This is something I posted to reddit a few years ago. I already had guilt and shame, the bishop made it worse. As a child, I was born into a deeply religious and active LDS family. We lived in Salt Lake City, Utah for a while before heading to upstate New York when I was…
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…
When I was a member of the church at 12 years old, I was accused of masturbation by my parents and the bishop. I was only a deacon and had no idea what masturbation was at the time. I protested and insisted I was not guilty…but I was forced to undergo church discipline at only…
I discovered self-love at age 11. It was sorta an accident, but I really enjoyed it. I knew it must be wrong because my mother caught me once and we had a meeting with the Bishop that lasted an hour. We talked about playing with the special present before Christmas, and that I shouldn’t arise…
My daughter went in to repent to the bishop. She had a sexual relationship with a man when she was 14 and he was 18. This went on for several months and was found out about by her parents and turned in to the authorities. She also had relations with another boy afterwards and wanted…
LDS Church Bishops – the starting position for ALL other “higher” leadership positions in the LDS Church such as Stake President, etc. – are appointed ONLY based on being the highest tithing donor and being a church attending male in the congregation. NO OTHER CRITERIA are actually considered or used. There is NO screening or…
During my developmental years as a teen I often struggled with depression. I was weighed down with guilt and tore myself apart with self-loathing. I was conflicted, frustrated, embarrassed, confused, and suffering. My source of pain was due to my personal sexual sins. These minuscule sins included very infrequently masturbating (never to completion) and sometimes…
I always dreaded the interviews. Even when my dad was the bishop. That probably made it worse honestly. I knew it was abnormal for kids my age to be exposed to this type of questioning but it’s not like I had any choice to go. Throughout my youth and early adult life I struggled with…
First of all I am no longer a member, having resigned 2 months after being released as a YSA Bishop in the Pacific Northwest. In 1999 while serving as a Bishops Counselor, I was interviewing youth for an upcoming temple trip. In the course of my interviews I was asked to follow the handbook of…
When I was 12 years old I was sexually abused by my dad. He was serving in a bishopric at the time. And he had earlier served as a bishop. After I was 18 and finally told someone the words from my stake president was to “forgive and forget”. My dad was not released from…