Growing up, I was always the “perfect” Mormon girl; Molly if you will. I never swore, never broke commandments, and certainly never thought the church could ever make mistakes. EVER. From the moment I raised my hand in primary when our teach asked, “who wants to go on a mission?” I knew I would serve…
My church upbringing taught me that sex was something to feel guilt and shame for. Starting around age 12 My Bishops regularly asked sexually explicit questions regarding my sins. I was sexually abused from the ages of 8 to 11 by a family member who was also a member of my ward. The perpetrator’s father…
My Mormon story: growing up in Utah you had to be Mormon to be able to play with your friends. So i had been baptized around 4th grade. I took the lessons on my own, would go to church and sit by myself. I would fast alone as a young child because my dad and…
My name is Istrea Ann Guest. I was born a 6th Generation Mormon on my Mother’s side of the family. James Campbell Livingston is my Great, Great, Great Grandfather and his legacy is my heritage. That is a lot to live up to, especially living in UTAH. I was born into a Mormon Family, Baptized…
When I was 16 I had been dating someone for awhile. It was standard to have a bishop’s interview to get a dance card and stuff. I went in to my interview already nervous because my boyfriend and I had been “petting.” My bishop asked if I was dating, if I was in a relationship,…
I was asked multiple times if I masturbated and then he explained how bad it is and the addictive nature of it. I denied it but felt guilty for years until I attempted to take my life 2 seperate times. Finally I admitted to my bishop that I masturbated and what he said didn’t make…
Summary of the following story: I was groomed by my church leaders all growing up to be deceived by a pervert (another Bishop) and I thought all that happened to me was completely normal. I have decided to leave the church for any reason just pick one. I do know that I am not the…
I was born and raised in your standard LDS home. To give some background, I’d been through the standard public education sex-ed class and had been taught a little about sex and puberty by my mother when I was ten. I’d been taught nothing of masturbation but had already inadvertently discovered it, though I didn’t…
For my entire life, I was taught that obedience to counsel was of utmost importance. This teaching alone is dangerous. If the counsel reeks of guilt and shame, there is no reason it should be heeded, at all. Yet, this was the life I lived. That I was raised in. One where questions couldn’t be…
Growing up I had a bishop who was just trying to do his best. I get it, we all want to please the Lord. However he took it across the line a few times. This is one of those times and how it affected me later on. When I turned 16 and was ready to…