These are personal accounts of the negative consequences that inappropriate interviews have had on people.
I converted to the LDS Church in Utah when I was 16. I had known since about age 5 that I was attracted to other boys, but it wasn’t until I bought my first set of scriptures just before joining the Church that I realized that my feelings were called “homosexuality,” which was the same…
My story is short and not nearly as bad as others. I’ve suppressed these memories for a long time now. I don’t remember much detail. Just the shame that came from it. I am now 21 years old. I have been inactive for about 3 years now and found this through the ex mormon subreddit…
I would’ve been 14 when I first found out that viewing pornography and masturbating were “sins.” I told my bishop and he encouraged me to tell my parents so I either told my mom or she found out, I don’t remember which. For the next 7 years though, I was trying my damnedest to keep…
While in high school I struggled with sexuality. I kind of liked girls and occasionally acted on it. I went to my bishop for support thinking that’s what I was supposed to do. It wasn’t normal to like girls, so I forced myself into relationships with boys which led to threats against my life, molestation…
The bishop I had from age 12 to mission departure was seemingly obsessed with the sexual purity of the youth in our ward. My biannual youth interviews with my bishop consisted of a long battery of questions deeply probing my activities. The most invasive and lengthy part of the interviews was a series of questions…
When I was 12, our bishop was the type that liked to focus on sins and really make sure someone is pure. I was innocent and inexperienced, and I took pleasure in knowing that I could honestly answer all of the questions correctly. I also found the interviews to be very educational — he always…
I joined the church when I was 12 years old, I had never masturbated or looked at pornography. I was certainly old enough to partake in these activities, I just had not arrived “there” yet. I was still a child who had not reached puberty. I had no idea that within a year my sexuality…
My story is not as stark or traumatic as the ones I have read here, but the whole concept of an adult male asking a young teen female these questions is so inappropriate. I baby-sat for my bishops kids, so had a good relationship with him, but was appalled the first (and thankfully) only time…
I have a son that recently turned eighteen years old. I have a photo of the two of us that was taken ten years ago when I baptized him into our LDS faith. I keep this picture in my car because it was a really happy day for both of us. He is kind, intelligent…
The first time I was asked about masturbation, specifically, by a bishop, I was 12 years old. It was before my first temple trip, in a recommend interview. I understand that some people who support this practice think that the one-on-one interviews, (away from parents) are an opportunity for children who are being abused at…