On a Platter Originally printed in Gris-Gris, issue 6, (Jan. 2016), and again in The Exponent II, Part 1 (10 April 2018) and Part 2 (11 April 2018). At the beginning of our two-week residency in Barcelona, my writing cohort met for cocktails in the home of Bob Antoni, a West Indian writer whose fame,…
I was about 14 when I first started to confront my sexual feelings. Every time I masturbated a feeling of intense guilt and shame would come over me. I wondered what was wrong with me, and why I couldn’t resist. I prayed intensely for heavenly fathers help to overcome my pornography and masturbation “addiction.” For…
I’m telling this story in hopes that it will help many not go through what I have. My motive is not to shame anyone my motive is to bring to light what’s going on behind closed doors I would also like to add that what I’m about to say most people do not know about…
When I was seventeen, the stake executive secretary knocked on the door of my Sunday School class during the second hour. He said the Stake President would like to meet with me. Of course, my heart started to race and I began to sweat. I was nervous. The first thing that goes through your mind…
My mom had remarried,I was 15. I was trying to make friends in our new ward. I was sexually active. My mom set up an appointment with the bishop. My bishop told me that I would never find a “worthy husband” because “who would want Abc gum.” I struggled with self worth until leaving the…
A very close friend told me that after she’d read just a few of these stories, it threw her into weeks of depression. After nearly 50 years she still hadn’t healed from the sexual abuse she suffered as a young teen. She’d never shared her story before; other than with her husband. My heart broke…
Shortly after turning 12, I was interviewed by my bishop for a temple recommend. The questions at first were of no harm or were not causing any discomfort, but it definitely was not when the Law of Chastity was brought in to question. I was asked to describe about the law in my own words.…
I have three major incidents in my life within the church that I feel strongly compelled to share. I want my story to be heard so that it can be a force of change among so many others. My story began sixteen years ago, at the age of six. I was molested by my primary…
I have two stories. When I was preparing to serve a mission, I was asked insanely invasive questions by a well-meaning priesthood leader. I lied out of fear, but was dashed upon the rocks of detail. Asked about bestiality to necking (whatever the heck that is). Later, when choosing to marry my wife and going…
First, I must declare that I have OCD so fear of diseases and contamination has a psychological dimension, not just a religious one. I can’t blame the LDS church for all my problems. I was brought up in the LDS church in Wales by my mother. My father refused to be a member. One day…