My church upbringing taught me that sex was something to feel guilt and shame for. Starting around age 12 My Bishops regularly asked sexually explicit questions regarding my sins. I was sexually abused from the ages of 8 to 11 by a family member who was also a member of my ward. The perpetrator’s father…
My bishop was not a pleasant man. At 12 years old, my parents drove me to his home for my first temple recommend interview. My parents made themselves comfortable in his living room while I was led into a dark, cramped, hoaders-esque home office. I remember he had a dog, a border collie, and I…
When I was fifteen years old I had a boyfriend who was manipulative, coercive, and abusive. I was confused because he told me he loved me and he bought me flowers. He made me feel special. Behind a closed door, he started to force me to do sexual things that I didn’t want to do.…
I am a mother. When my children were young, two of them were sexually and ritually abused by a family member. The children came forward with their story when that family member was far away serving an LDS mission. Through two family therapists, a child play therapist, DCFS and a police detective investigation – the…
Growing up as a youth, I was never asked inappropriate questions. During my first few weeks st BYU I was interviewed by my bishop. It was just the customary “get to know you”interview. I can’t remember if he asked if I lived the law of chastity because I was so stung by the other questions.…
When I was 8 years old, the Sunday School teacher told the class that the bishop was the best friend we had. We could take our problems to him, and he’d always listen, and help. I took myself to visit him as soon as class dismissed. I told him what daddy had been doing to…
My father sexually abused me when I was 9 years old. It was not complete penetration, but unwanted touching and fondling and he made me touch him. The abuse began occurring while my mother was out with relief society meetings and visting teaching or shopping. It went on for about a year and was beginning…
I had several good bishops growing up in the LDS Church. However, they didn’t realize I was a victim of child abuse. I was sexually molested as a small child by a member of my ward. I never told anyone about it I always felt like it was something I had to hide. And what…
Growing up, I believed ANY and ALL questions asked by members of the bishopric helped them decide my level of worthiness and understand the nature of my sins. I never thought to ask my parents to sit in each interview with me; it just wasn’t ever done or encouraged. I saw that my parents trusted,…
My story has layers of complexity, but I’ll do my best to share it. I’ll start out with the simple facts of being asked about masturbation as a teen some 34 years ago when I was 14. My mom died when I was 11 and I was the oldest of 6. So exact obedience was…