When I was 15 I had an almost 18 year-old boyfriend. He tried to force things on me and sometimes had the upper hand He tried to go too far and almost did, he broke up with when I told him I wanted to wait. I was devastated. Shortly after, I had to have my…
I was 14 when I moved into a new ward. I was as innocent as they come. My bishop called me in for an annual birthday interview. The topic of oral sex was brought up. It wasn’t an add on question from the law of chastity. It seemed totally random. I had no idea what…
During one of my worthiness interviews while I was a teenager, my bishop informed my that my best friend and I were too close, and that people were talking. He proceeded to drill me for an hour about what we did when we were alone. Did we hold hands, had we kissed, had we ever…
My daughter at age 12 was being interviewed alone in the bishops office and asked if she masturbates and asked if she kisses girls. (An adult male asked my 12 year old daughter these questions!!!) very inappropriate. My sons were also asked these same questions.
I grew up in the same ward as a lot of my Facebook friends. We all had the same Bishops and ward leaders and I am so grateful to those that have shared their stories. At age 11, I was in a room alone with the First Counselor for a worthiness interview. I was asked…
The following is my personal story of childhood abuse and how church leadership concealed and diminished its significance. It is long. I come from a large Mormon family. I was born-in-the-covenant and raised “knowing” that it was all true. There was no choice in attending church, seminary, or serving a mission. Those choices were made…
My stepfather sexually abused my sisters and I when we were younger. I hid the fact, until 5 years later. I wanted to heal from the abuse, and for the first time told my YSA bishop about what happened. He was very supportive and helpful in my recovery. However, one day my parents and I…
Mine is a story of abuse. Not from a bishop but from a mormon dad who rose in the levels of mormon leadership because he did things like eloquently pray. He was, also,to put it bluntly a suck-up and as we all know this is a feature that helps you get far in mormonism (or…
I was 12 years old and recently found out that something I had been doing for years was called masturbation. My bishop happened to be my uncle, and I had my “biannual interview” when he asked if I had had sex, or if I masturbated. Immediately I felt ashamed of what I had done, and…
I was roughly six or seven when I was molested by an older cousin during a family vacation. (Everyone was Mormon, and all the men mentioned below are Melchizedek priesthood holders.) I remember freezing, thinking that if I just held still, it would all be over. I had zero idea what was happening, and thanks…