Protect LDS Children: My Story, Trevor Cobb, March 25, 2018 Around 1992-1993, when I was a deacon in Olney, Maryland, my mom caught me looking at a Playboy in the bathroom. Since I was 7-8 years old I had been riding my bike with the Mormon neighbor boy, _______, who was four years my senior…
Many years ago during a family trip to San Francisco where we walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, 11-year-old me stopped and peered down into the still, gently swirling water and tried to talk myself out of throwing my body into the soothing void. It seemed such an easy way to release the suffering that…
Upon my son’s cancer diagnosis at age 15 he said he did not want to live. He said he was a bad person. He then recounted the many times his bishop and seminary teacher had talked to him about “touching himself” over the previous 3 1/2 years. I was devastated and heart broken to know…
As a child I experienced repeated sexual abuse. I knew that I didn’t like what was happening to me, but I didn’t know exactly what it was and I didn’t want to talk about it with anyone. Due to my experiences I became sexualized in my early childhood and I began to explore this new…
I was sexually assaulted as a youth. The church teachings of no sexual relations before marriage caused me years of guilt and shame. At the time my good bishop told me it was not my fault, I was still considered a “virgin,” never look back and let it go. I did that as best as…
I grew up in the 70’s. My dad is mentally ill –probably a mix of Asperger’s (back when there was that), Bipolar, OCD, and PTSD. He’s never been professionally diagnosed. His symptoms, however are not that complicated. –Not that different from a 2-3 yo with sensory overload or impossible to manage frustration or confusion. –only…
My first experience of sexual abuse was from a member of my bishopric when I was ten. He practiced ritualistic abuse using scriptures, twisted covenants, and his leadership position to sexually abuse and torture me for 9 months, including at least one instance in our church building. He convinced me that we do not share…
I know this petition is aimed at ending one-on-one interviews with children, but these interviews can be damaging to adults as well. I’d like to see the practice changed altogether. No child should be subjected to one-on-one interviews period, and no one – child or adult – should feel the religious pressure to sit through…
I was 12. I lived in an all American Ward (My Dad was stationed in Germany in the US ARMY), they just built the Frankfurt Temple. I was so excited to do baptisms for the dead to make my Grandma in Utah so proud of me. I was interviewed by our Stake President for Temple…
When I was a sophomore in high school I joined the Mormon church. I had been a member for 6 months when I joined a club at school, and was elected to State Office. For a year and a half I traveled around the state and country with the other state officers and our chaperone/advisor.…