#885 Reagan B. CS: 1,2,4,6,7. Other: Premature obsession with sexual terminology

When I was twelve I started having yearly bishop interviews where he would ask me questions about keeping the commandments and if I was following the church rules. The door was always closed and the main focus was always on the sexual questions. He would breeze past most of the questions, but would spend the…

#884 Brian F. CS: 1,2,3,7,8,9

“You know the church frowns on homosexuality.” My bishopric interview at 14 years old (1984) and why it shouldn’t have happened. Life was okay at 14 years old in Bountiful, Utah. It was 1984, so a much different world. It was a world without internet and only 3 TV channels. If you wanted to learn…

#882 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,7,8

I was sexually abused by a family member from the age of 6 to almost 15. When it all came to light, I was asked to see my Bishop (alone). My Bishop tried to be a psychologist and told me that I CHOSE to be abused when I was in the spirit world so it…

#881 Name Hidden. CS: 1,6,7

I had a terrible sex education growing up. It was practically a banned topic at my house. We even had a TV guardian that would edit swear words on live TV, and it would replace the word “sex” with “hugs.” My bishop was a good man who sincerely loved and wanted to help others. I…

#880 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Other: Victim shaming

I had a boyfriend in high school and we were both very active LDS. We’d been dating for about 6 months when he told me he would kill himself in I didn’t have sex with him. I did because I knew him and I knew he would follow through with his threat. I did not…

#879 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,4,6,7,8

I didn’t realize until I was at college that masturbation and strong sexual desire is a normal attribute of nearly every healthy person. My high school years were spent thinking that I was a deviant freak. Those years were counted in weeks that followed the shame cycle; dreading the coming of Sunday when I’d have…

#875 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,4,6,8

I was raised LDS and was used to bishop interviews. My first bishop was pretty respectful, the farthest he would go was, “do you obey the law of chastity?” And when I didn’t know what that meant instead he asked “have you sinned in a way that disrespects your sacred body parts?” Enough said, it…