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Member Records Division, LDS Church 50 E North Temple Rm 1372 SLC UT 84150-5310 [Date] To Whom It May Concern: This is my formal letter of resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I hereby terminate, effective immediately, any consent to be treated as a member of the LDS Church or to submit to the LDS Church's beliefs and/or disciplinary procedures. If you attempt to contact me in any way, except via written confirmation of (1) receipt of this letter, (2) completion of the internal LDS Church procedures required to remove my name from your membership rolls and (3) handling of my requests with respect to records (as described below), I will take whatever legal action is necessary to enjoin such contact. The following language has been recommended to me for inclusion in resignation letters to the LDS Church and is included herewith for the avoidance of doubt and to assist you in expediting the handling of my resignation: Please remove my name from LDS Church records, as specified in the General Handbook of Instructions, 1989 Edition, chapter eight, page four, to the LDS Church internal procedures (or any relevant successor procedures). These instructions to you state that you, as the bishop, are to be certain that I understand that withdrawing my name (1) cancels the effects of baptism, (2) withdraws the priesthood from a male member; and (3) suspends temple sealings and blessings. I do understand these things, and make this formal written request that my name be removed from the records of the LDS Church, reflecting my resignation from the LDS Church. I ask you to promptly complete the form "Request for Administrative Action" (or any successor form is currently in use, and forward it to your current Stake President. You are required to send me a letter informing me that you have done so. I understand that there is normally a 30 day waiting period before the Stake President submits the Form to the Office of the First Presidency of the LDS Church, however, I hereby waive such waiting period. Please instruct the Stake President to submit the Form without delay. I understand that the Stake President will then forward this Letter and the Form to the OFP. My resignation is effective as of the date of this Letter without regard to any internal LDS Church procedures that the LDS Church may require you to follow in order to formally "remove my name" from the LDS Church's records. Such internal procedures are matters of internal recordkeeping only and are not my concern. Any delay in such procedures will have no impact whatsoever on the effectiveness of my resignation. I consider my baptism, admission to the priesthood and all other LDS Church proceedings involving me to have been conducted without my lawful consent, as I had not reached the legal age of majority at the time such proceedings occurred. Such proceedings were void ab initio. Please disregard all such proceedings and either (a) destroy all original records and copies thereof evidencing such proceedings, or (b) send the original records to me at the address below and destroy all copies thereof. Any and all other LDS Church records relating to me in any way, wherever maintained, should be handled in like manner. Do not merely relocate my records or code them as "inactive" or in a similar manner. I realize that my demands with respect to my records may fall outside of the LDS Church?s ordinary procedures, however, I am hopeful that due to the LDS Church?s desire to avoid negative publicity and costly litigation, you will fulfill these requests promptly and in accordance with these instructions. I am therefore copying the LDS Church's Office of General Counsel and Public Affairs Department to ensure that these matters are given the proper attention. Once again, you are not to attempt to contact me except in writing and in accordance with the instructions in this Letter. Any other effort by you, LDS Church members acting under your instruction or the instruction of other LDS Church officials, LDS Church missionaries or other LDS Church officials to contact me may result in legal action or notification of media outlets. Your written communication to me confirming that you have received my resignation should indicate that I have resigned from the LDS Church effective [Date] and such communication shall not use the term "excommunicate", "disfellowship", "expel" or any similar term. Do not attempt to obtain my participation in any LDS Church court, disciplinary proceeding or other formal hearing, as I will not so participate. Sincerely, Your signature Your name, printed YOUR FULL ADDRESS- (important for them to send you back confirmation)
Member Records Division, LDS ChurchDifficulties with resigning? Member Records now has a voice mail system and it is sometimes difficult to get through to a real person. Faxes seem to work, but actually talking to a real person can be more satisfying and they will usually tell you they will call the stake president or bishop about the situation. You can just talk to whichever clerk answers the phone, or you could try asking for Gregory Dodge. On letters from member records they list Mr. Dodge as the supervisor of the 'Member and Statistical Records Division'. Feel free to call often until you get results.
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