These are personal accounts of the negative consequences that inappropriate interviews have had on people.
It took me reading so many stories to gather the courage to tell my own. While the suffering felt by all is incalculable, my story is nightmarish. When I was 12 or so, my family moved to Idaho right around the exact time anew bishopric was called. Of course, we didn’t know any of them…
I am not comfortable telling everything, but I will say I was asked the following questions in an interview when I was 15 or 16 when I confessed to looking at porn and masturbating. This isn’t a complete list. This was 15 years ago or so: What kind of porn was it? Did you watch…
I went to my bishop to ask for support as i filed a rape case against my rapist from 10 years prior. My bishop said i had to tell him every detail of my experience so he could make sure i repented for my sins. I told him i did nothing wrong and i would…
I was thirteen or so when I was asked by a member of the bishopric if I touched myself. Of course, I lied. I barely knew this man. This was shortly after I was sexually abused by my ” best friends “, who happened to be the bishop’s twin daughters. They were younger than myself…
My story is four stories, and you may split them if you wish, or you may tell them together. So we will begin: The story of my mother. I will insert names where I can, you may delete as needed, but I want to give the truth to the point of traceable people should you…
I confessed to masturbation to several priesthood leaders as I struggled with it from age 12-19. One bishop around age 14 told me I was “preying on my own sexuality!” He was a kind and genuine man, but because of this idea I identified myself as a predator. I felt like a deviant much of…
I never thought my story would be important but now that I see others standing up to protect children from these harmful interviews, I feel I cannot be silent. When I was 8 years old a friend I did not play with much came over to my house. We went in my room and she…
I still struggle putting this down on print and still have the shame that the church issued to me with my abuse. When I was approximately 7/8 years old I walked the few blocks to my cousins house to play. We lived in a very safe are of Sandy Utah and this was a common…
When I was 16 we went to visit my grandpa who was living in Rexburg at the time and my older brother who was attending Ricks. One night I woke up to him fondling me and reaching his hand up my shirt. I was so shocked and terrified I could barely say who are you?…
I was sexually abused by my step-brother when I was an eight year old girl. It continued for two years. My family was broken and dysfunctional and there was no adult I felt I could talk to. Like many victims of sexual abuse, I kept it to myself for years. I was never asked any…