I went to my bishop as a teenager for help navigating trauma from childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. He connected me to some resources and was an empathetic and curious listener– too curious, sometimes. We met a couple times a month for about year. He was always physically affectionate with me giving full body hugs and sometimes holding my hands across his desk. One day he kissed my forehead and told me he loved me. He made it clear that his feelings for me were romantic and that he was sexually attracted to me, and one time he pulled me onto his lap. When his time as bishop ended, he maintained close contact with me. I was still a teenager when he kissed me. We had an affair, which I eventually ended. These events contributed to deep shame, confusion, stress, trauma, tension in my marriage, and my loss of faith.
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