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…
Approximately 50 years ago, I was molested and raped as a young girl in a small Mormon farming community in SE Idaho. It has taken years for me to realize the impact that this has had on my life. The abuse took place over time by the area counselor to the Stake President. The covert…
I grew up in Utah and went to a pediatrician named Glen C. Griffen who had authored numerous books about maturation and sexual development published by LDS publishers which I was given to read. Those books, and the writings of President Kimball, and other talks in General Conference (there was a particularly horrible one by…
My three sisters and I were abused by my mom’s Mormon best friends sons for many years. When the abuse was discovered, our mother shamed us into KNOWING that it was our fault. How does a 4 year old get blamed for a 12 year old playing doctor in the Mormon role of men and…
I was born/ raised in the church, and growing up I took my religion very seriously. I was attending a Young Single Adult Ward, and I’d been carrying around tremendous guilt for years. As a kid, I was repeatedly molested by my older brother. My memory on when it first started and ended is hazy,…
Self loathing is a good basis here. Starting adult life with the mindset that hating yourself is healthy and righteous messed me up. I’ve since learned that I am worth loving and that meeting with the old dude that gives me tremendous anxiety to talk about masturbating isn’t necessary to my happiness. I don’t need…
Hi Sam! I saw your Facebook feed months ago, and it intrigued me. As I was reading about your cause, my heart was so saddened, not only for the victims I read about, but it then dawned on me, my own children have been subjected to these interviews. I am an active member of our…
I discovered masturbation at age 5. I did not know it was a “sin” until my mother had caught me. Ever after she would try to catch me in the act. So I had internalized the shame from a very tender age. Shortly after my baptism at age 8 after I had masturbated I had…
From when I was twelve onward, I was asked by my bishop in semi annual interviews sexual questions. He asked me, from when I was 12, if I engaged in petting or necking. I had to ask for clarification about what that meant. He asked me if I watched pornography. I had to ask for…
When I was 14 I gave another boy in my ward oral sex. I wasn’t planning on confessing and was just going to move on from it. The boy apparently confessed what happened to the bishop and I was called in. My parents were briefed and I was forced into a one on one,. He…