When I was being interviewed to enter young women’s at the age of 12, I was brought into a room with the lights turned off to speak with a member of the bishopric. He asked me the usual questions, things about tithing, reading scriptures, etc. I was so nervous that I would answer the questions wrong and not be let into young women’s. Then he asked me a questions that confused me.
“Do you keep the law of chastity?”
“No,” I said, not having any idea what he meant.
“Do you know what the law of chastity is?” “No.”
“Well, what do you think it means?” he asked me.
I went through everything I could think of. “Does it mean being honest? Listening to my parents? Going to church every week?”
He smiled at me, which I thought was weird. I was so embarrassed because I thought I was smart, and I couldn’t figure out what he was getting at.
“It means you don’t let boys touch you in private places,” he said.
I had never heard of this before and I was so confused. Why would this ever happen? I felt so ashamed. So embarrassed. So small.
“Has a boy ever touched you before?” he asked. “No, never.” I answered. I didn’t even understand what he meant.
He then said, “Do you need me to show you what i am talking about?”
Then I started to cry, mostly because I was confused and didn’t know what to say. He seemed like he didn’t know what to do at this point. I don’t think he knew I would react this way. Then he told me he would help me find my mom and the interview was over.
I never told anyone about it. This man was married to my piano teacher and I had to see him every week at church and also piano. It was horrific and only until now have i realized how wildly inappropriate it was.