When I was 7 years old I had my first worthiness interview a few weeks before I turned 8 and would be baptized. The bishop already knew that I was being abused at home and told me that I was a sinner and needed to repent because I was not being a worthy daughter and…
It wasn’t the interviews so much as a combination of the interviews with the fire-and-brimstone chastity lessons. Masturbation was described as an incredibly selfish and shameful act. Then we got the For The Strength of Youth pamphlet which called sexual sins “next to murder”. Then came the interviews asking about masturbation and the copy of…
My 15 year old son has been crippled with guilt and shame about masturbation. He has talked to our LDS bishop about it and feels worse afterward. My son is predisposed to depression and anxiety. His therapist thought he was experiencing a level of religious scrupulosity. I spoke to the bishop about this and asked…
***Warning you may find the post below controversial, however please understand that “it doesn’t impact you until it impacts you, or someone you know personally.”*** Just recently as I was traveling with my husband he showed me an article from Fox 13 about inappropriate Bishops interviews. http://fox13now.com/2017/12/01/former-lds-bishop-calls-for-church-leaders-to-stop-interviewing-teens-about-sexual-practices As I read the article and the comments…
I was shamed continuously because i was honest with them – then i learned to lie.
My father was both a Bishop and a Stake President for almost my entire childhood. Both of my parents were very well known and respected in our small Mormon community. Nobody outside of our family knew the extreme psychological, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse that was happening behind our perfect facade. I wonder how many…
I felt uncomfortable just being in the presence of Bishop _____. Knowing what he was going to ask me made my heart race with dread. Every 6 months he would pull me into his office and shut the window-less door behind me. Then he would proceed to grill me. “When was the last time you…
I have been blessed with having experienced two car accidents. The first one was the start of me leaving the church and the second was the catalyst for me returning. Why I mention them is I have subsequent memory problems, which is undoubtedly a blessing. I was raped at the age of 14. I had…
As a child I suffered years and years of sexual abuse. It started when I was barely older than a toddler and so, I didn’t even realize that what was happening was wrong until I was about to enter Young Women. Once I started attending YW I realized the full extent of what had happened…
As a young child, I overheard whispered conversations between my mom and her younger sisters at family reunions. As soon as I or my grandparents drew nearby, the subject would change….Usually to something like “Oh, do you want a popsicle? I think we should get out popsicles for all the kids!” I do remember hearing…