Bishop T. of East Layton, Utah is one of the bishops who shamed me. He was more instrumental in my exit from the church then anyone else was. He used shame as a weapon. I was 21 years old and inactive and I did something that “church” deems as wrong and somebody told on me…
My beautiful daughter was tormented by the questions asked by her bishop in the worthiness interviews. I did not know anything about this until you stood up against this horrific practice. I asked her if this had happened to her, and she told me some of the details. When she was twelve, the bishop asked…
I’m telling this story in hopes that it will help many not go through what I have. My motive is not to shame anyone my motive is to bring to light what’s going on behind closed doors I would also like to add that what I’m about to say most people do not know about…
When I was seventeen, the stake executive secretary knocked on the door of my Sunday School class during the second hour. He said the Stake President would like to meet with me. Of course, my heart started to race and I began to sweat. I was nervous. The first thing that goes through your mind…
My mom had remarried,I was 15. I was trying to make friends in our new ward. I was sexually active. My mom set up an appointment with the bishop. My bishop told me that I would never find a “worthy husband” because “who would want Abc gum.” I struggled with self worth until leaving the…
A very close friend told me that after she’d read just a few of these stories, it threw her into weeks of depression. After nearly 50 years she still hadn’t healed from the sexual abuse she suffered as a young teen. She’d never shared her story before; other than with her husband. My heart broke…
I have three major incidents in my life within the church that I feel strongly compelled to share. I want my story to be heard so that it can be a force of change among so many others. My story began sixteen years ago, at the age of six. I was molested by my primary…
I have two stories. When I was preparing to serve a mission, I was asked insanely invasive questions by a well-meaning priesthood leader. I lied out of fear, but was dashed upon the rocks of detail. Asked about bestiality to necking (whatever the heck that is). Later, when choosing to marry my wife and going…
First, I must declare that I have OCD so fear of diseases and contamination has a psychological dimension, not just a religious one. I can’t blame the LDS church for all my problems. I was brought up in the LDS church in Wales by my mother. My father refused to be a member. One day…
At 7/8 years old I was introduced to the sexual side of myself. I won’t tell that story, but as a young child, I only knew that what I was experiencing felt good. I wanted to recreate that feeling, so I started masturbating. I was taught in church, by leaders, that masturbating was a sin…