the CES Letter starts to weaken, and space opens up for a more balanced examination.
If you have doubts about the Church, the Book of Mormon, or Joseph Smith, this project invites you to slow down and look again, using the same methods that may have first unsettled you.
For an actual story of a real person who did his research to overcome doubts and get the light back in his life, be sure to check out the Light and Truth Letter.
If you want to learn more about true church history, I highly recommend listening to the Standard of Truth Podcast.