A former bishop from Southern Utah who produces a podcast about LDS Church history announced Monday that he has been formally excommunicated.

Washington City resident Bill Reel, who creates and produces "Mormon Discussions," said his stake president hand-delivered the notice of his excommunication from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday.

Reel said he was disciplined for his discussions about church history on his podcast and forcalling two apostles — Elders Jeffrey R. Holland and M. Russell Ballard — liars.

LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins previously told The Spectrum & Daily News the church does not comment on personal disciplinary matters in an effort to respect the privacy of those involved.

"Church discipline is administered by local leaders who are familiar with the individual and his or her circumstances," Hawkins said in a statement.

Church: Efforts to find common ground rebuffed

Reel posted a link to the excommunication letter on his website. The letter says in part, "During the council, it became apparent that you hold views contrary to the Church, that you do not sustain the leaders of the Church, and that you are intent on publishing your views in an effort to persuade others to your point of view. I regret that is the case."

It also says local church leaders' efforts to find common ground with Reel were dismissed.

Although Reel was expecting this outcome after his disciplinary council meeting with stake leaders on Nov. 27, he said he still anticipated to feel some emotional turmoil over the decision.

"I had spent 22 years committed in this faith and this church, I served in a lot of leadership positions and always had both feet in," Reel said. "With all of that coming to an end, I kind of expected anxiety and sadness. It actually felt great. It's felt like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders."

According to Reel, members of the high council told him at his disciplinary meeting that Reel had maintained his integrity, and he was being excommunicated for calling two apostles liars. Even if they lied, and Reel was telling the truth, Reel said the councilmen told him he still had to be excommunicated to protect the integrity of the church.

Reel: Meeting was recorded – but not by him

An audio recording of Reel's disciplinary council meeting has surfaced online. Reel acknowledged he was aware someone was going to attempt to record inside the room, but he said it was not his device, and he did not make the recording.

"I didn't even know for sure if the recording had taken place until after the disciplinary proceedings were over," Reel said.

The letter says Reel can appeal the council's decision to the church's First Presidency by writing a letter about what he sees as errors or unfairness in the process.

"We are still your brothers and sisters in the Lord, and you are a son of our Heavenly Father and He loves you," the letter concludes. "We will also be here to extend a hand of help and assistance whenever needed."

Reel wrote a letter of appeal and posted it on his website Tuesday.

In the end, Reel said he feels vindicated.

"It allowed me to walk away with my dignity because everyone in the public can hear that audio recording and know that I didn't do anything beyond having too harsh of a tone," Reel said.

Reel said he is grateful to "walk out of this" in a place that has allowed him to come to peace with the decision. He said he "went out the way he wanted to."

"I wanted to stand up for people in faith crisis and be a voice for them because a lot of them don't have a voice," Reel said. "I had to say everything I wanted to say. In the end, what I stood for and what they allowed are no longer congruent, hence, I am no longer a member of the church."

Follow reporter Emily Havens on Twitter, @EmilyJHavens, and find her on Facebook at facebook.com/emilyjhavens. Call her at 435-674-6214 or email her at ehavens@thespectrum.com.

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