Read The Stories

Warning: Sexually Explicit content.

Legend for Consequences Suffered (CS):

Inappropriate shame and guilt
Childhood self-loathing
Adulthood self-loathing
Normalizing children to sexual questions by adult men. (Grooming)
Sexual abuse. (Pedophilia)
Impaired sexual relations after marriage.
Years of recovery from childhood shaming. Often lasting decades.
Suicide Ideation
Attempted Suicide
Suicide of a loved one or friend.

#307 Chris M. CS: 1,2,3,4,6,7,8

“’You asked me once,’ said O’Brien, ‘what was in Room 101. I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows it. The thing that is in Room 101…

#306 Name Hidden. CS: 1

As an older teen I had sex with my boyfriend, J. I went to my bishop and confessed. The bishop asked for J’s name and ward, which I gave him.…

#305 Michael K. CS: 1,2,4,6,7

During one of my earliest worthiness interviews as an adolescent, the interviewer asked if I masturbated. I needed a definition because I hadn’t experienced it yet. Then I was asked,…

#304 Name Hidden. CS: 1

Shortly before my daughter‘s 13th birthday, she came downstairs and found me in the kitchen making dinner. She had a horrified look on her face as she handed me her…

#303 Drew B. CS: 1,8

My branch president said, “You can’t think gay thoughts, they will lead to going to hell.” I was 7 years old when two older boys sexually assaulted me. These boys…

#302 Ryan J. CS: 1,2,3,4,5. Other: Learning how to lie well when I never imagined developing such a casual relationship with lying.

I support the stories shared here, and am now willing to publicly share my own. After just turning 12, I was scheduled for my first “worthiness interview” with my bishop…

#301 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,4,8

Like most teenagers, I masturbated. During a worthiness interview, I was asked if I had masturbated. I was honest and admitted that I had. I don’t remember the details of…

#300 Carol. CS: 1,2,3,4,6,7

I did not realize until I started typing how difficult this might be to share. I am flooded with so many emotions. I grew up in a very devout Mormon…

#299 Name Withheld. CS: 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9

I was a 14 year old child. I was raped. Had just had a lesson on “virtue”, the week before. I was so traumatized. I didn’t tell my parents because…

#298 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,8

My childhood bishop was a good man. I write this story not to blame him but to blame the system that would put an untrained man in a room with…

#297 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,6,7

I have many stories of shame from the Mormon Church. But one that sticks out, and pertains to this issue is this: I grew up in a prominent SLC Mormon…

#296 Name Hidden. CS: 1,3,4

Long stories made short are the best when you’re still healing from the traumatic consequences you incurred. My first real boyfriend at the age of 21 was a priesthood holder.…

#295 Name Withheld. CS: 1,2,6,8

When I was 4-8 years old I was molested by a neighbor kid. I remember being sick to my stomach, afraid to fall asleep at night for fear that I…

#294 Name Hidden. CS: 4

20-ish years ago, in the seventh grade, I had a history teacher. He was single, in his late 30s, and he was very interested in having kids come swim at…

#293 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,6. Other: Attempted self-mutilation

I was lucky, like some others here were, that my bishops were never lascivious men asking too-personal questions. The self-hate and attempted self harm I blame firmly on my parents…

#292 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,4,7,8

When I was 7 or 8 years old I was molested by an older neighborhood boy as well as a babysitter. As I grew up and learned at church concepts…

#291 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,6,7,8,9. Other: Self-harm

As far as I can remember, I was attracted to other boys – at least since age 6 – but I had no idea it was sexuality, let alone homosexuality.…

#290 Name Hidden. CS: 1,5,6,7

I grew up in Australia, where members from the USA, and especially Utah were highly regarded, honored, and looked up to in my childhood Ward. When I was 14, and…

#289 Name Hidden. CS: 1,4

When I was 12, I went in for my first Bishop interview. When it got to the part about chastity he asked me if I masterbated. I had no idea…

#288 Name Hidden CS: 1,7

After being raped at 15. I felt like I was in the deepest darkest hell you can imagine. I talked to my bishop who said “why were you out with…

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