These are personal accounts of the negative consequences that inappropriate interviews have had on people.
I was sexually abused, starting at age 6. The day before my interview for baptism, my abuser told me that if I told the bishop, I would not be a part of my family for the eternities and would also not be able to be baptized. My baptism was a horrible experience for me, as…
I went in to see the bishop for my 14th birthday priesthood interview. He asked me if I was morally clean. I told him no. Then he asked me specifically if I had any issues with masturbation and I said yes. He asked how long and how frequent and suggested I tell my parents. Being…
From the age of 4 to 12, my older brother sexually abused me. When I was 15, and my brother was on a mission (so I felt safe to tell someone) I told my bishop about the abuse. He treated it completely inappropriately, asking me questions related to my worthiness; treating me as if I…
I was about 16. I had a blind date with someone who proclaimed to be a returned missionary. He was returned missionary but he was a predator. I was pressured into doing many things. All in a hotel room that I was under the assumption we were picking his friends up there. I felt so…
Ten years after the fact, I discovered that my daughter was asked, “Do you masturbate?” That wholly inappropriate question was posed to her by the bishop when she was 12. It happened behind closed doors, all alone, a child with a grown man. My daughter didn’t know what the word meant. She asked her friends.…
From the age of 3 to 8, I was sexually molested. Due to that, as a young pre-teen and teen, I was especially sensitive to the questions from adult Bishops. It was horrible the details asked, no child should be put through this with an untrained adult, alone, behind closed doors. The helplessness and trapped…
I was a twelve-year-old girl when a bishop I hardly knew asked me if I masturbated. No one had taught me what the word meant, but I sensed that the right answer was “no,” so I told him what he wanted to hear. While I didn’t understand the term, I had been innocently masturbating since…
My interview at 12 where I was asked if I had morality problems, and when I asked what that meant was asked, do you touch yourself when you are naked or let others touch you. Do you watch dirty movies, do you have sexual thoughts? I remember how gross and uncomfortable I felt. Especially considering…
When I was 17, I was applying to BYU. For my application, I needed to have an interview with the bishop and the stake president. It must have been a requirement because I remember I had to have his signature for the application. He asked the usual questions and then seemed satisfied so he picked…