The following is my personal story of childhood abuse and how church leadership concealed and diminished its significance. It is long. I come from a large Mormon family. I was born-in-the-covenant and raised “knowing” that it was all true. There was no choice in attending church, seminary, or serving a mission. Those choices were made…
My stepfather sexually abused my sisters and I when we were younger. I hid the fact, until 5 years later. I wanted to heal from the abuse, and for the first time told my YSA bishop about what happened. He was very supportive and helpful in my recovery. However, one day my parents and I…
I was roughly six or seven when I was molested by an older cousin during a family vacation. (Everyone was Mormon, and all the men mentioned below are Melchizedek priesthood holders.) I remember freezing, thinking that if I just held still, it would all be over. I had zero idea what was happening, and thanks…
My brother, recently served as a bishop, never fully disclosed the extent of how he showed himself to me completely nude and erect in his bedroom while I was 12 and he was 16. He would have liked everyone (his bishop and my dad) to still think it was an “accident”. I was told by…
Long story short; When I was 11, I was molested. At 15 I was raped. I told the bishop and he told me I was going to hell and it was my fault. Then he proceeded to tell me that everything that happened was my fault and how premarital sex was a sin. I was…
My first two and a half years after I when to collage about four people saw the inside of my apartment. I could barely tolerate having anyone in my apartment for an hour much less allowing someone to touch me. I got off easy all things considered, only probing questions like “Are you sure you’re…
I lived in Dallas, Texas in the early 1980s… I am almost 50 now. Like most normal boys, I was excited to find some “dirty magazines” when I was walking home from school. I found them to be very interesting, to say the least, and being 13 or 14 at the time, I did what…
When I was 15, I went to confession with my LDS bishop in his office at the church. ? I told the Bishop I needed to confession to a hot and heavy make-out session with an LDS boy. The bishop then asked for the play-by-play (intense details about the acts, who did what, did I…
I was 11 years old when I was sent to live with mormon relatives. Because of my age I had to go through the missionary lessons in order to be baptized. I did not want to be baptized, but it was not an option. I was beaten until I agreed to do what I was…
Another personal story for you and Sam Young as he Hunger Strikes to Protect LDS Children. This one is the hardest for me because I was complicit and bare the shame of this. This is about my child and I am using my favorite, colorful language in this post (you have been warned). When I…