I grew up being exposed to sexual activities and situations from my neighborhood peers, starting at a very young age. I always felt shame around things I had been exposed to or reluctantly participated in based on what I learned at church. As a youth, I regularly visited the bishop for worthiness interviews. I always…
I joined the church when I was 18. I had an interview with my Bishop and he asked me if I engaged in Bestiality. I was so offended by this question. It made me feel gross and I wondered if others looked at me the same way. Just to be questioned in that way filled…
At age 12, I was so excited to be ordained a deacon. The Bishop brought me into his office. I don’t remember anything from that interview except that he asked if I knew what masturbation was. I had no idea. He must have not told me because I just remember when I got home asking…
Growing up in the church I was frequently asked about masturbation. The cumulative doctrine during my formative years was very clear that this was a sin of the highest severity. This came in the form of “For Young Men Only” pamphlets, Books such as Miracle of Forgiveness, frequent priesthood preview meetings, quorum curriculum, general conference…
I was in Junior High, and struggling. I already didn’t believe in the church. Which put me at odds with my Dad. My sibling had an illegitimate baby, which brought major shame to the family, back then. Another sibling got into drugs, which eventually took his life, a little later down the road. This sibling…
I was a hyper-sexual child who didn’t know the word masturbating until five or six years after I’d started having regular orgasms. I started cutting myself as I learned about the church’s stances on everything outside of standard married intercourse and that my value had been diminished as a result. I felt so out of…