May 1, 2001
Mr. ------
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Members and Statistical Records Division
50 East North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
This letter is being sent to inform you that I am officially
requesting that my name be removed from the records of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is the second
request I have made in regards to this matter. My first request
was made a month ago (see attached). This request is being made
after many years of soul-searching, and studying on my part. I
wish to make it very clear that I am not leaving because of hurt
feelings, or being offended by anyone in the church. I have
based this decision on my faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, my study of the Holy Bible, and my intellect. This
decision is being made freely on my part, and with a full
knowledge of what the LDS church teaches the consequences of
making a decision like this are.
I must insist that my records, and the letter notifying me that
my name has been removed from the church records, show that the
only reason why my name has been removed, is that I requested it
to be so. I also insist that the word excommunication not be
used in the church records, or in the letter notifying me of
this action. I have already stated that I will not attend a
Bishop's Court. I do not feel I have lived my life in such a way
as to warrant any such action. As I work with the television
media, I would not hesitate to notify the proper persons if I
feel that my name has been slandered in any way.
For reference, I was baptized on the 2nd of February, 1975 in
the -------Ward, ------- (at that time) stake. My birthdate is
------. Please understand that I am taking this action because
it has been proven to me, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that
Mormonism is false, and does not teach correct doctrine
according to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of the doctrinal
problems I have investigated are:
1. I am convinced that the Book of Mormon is not of divine
origin, except for the verses that are plagiarized from the
Bible. I do not believe that Joseph Smith translated any part of
the Book of Mormon, and that it is nothing more than a contrived
document. Unlike the Bible, there is absolutely no historical or
archaeological evidence to support it.
2. I am convinced that the Pearl of Great Price (particularly
the Book of Abraham) is a pure work of deceit and fraud. It
became apparent to leaders of the church that the papyrus that
Joseph Smith translated into the Book of Abraham, was nothing
more than Egyptian funeral documents, yet they continued to
claim that the book was of divine origin. This fact has been
hidden from members of the church for many years.
3. I am certain that the Doctrine and Covenants is also false,
and has been changed and rewritten so many times, that Saints
today have no clue what some of the false doctrines that Joseph
Smith taught really were.
4. I am convinced that polygamy is a wicked principle that is
taught by the church, and that it is demeaning and devastating
to women. I am also convinced that it was an excuse for Joseph
Smith to commit adultery, since he practiced it for at least 10
years prior to the 1843 "revelation."
5. I am convinced that, on the whole, the LDS church has made
serious and substantial changes to all of their scriptures, and
most of church history. I believe that this has been done to
satisfy and comfort its members, to hide doctrinal errors, and
to protect some leaders from exposure to their moral failures
and to save the church considerable embarrassment. The church's
doctrine of not allowing women to obtain a cancellation of
sealing on their own has been especially destructive in my own
life.
6. I am convinced that men and women are not treated equally in
the LDS church, that women's issues are ignored, and that women
are truly made to feel like second class citizens. LDS doctrine
is completely offensive to women, and could not possibly be
pleasing in God's eyes. I am also convinced that depression
among women in the LDS church is rampant, and always ignored by
church leaders. The impression is given that any LDS woman who
is depressed, must not be living the gospel.
7. I do not believe the head of the LDS church now or ever,
is/was a prophet of God. I find it incredulous that a "prophet,
seer, and revelator" was fooled by forger Mark Hofmann, which
forgery led to two murders. I also find the Mountains Meadow
Massacre cover-up to be a heinous criminal act perpetrated in
the name of the Mormon Church.
8. I do not believe that God was once a man, that he lived on a
planet similar to Earth, and that through his righteousness he
became a God. Furthermore, I do not believe that men on this
Earth can someday become Gods. According to the bible, God has
always been God, and is "from everlasting to everlasting." Satan
aspired to godhood and was cast out. I do not wish to follow in
those particular footsteps!
These are just a few of my major issues with the doctrine of the
LDS church. I'm sure that my point has been made very clear. I
DO NOT WISH TO REMAIN A MEMBER OF A CHURCH THAT IS BASED ON
FRAUD AND LIES. I WILL NOT hesitate to seek legal counsel if
this matter is not addressed with expediency.
I ask that you please respect my request to have my name removed
immediately, and be aware that at this point, I will not welcome
any visits from missionaries, home teachers, visiting teachers,
bishopric or stake presidency members. My decision is final in
this matter; it took me six years and a lot of soul-searching to
reach it, and any missionary efforts on the part of the LDS
church, will be considered an invasion of my privacy.
Respectfully,
Melanie J. Olson
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CC - Bishop ------
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