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.

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

I was asked as a young man by my bishop if I had a problem with masturbation. I really didn’t know what it meant and had never done it or…

#92 Name Hidden. CS: 4. Other: Introducing masturbation to my child.

My son turned 12 and was getting his priesthood interview. He is on the high functioning autism spectrum and was quite nervous about the interview. I reassured him that it…

#91 Name Hidden. 1,2,5,7. Other: Intense guilt caused by constantly policing my thoughts for things I’d have to admit to the bishop – like being attracted to other women.

My brother, M, was sexually molested as a child by somebody in our ward. We found out that my brother had been molested when his abuser wrote us a letter…

#90 Name Hidden. CS: 1,4

When I was young, I was abused by a stepfather. Later, as an adult, I came forward with my story and he was disfellowshipped for one year. During that process…

#89 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,7. Other: Impaired sexual relations outside of marriage

When I was 14, a counselor once asked me if I knew what masturbation was in a region dance interview. I said yes and he made me explain exactly what…

#88 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,7

I had to bring up instances of when I had masturbated during my teenage and pre-mission years to bishops and a stake president. The emotional and psychological toll this took…

#87 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,7,8. Other: Impaired intimacy (sexuality, dating, friendships)

I discovered masturbation at age 11 before I had even heard of it. My parents had given me “the talk” and I knew that a man ejaculates sperm during sexual…

#86 Name Hidden. CS: 1,3,4. Other: Renewed shame and memories of past sexual molestation. She felt like she was molested again.

This is a story of two of my daughters who were interviewed by the same Bishop. One daughter was asked if she masturbated and what objects she used. This daughter…

#85 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,4

My 11, almost 12 year old grandson, came across a picture of a naked woman on the internet. Having been taught that pornography was a sin, he had a lot…

#84 Name Hidden. CS: 1,4

My story is probably typical of many Mormons who came of age in the 80s. In the early to mid 80s, I was asked about law of chastity questions on…

#83 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,6,7,8,9

At the age of 17, I was raped by an acquaintance of mine. I told my bishop, hoping to get some sort of help. Instead, because of his invasive and…

#82 Quinn P. CS: 1,2,4,7

My first “worthiness” interview happened when I was 12 years old. Worthiness was assessed by answering questions from the Bishop, an older man who, we were told represented Christ. My…

#81 Name Hidden. CS: 1,3

Not sure if it matters because t happened when I was an adult. After I had finally told my parents that I had been raped they convinced me to go…

#80 Name Hidden. CS: 5

I wish I could share the details but the victims don’t want to go public. A man I loved and trusted as much as my own dad was a Bishop…

#79 Jimmy W. CS: 1,2,3,4,6,7,8

Three stories in one… When I was young, I anticipated the day I would drive a car. I would sit in the car in the driveway and practice shifting the…

#78 Logan H. CS: 1,2,3,4. Other: Sexual abuse as an adult

I was taught and groomed to believe that men were standing between me and god. That they were acting as gods representative. I do not remember large parts of childhood,…

#77 W.H. CS: 1,2,3,6,7

Looking back now, I can see that I have always been very interested in sex. Even as a young kid of six or seven years I liked being naked and…

#76 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,4,6,7,8

My first experience with church leaders asking me about pornography or masturbation happened when I was about 12. I had always been curious about sexuality since most of my friends…

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

I turned 12 and was given a copy of the “For the Strength of the Youth” pamphlet as I entered the Young Women’s program. Shortly after, I was interviewed by…

#73 Name Hidden CS: 1,4

In a private interview with my bishop as a child, he asked me if I obeyed the law of chastity. I was young and didn’t know what it meant and…

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