I grew up in the church. I vividly remember sitting through a Young Women’s lesson one Sunday when I was 15 or 16. The lesson was on chastity. Our well meaning leader explained to us how chastity is similar to touching rose petals. The more the petals are touched, the more wilted they become. I…
I have my own story of shame and acceptance of abuse instigated by inappropriate questions and shaming from a bishop when I was a teen but, today I’m sharing my adult son’s story. My son is unaware of Sam’s movement as any talk of religion triggers his depression and anxiety. He has dealt with severe…
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…
Was born and raised in the Mormon Church in Provo Utah. I have been questioned inappropriately by Bishops since age 8. When I was 12 years old, My Bishop’s name was _____. He would always start on our sessions with a hug and hold my hands. While holding my hands he asked questions about masturbating…
I accidentally discovered masturbation right after I turned 12, and I engaged in the act just one time. Shortly thereafter, the bishop told the parents of the ward that they needed to talk to their kids about sex and to send the kids to him if there were issues. My parents, who never questioned a…
Too much to share… decades of shame due to a couple of choices I made. The very thought of Bishop interviews give me anxiety. I always believed it was a necessary thing to participate in and always would be in tears when I left the room. I considered suicide many times as my sin was…
I was raised LDS and when I was 14 I felt I needed to talk to the bishop about my first sexual experience because I believed that God could only forgive such horrible sins next to murder with the bishop as a tool. I was 14 and got felt up by a 15 year old…
I was a teen in the 70’s, the days of bi-annual Bishop interviews. I was asked about masturbation every time. I hated those interviews, it was crushingly shaming. I’m furious now that I was guilted for completely normal and healthy teen behavior. The thing that makes me the most angry is that those interviews taught…
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…
I was going to start this story at 16, but in truth it starts at 12. President Hinckley had come out with questions that he wanted father’s to ask their children once a month. My dad only did the first month of questions. I choose to believe it’s because he saw that they were harmful…