When I was a young teenager, I had a bishop ask me if I masturbated. I wasn’t even sure what that meant. I don’t completely remember how I responded. I just know I was thrown off guard and felt terrible about the question. I was already nervous about going to interviews for the first time…
Technically, this meeting with my bishop did not happen when I was a child, but it still happened when I was young. When I went to college and decided I would like to serve a mission for the church, I knew there were things of sexual nature I needed to disclose to and clear up…
I hated being interviewed by my Branch President. If I had it to do over again, I would never be a teenage girl alone with an older man. At the time however, I did not realize that I was in control over my own body. I would do anything I was told by someone in…
I grew up in the LDS Church, was baptized at 8, ordained a deacon at 12, teacher at 14, priest at 16, elder at 18, served a two-year mission starting at 19. I returned home at 21, and became a non-believing ex-Mormon by 27. I am currently 39, and have never had any desire to…
I lived in Dallas, Texas in the early 1980s… I am almost 50 now. Like most normal boys, I was excited to find some “dirty magazines” when I was walking home from school. I found them to be very interesting, to say the least, and being 13 or 14 at the time, I did what…
I was 11 years old when I was sent to live with mormon relatives. Because of my age I had to go through the missionary lessons in order to be baptized. I did not want to be baptized, but it was not an option. I was beaten until I agreed to do what I was…
Another personal story for you and Sam Young as he Hunger Strikes to Protect LDS Children. This one is the hardest for me because I was complicit and bare the shame of this. This is about my child and I am using my favorite, colorful language in this post (you have been warned). When I…
When I was 11, my uncle (who was then in the bishopric) propositioned me for sex (I refused and got away, but didn’t tell anyone because he threatened my family) and then when I was 12, he molested me. After this incident, my mom could tell there was something wrong and I told her, but…
As a kid, like most kids, I masturbated. Even typing this story after years of therapy I just had to justify why I masturbated. Anyways, I felt horrible about myself due to interviews from the time I was getting ready to leave primary (turning 12). I did not tell the Bishop because I was scared…
I joined the church at 19 (and left at 30). When I was 18, so before I joined the church; I was sexually assaulted (anal rape) by a trusted male member of my family, he was my brother in law. This was very traumatic for me and now 13 years later (I’m now 31), I…