I have been blessed with having experienced two car accidents. The first one was the start of me leaving the church and the second was the catalyst for me returning. Why I mention them is I have subsequent memory problems, which is undoubtedly a blessing. I was raped at the age of 14. I had…
As a child I suffered years and years of sexual abuse. It started when I was barely older than a toddler and so, I didn’t even realize that what was happening was wrong until I was about to enter Young Women. Once I started attending YW I realized the full extent of what had happened…
As a young child, I overheard whispered conversations between my mom and her younger sisters at family reunions. As soon as I or my grandparents drew nearby, the subject would change….Usually to something like “Oh, do you want a popsicle? I think we should get out popsicles for all the kids!” I do remember hearing…
After reading many of the stories here, I find myself fortunate, and I realize that it could have been so much worse. But the shame that I felt surrounding topics of sexuality were still potent. I was only 11 or 12 when I learned about the church’s stance on masturbation. I learned it in the…
When I was in High School I fooled around with a guy in my ward. Stuff had happened a bunch of times and I knew I needed to talk to my bishop about it. I set up the appointment and went in. He asked me what had happened. I told him. He wanted more detail.…
When I was 17 years old, I went to my bishop to repent for having sex with my boyfriend. My bishop asked for explicit details about what I had actually done, and whether or not I had done those things before. I told him. I didn’t know I had a choice. I didn’t realize how…
I’m deeply saddened reading these stories. Although mine isn’t on the severity scale as some of those on here, I think the church needs to know that this happens everywhere. They are not one in a million. This shame happens to EVERY child in EVERY congregation in our church. In some degree. Just putting a…
There is so much. I can not write it all. I was beaten for masturbating. I was snuck up on if my bedroom door was closed or in the shower to “catch me in the act” so I could be beaten again if caught masturbating. I was raped by a guy I had gone on…
I was asked specifically at 13 if I masturbate (had never heard the term before), and if I watched pornography (had heard the word, but didn’t know what it meant. Bishop got to explain them to me… Now because of his explanation, I learned I had been masturbating for 7 years (discovered it on my…
My story begins at 2 or 3 years old when I was molested multiple times by/with the permission of a woman in her home during “daycare”. My mother, instead of reporting the incident to police, chose to report it to her bishop. I was examined by a doctor and he found that my hymen had…