If you've already decided that you want to leave the church and need something tangible to point to as your reason for leaving, CES letter is well suited for that.
But if you are honestly and earnestly evaluating church history and are using CES letter as a primary source... I would make sure to give some of the more popular rebuttals (such as [0]) a read as well as they rightly call out some serious problems with the letter.
I don't think that the motive, or authenticity of the author of the CES letter should matter too much, if you do due diligence and actually research the topics, which I have. However, to your point I'll add a few more decent sources.
My personal favorite is the "Letter to My wife"[0] - similar to the CES letter but a little softer and more historically based and less fueled by emotion.
There's also a good document[1] featuring many times where the church has lied on the record with at least 152 cases.
There's also the podcast: MormonStories[2].
One of the best episodes being where they interview Tom Phillips a Stake President who has been friends and associated with general authorities. [3]
> [Excerpt from synopsis]: Many LDS Church members are unaware that a secret LDS temple ordinance called the “Second Anointing” is regularly being administered by LDS Church apostles to elite friends, family, and leaders (mostly stake presidents, temple presidents, mission presidents, and LDS general authorities, along with their wives). In this ordinance (according to reports) an apostle washes the feet of the couple in the temple, anoints them on the head with oil such that their “calling and election is made sure” (guaranteeing them a place in the Celestial Kingdom), and then invites the couple to retreat to a room in the temple, wherein the wife washes her husband’s feet, and then lays her hands on his head to give him a special priesthood blessing.
> In June of 2012 I interviewed Tom Phillips, former LDS church stake president in London, England U.K. In this interview he discusses the following:
- His early experiences as a bishop and stake president in the LDS church, along with his friendship with LDS apostle Jeffrey R. Holland.
- His experience receiving a secret/sacred LDS church ordinance called the “Second Anointing,” wherein he > - was anointed by the hands of Elder M. Russel Ballard, and assured exaltation in there hereafter.
- His subsequent loss of faith over historical and scientific issues with the church.
- His direct correspondence with then friend, LDS apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, over these troubling issues.
- The pain, suffering, and ultimate divorce that he and his family experienced as a result of his faith crisis.
- Additional details about Tom’s story can be found here [http://mormonthink.com/tomphillips.htm].
For anyone who's ready to do the final act of leaving the church and completely remove your membership there's a free and easy online service that helps with that.[4]
- https://reddit.com/r/exmormon
- https://protectldschildren.org/read-the-stories-2/ - Stories of bishops abusing their power and asking sexuality based questions in interviews alone with children as young as 11. Many times this has in fact led to 'grooming' behavior in Bishops with pedophilia tendencies.
