When I was 17 I confessed to French kissing. The bishop told me how disappointed he was in me. How everyone looks up to me and I’ve let down God, him, my family, the young women. I cried and cried and then went home and cried more. A year later I’m 18 and at byu.…
At 5 years of age, I was caught playing doctor with the neighbor girl. It was pretty innocent, up to that point I had no idea boys and girls were different. But, we got caught and that’s when the shaming began. I remember that night, my mom told me that “God was ashamed of me.”…
I was harmed by the church’s teachings regarding sexuality, including invasive interviews on sexual topics. I was a very well-behaved child. I didn’t do anything beyond occasional masturbation. I honestly believed I had committed a sin “next to murder.” I spent years sure I was going to hell. I discussed things with bishops that they…
From the age of 4 to 12, my older brother sexually abused me. When I was 15, and my brother was on a mission (so I felt safe to tell someone) I told my bishop about the abuse. He treated it completely inappropriately, asking me questions related to my worthiness; treating me as if I…
I was about 16. I had a blind date with someone who proclaimed to be a returned missionary. He was returned missionary but he was a predator. I was pressured into doing many things. All in a hotel room that I was under the assumption we were picking his friends up there. I felt so…
From the age of 3 to 8, I was sexually molested. Due to that, as a young pre-teen and teen, I was especially sensitive to the questions from adult Bishops. It was horrible the details asked, no child should be put through this with an untrained adult, alone, behind closed doors. The helplessness and trapped…
I was a twelve-year-old girl when a bishop I hardly knew asked me if I masturbated. No one had taught me what the word meant, but I sensed that the right answer was “no,” so I told him what he wanted to hear. While I didn’t understand the term, I had been innocently masturbating since…
My interview at 12 where I was asked if I had morality problems, and when I asked what that meant was asked, do you touch yourself when you are naked or let others touch you. Do you watch dirty movies, do you have sexual thoughts? I remember how gross and uncomfortable I felt. Especially considering…