Hello. I'm Ryan Reeder. I thought I might say a few things here.

Visitors to this channel have probably noticed my Book of Mormon videos, among other things. I want to state clearly that I have not been asked personally by any Church authorities to do this. Consequently without authorization, I was hesitant to proceed with this project for some time, until a church leader (M. Russell Ballard), in a talk given in Hawaii in December 2007 asked church members to "join the conversation by participating on the internet to share the gospel," including sharing "the teachings of the Book of Mormon and other gospel subjects on popular video-sharing sites."

http://tinyurl.com/6nlv3e

As far as comments go, I do appreciate free speech. Therefore I do permit comments that are critical of myself, my religion, or the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon and the Church have withstood constant criticism since 1830 and have thrived. Those who seek to destroy them will find themselves powerless to do so, for they are of God.

As for me, I am a man and freely admit my faults. Criticize me if you want--you may be right. I haven't lived a perfect life. Here are a few examples that people have brought up: I was born with ptosis, which causes my right eyelid to droop. It doesn't bother me. Some may find my reading style engaging, others may be turned off by it. Hopefully, more like it than don't, but if you're one who doesn't like it, I understand. I also have an aversion to saying certain words which can be offensive in other contexts; I spell them in my videos. I don't feel that the integrity of the text is harmed by this; I just don't feel comfortable saying them. I may have other issues which could be noticeable; I apologize if any of my personal failings offends anyone.

However, while I do believe that people have the right to criticize, I also believe that rights entail responsibilities. I will remove comments which contain harsh profanity and other offensive language (including ethnic slurs). A second offense may result in a ban.

It is not my intent to offend, though I recognize that may occur when I make a stand for what I believe is truth. For whatever reason, some may feel hostility toward these videos. While I could respond to most of the points they bring up, it is not my wish to engage in debate or argument with these persons. I find it rarely resolves anything. Therefore, while I allow comments with belligerent tones, I don't normally respond to them.

On the other hand, through these videos, I have enjoyed extensive conversations with individuals who sincerely seek understanding. I appreciate and encourage those comments and messages. You can also find information at www.mormon.org and other official Church sources, but if you would like to talk with me, I would be more than happy to respond.

Finally, a technical matter. After acquiring a MacBook with a built-in camera, I have found that the uploading process becomes much easier than it was with my digital camera. The picture quality does suffer, but the audio quality seems fine, and that's more important when I'm reading a text. If you have comments on that issue, let me know.

I also have other videos which are less religious in nature, which you might be interested in.

Thank you.
Ryan Reeder