This is a second hand story. Years ago, there was an older teenage boy, 17-19 that was having a sexual relationship with a 13 year old girl in the same ward. He was charged with statutory rape and sexual assault. At the time there was doubt of his guilt amongst members involved because the girl…
My daughter, who was 14 years old at the time, went to the bishop so she could get her temple recommend. She was going to the temple to be baptized for the dead. The bishop asked her personal questions about her morality. When she answered proudly that she was morally clean and had not done…
My daughter has been participating in intensive treatment and therapy for PTSD following years of childhood trauma, resulting from living in the battlefield that was our home. She witnessed abuse, and was subjected to the resulting years of the craziness of religious abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and a mom who was barely hanging on…
When I was in 5th or 6th grade, I had accidentally stumbled upon porn on the internet. I didn’t know what it was. I knew it was bad for me to be looking at though. It made me uncomfortable and I tried to forget about it. Fast forward to a week or so later, my…
When I was 19 years old, my boyfriend (at the time) and I ended up having intercourse. My boyfriend was overcome with guilt and called the bishop for us to go and confess. We sat together and he asked a few questions but was kind and polite. He asked me to step out so he…
A deeply inappropriate worthiness interview when I was 12 or 13 years old traumatized me when a bishop went through the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet and asked me about every single item inside, including my media viewing habits, my friendships, masturbation, “necking/petting,” etc. It was overwhelming and terrifying. The sexual questions in particular…
During my interviews to be baptized, I was shamed for having been raped. Sorry to tell you, Bishop, it wasn’t my fault and there was nothing I could do to avert that predator’s attentions. But you wouldn’t know that, you aren’t a girl/woman. Shame on you for standing in judgement of the victim, not the…
When I was 8 years old and receiving my worthiness interview for baptism, I remember feeling uncomfortable. I didn’t know my bishop well beyond singing songs to him in sacrament meeting and making candy posters for him in primary. I was taught that he was safe, good, loved me, and had my best interests at…
I remember hitting myself at night when I came home from church in my early teens as I just couldn’t stay away from masturbation. I stopped for a year while living with my father. I then felt so guilty after a babysitting porn book relapse, that I told my father, who immediately had me into…
My husband is a retired police officer. There have been many times when he was investigating child abuse cases where bishops and other church leaders would not cooperate with the investigations. They stated this was a matter being handled within the church. They would not give any information. They were protecting the perpetrator, and the…