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…
Sam, First of all, I just want to tell you how moved I am by what you are doing. I can’t remember when I first stumbled across your cause but I know it was around the time that Harvey hit Houston because I remember thinking about you when I saw the news. I’d like to…
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…
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…
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…
On a Platter Originally printed in Gris-Gris, issue 6, (Jan. 2016), and again in The Exponent II, Part 1 (10 April 2018) and Part 2 (11 April 2018). At the beginning of our two-week residency in Barcelona, my writing cohort met for cocktails in the home of Bob Antoni, a West Indian writer whose fame,…
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…
Shortly after turning 12, I was interviewed by my bishop for a temple recommend. The questions at first were of no harm or were not causing any discomfort, but it definitely was not when the Law of Chastity was brought in to question. I was asked to describe about the law in my own words.…