The following is excerpted from the Deseret News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. 

Tim Ballard, founder and former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-child sex trafficking organization, issued a statement Monday affirming his commitment to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The statement was released through The SPEAR Fund, a nonprofit aiming to collaborate with various organizations “to end human trafficking in our time.” Ballard has served as a “senior advisor” to the organization since leaving OUR earlier this year.

“I am a faithful Member in good standing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Scriptures, and I believe in our faith with my whole heart. That will never change,” the document reads.

Ballard’s statement comes after Vice reported Ballard had allegedly claimed his work and other projects were endorsed by President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The two men share the same last name but are not related.

In response to the reports, first published by Vice, the church released a statement which reads, in part, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints never endorsed, supported or represented OUR, Tim Ballard or any projects associated with them” and clarified that “Once it became clear Tim Ballard had betrayed their friendship, through the unauthorized use of President Ballard’s name for Tim Ballard’s personal advantage and activity regarded as morally unacceptable, President Ballard withdrew his association.”

The Deseret News independently verified the legitimacy of the statement issued by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The full statement can be read here.

To read the full article, CLICK HERE.