#95 Name Hidden. CS: 1,2,3,4,8,9

My story didn’t start in the Latter-Day Saint church though it did end that way. It started soon after my 9th birthday. As a newly baptised child with a convert mother, I was new to the world of Mormonism and its many facets. My father (divorced from my mother) was an adamant anti-mormon who hated…

#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 even knew it was a thing until I was asked by him, who was also a family friend. As I matured I still did not…

#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 – after having confessed to his bishop, who did not report the abuse. My brother’s abuser served no jail time, despite having confessed to molesting…

#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 it was- he said if it made it easier I didn’t have to look at him when I said it. I told him it was…

#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 on me was often unbearable while growing up and even while on my mission. The shaming and guilt I suffered for many years could have…

#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 intercourse, and sex was only supposed to be for marriage. I put two and two together and I began to worry that I had done…

#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 was adopted and was abused by men as a young girl. She felt molested emotionally by the Bishop. This was traumatizing for her and turned…