This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As a non-Mormon, Jeremy Runnell's excommunication left me with a hypothetical question that I hope my friends and neighbors in the greater LDS community will take the time to consider.
Say there is a "silver bullet" discovery that proves the Book of Mormon to be a work of fiction authored by Joseph Smith. How would that affect your relationship with God and the LDS Church?
I propose that it is OK. Let it be. However, hold onto all that is good within the LDS Church. Let it continue to be a vehicle for building good character and bringing out the best in yourselves. Let it continue to be a light in this world that helps so many in need.
Let the good deeds and the vital humanitarian reach of the LDS Church, as so eloquently detailed by Patrick Kearon in the recent General Conference, shine brightly the whole world round. But hopefully we all can respect that what one views as an essential truth might be completely different than the next. What we need in this life is more love, compassion, selflessness, and respectful consideration of all who walk this world together.
Matt Adolphson
Salt Lake City