I had no idea that these were the questions being asked of CHILDREN. If I were still in the cult, I hate to say it, but I don’t know what my response would have been if I were trying desperately to be a “good” Mormon. Of course, I can only imagine that parents are being shut down with feelings of guilt and threats of excommunication.
I DO have a testimony of friends who were being raped by their bishop & fathers, and then the mother coming in and telling them that “this is their plan for salvation …. they’re put on this earth to overcome this”.
I have a testimony of the bishop telling me that if I call the police because I saw the Sunday school teacher (male) get out of a van with a little girl. I found out that he was in there for an hour. When I reported it, the bishop said, “We take care of our own!”
When I asked to have a meeting with the parents, they wouldn’t even look at me. They didn’t acknowledge me and we had always had a friendly relationship. On my way out the bishop said, “He’s dating a 14 year old and we have advised him that isn’t wise.” That man was in his 40’s.
I regret every day how I didn’t call the police. I have to live with that. I thought the parents would do it, I was wrong.
I have a testimony of knowing that my relief society president’s husband, had been excommunicated for making sexual advances on multiple teenagers. He couldn’t keep a job because he kept being “falsely” accused of accosting young girls at his work. However, he was awarded the calling of a 1st or 2nd counselor.