These are personal accounts of the negative consequences that inappropriate interviews have had on people.
My story is about how the Bishop of the church got information that I had had premarital sex. I was about 15 years old. It was my boyfriend, a convert to the church, that had told the Bishop what he and I did. I did not know this had taken place because we had broken…
How do I even begin to try and explain the damage being abused as a child has caused me. I was 6, we had been friends with this family for a few years, our families did a preschool co-op together. My friend was the same age as me. We had play dates, saw each other…
My story starts outside of church. From the age of seven, I experienced sexual assault and harassment from multiple sources. Other children, adults I knew, perfect strangers. As an example, without revealing some of the more traumatic experiences, when I was eleven or twelve, I was out shopping and the proprietor of the store approached…
When I was a cute newlywed I was asked probing questions by a young bishop (whose sweet wife was pregnant with their 9th child) about what I enjoyed in the bedroom, which positions and techniques brought me pleasure, etc. Being young and naive and conditioned to answer personal sexual questions posed by my priesthood leaders,…
I went on my own accord to visit the bishop with my then boyfriend, whom I loved very much. We had been sexually active, but decided we’d really like to “make things right”. I was terrified to have to talk to anyone about this, but decided it was the right thing to do to confess.…
When I was 16 years old I moved to a new ward in Herriman, Utah. The first day at church right when we walked in the door we happened to meet the bishop. After my mom had talked to him for a few minutes and she had started talking to someone else, he then came…
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…