When I was fifteen years old I had a boyfriend who was manipulative, coercive, and abusive. I was confused because he told me he loved me and he bought me flowers. He made me feel special. Behind a closed door, he started to force me to do sexual things that I didn’t want to do.…
I am a mother. When my children were young, two of them were sexually and ritually abused by a family member. The children came forward with their story when that family member was far away serving an LDS mission. Through two family therapists, a child play therapist, DCFS and a police detective investigation – the…
When I was 8 years old, the Sunday School teacher told the class that the bishop was the best friend we had. We could take our problems to him, and he’d always listen, and help. I took myself to visit him as soon as class dismissed. I told him what daddy had been doing to…
I had several good bishops growing up in the LDS Church. However, they didn’t realize I was a victim of child abuse. I was sexually molested as a small child by a member of my ward. I never told anyone about it I always felt like it was something I had to hide. And what…
Growing up, I believed ANY and ALL questions asked by members of the bishopric helped them decide my level of worthiness and understand the nature of my sins. I never thought to ask my parents to sit in each interview with me; it just wasn’t ever done or encouraged. I saw that my parents trusted,…
My story has layers of complexity, but I’ll do my best to share it. I’ll start out with the simple facts of being asked about masturbation as a teen some 34 years ago when I was 14. My mom died when I was 11 and I was the oldest of 6. So exact obedience was…
I felt impressed to tell my own story although I was a couple years older than a legal minor. I grew up in the Church. I was blessed to have wonderful leaders that watched out for me. I met my wonderful husband through the church and will always be grateful for it; however, I cannot…
The worthiness interviews containing questions of a sexual nature drove me to avoid relationships with the opposite sex out of fear of sinning for my entire young adult life. I could have dated as a teenager. I didn’t. I was asked to prom. I didn’t go. I could have had normal healthy relationships, but I…
I started masturbating when I was maybe 13 years old after reading about it in a book about puberty and learning about it at school. I was simply curious. It didn’t feel sexual at all to me, more like having someone tickle your back or something. Just a pleasant physical sensation. I didn’t know for…
When I lived in the Apple Valley area of California, I decided to go to my bishop after speaking with my dad about my sexual activity as a teen. In the course of meeting with my bishop, he asked me many detailed questions about how many partners I had sex with. If I truly was…