My name is Troy Gene Bock, and I am an inactive member of The Church of Jesus Christ of

Later Day Saints. This letter serves as a remedy to that status.

For a long time, I was fine with my name remaining in the church membership records. I am not
a believer, and have never entertained the idea of returning to the church, but I saw no harm in my
name being on a list that had little to no effect on my life. Recent decisions made by the church
hierarchy have caused me to change my opinion on that matter. I can not and will not have my name
listed in the membership rosters. As I see it, if my name were to remain on the membership list, it
would signify an approval of, or at least acceptance of, the actions of the church.
The decision I am speaking of is the new church policy regarding same sex couples and their
children. I understand that the church does not approve of homosexuality, and sees it as sin. I also
understand that the church holds a strange definition of apostasy. Not only are people like me, who
have made a conscious decision to leave the church, considered apostates, but so are people who have
committed certain kinds of sin. Whether or not they believe the faith is somehow irrelevant, an act
considered sinful by the church puts that person on par with those who actively speak out against the
church.
While the church is free to make whatever policies it wishes, as long as those policies don't
break any law, I feel that this policy is extremely misguided, especially in regards to the children of
same sex couples. It has been thoroughly demonstrated that homosexuality is not a choice, and is found
naturally within many species other than humans. I suppose the case could be made that those who
follow your faith and choose to act on their same sex attraction already know the church's stance on
that matter, and shouldn't expect the church to turn a blind eye. Understanding that the difficulty of
living your life in denial of your sexual attraction would be immense, far greater than the difficulty of
resisting other sins like lying or skipping church, I think a much better case could be made that the
church would show a great deal of compassion by accepting its LGBT members in a far more loving
way. I must admit, however, that your policy is much more forward thinking than the biblical stance of
death by stoning. The policy toward the children, however, is not sound even by the church's doctrine.
Here, I turn to the church's own articles of faith. The second article of faith states:
We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for
Adams transgression.
How then, can the child of a same sex couple be punished for a perceived sin committed by
their parents? How, in any way, do the actions of the child's parents have anything to do with the moral
character of the child? How will denouncing his or her parents' relationship do anything but cause the
child pain? Why is the child put in a position to pass judgment on the parent, something that I assumed
you believed was left to god? It makes no sense, and is cruel to boot. I understand that the church has a
long history of being insensitive in its doctrine, but it's 2015. The church has had a good while to figure
out that it doesn't play out well in the long run. From the thirteenth article of faith, If there is anything
virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things, I see that the stated
goals of the church are not in line with its actions. Morality has progressed since the days that it was
considered acceptable to teach that dark skin is a curse from god, or to treat children badly due to the
actions of their parents. The world is doing its best to move on from that kind of simple minded
foolishness.
The church was involved in a similar controversy when it supported Proposition 8 in California.
I would have sent in a resignation letter at that time, but I didn't know you could. I figured that my
name was in the records, and it always would be. I've known better for some time, I suppose I have

been waiting for the right motivation.

I haven't been involved in the church for a long time. I'm no longer affected by the church's
teaching regarding the decisions I make regarding my own body. I no longer feel obligated to revere a
prophet who was an obvious finagler and philanderer. I am free to explore the world through critical
thought, rather than obeying the guidance I often received to doubt my doubts. I am free to
encourage and respect the woman I love without requiring her to be subservient to my role as head of
the household. All of these things, any many like them, were teachings that the church expected me to
impose upon my self. Those things are consensual (if you don't take into account the nature of
indoctrination and the effect that has on the decision making process). I could deal with remaining on
the church roster if the worst the church had to offer was self imposed asinine rules. Since, however,
the church has decided that its role is to enforce its will on others (even those who don't follow their
faith), then I have to officially remove myself from your ranks. This is made even more necessary in
my mind when considering the policy toward the children of gay parents, a policy that is inspired by
intolerance rather than any desire to be holy and good. The church exists, ideally, to serve as a highlight
in the life of the believer. The church has instead decided that dogmatism if preferable to uplifting
people, and that enforcing its political will is more important than providing the best possible life for
those within its flock.
I am not a mormon. I'm not sure if I ever was, but I wanted to be at one point. The church has
done a wonderful job of convincing me that my decision to leave was the right one. I, Troy Gene Bock,
acting with a clear conscious and resolute conviction, hereby resign from The Church of Jesus Christ of
Later-Day Saints. Please remove my name from the membership list. I am completely aware that this
resignation voids my baptism, confirmation of priesthood, and any temple blessings I may have
received. This is not a decision made in haste, nor one made for ridiculous reasons one might project
upon me stemming from interpersonal feuds with church members or a wish to lead a life of sin. This is
a decision made entirely due to the obvious falsehood of the church, and the reprehensible actions
taken by the church since its inception. This latest scandal was simply the one that pushed me to make
the move.
With a sincere hope that whoever reads this letter will think critically regarding their standing
within the organization, I sign this letter,
Troy Gene Bock
Born April 23, 1988
Baptized
Member number: