Stories

I grew up in Arvada, Colorado. I started being sexually abused by my oldest brother when I was 4, and he was 17. the abuse only stopped because he was found worthy to go on a mission. A year into his mission, my older sister went to our bishop for…

To: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Re: A Simple Request My name is Mikelle, and I have been a faithful member of your organization for most of my life. I have put my faith and trust in God, in you, in your leadership, and in every single…

I was sexually assaulted and abused multiple times as child. Several times I almost lost my life. I was threatened not to tell about the abuse. These threats included I will kill your family, God wants me to do this, I am doing this because you are bad. I have…

I was a victim of cocsa for 10 1/2 years from the ages of 5-15 1/2. My parents and ward/stake members saw this weekly and slut shamed me for ‘allowing and encouraging’ him to behave that way. My parents told me to repent of my sins because he’s disabled so…

I was a member of the church for years, I had never had a problem with any of the bishops serving, they had all been very lovely and I had been preparing to go to the temple for my endowments and my Bishop was satisfied with my study and was…

Every bishop I’ve had has asked me very sexually explicit questions. After I had sex for the first time I was required to have confession twice a week. The questions asked during those sessions were so far beyond normal but I didn’t know any better. I only realized how bad…

My stepfather was a Branch President in a small congregation in Southwest Missouri. He was accused of molesting a young boy in our ward. A boy with a single mother who would stay over at our house often and play with my little brothers, as my stepfather insisted he needed…

It all started when I was 6, I had just moved to a different class within the church. I met my primary teachers, they were husband and wife. While the wife was teaching I needed to go to the bathroom, the husband was doing hall monitoring so he walked me…

This all started for me when I was 7 and went on for over a year. When I was 8, I finally spoke up to my parents about what had been happening to me in spite of the threats of violence if I told. I endured rape and what would…

I went to my bishop when I was 13 to confess what I thought was sexual sin – when in reality, I’d been groomed and sexually abused by an adult man. I’d already read The Miracle of Forgiveness because I was obsessed with becoming worthy again, and I was particularly…

My dad was a Pedophile protected by the church. I was his main victim for about 10 years. It went on this long because he was the one being protected. During my childhood in Idaho, Arizona, California and Washington, several bishops had been involved, same story every time he got…

My father groomed me to protect him. He molested me in my bed in 1980. When I finally told his bishop in 1991, the bishop called him to meet me in bishop’s office to apologize. My father said “on that day I had to decide what kind of man I…

When I was 19 (13 years ago) I went on what was supposed to be a group date with a man in his late 20s. I didn’t know him well and he started appearing everywhere I was at school (ASU). He was a member of the church. When I got…

[An LDS church member] of [a town in] Indiana groped my privates, rear and breasts when I was near the age of 8. He did the same thing to the other girls in my year right in front of me. We told one a couple of our women parents and…

I was groomed and molested by my step dad from the ages of 9-18. When I was around 15 I admitted to the bishop’s wife in my ward in California, what was happening to me. Apparently my step dad went before the stake council and was disfellowshipped. I don’t know…

When I was an 18-year-old university student in 1985/86, attending University in eastern Canada, a high priest in our ward sexually assaulted me while I was supposed to meet up with other students. You see, he wasn’t just a high priest, he also taught Institute. I arrived a few minutes…

All of my ancestors were Mormon pioneers, in fact some notable ones, I’m a descendant of Joseph F Smith. My mother was very Mormon, my father however lost his faith and left the church and us. He left my mother with three young children. My mother did not feel complete…

I was sexually abused as a little boy, about 6 years old, while living outside my home country (the US). My abuser was about 12 years old, and was my neighbor. He was also Mormon. I was born to Mormon parents and was taught the doctrines of the LDS church.…

A troubled kid who I went to church with touched me inside my pants. I felt the effects of it for years. He was held back I was 6 he was 7. My mom told his mom but she didn’t escalate it because his dad was in a position of…

I was raped by a Mormon priesthood holder. I was in the Police Academy at the time. I had a past relationship with my abuser and due to its violent nature I ended it. My abuser refused to accept I’d had enough and when I went into the Academy he’d…

3 years ago a family friend asked my parents if they could come over and talk to them about something that happened years and years earlier. When they came over we learned that when I was 5 their 12 year old son came into my room while I was asleep…

I was not a victim, but know of someone who turned out to be an abuser. Curtis Crittenden He is an elder from my mission Guatemala ’93-’95 I was never his companion, but he was frequently in my Zone. When I replaced him in an area, I thought it strange…

When I was 4 my sisters encountered a boy whom converted and was baptized into the LDS Church. I will refer to him as Charlie to protect his real name. At this point I was 5, Charlie was about aged 10 or 11. If I recall correctly, Charlie’s parents were…

When I was 13 I was sexually molested by this guy in our ward (Washington state). I wasn’t the only one. When I told my friend about what happened, she had told me it happened to her and her sister too. Talking to more girls, a total of 8 of…

My brother is currently serving time (up to 25 years) for sexual assault of a child. He pled guilty in 2019. He has been inactive his entire adult life and this particular incident was never reported to any church authorities. However, when we were children (late 90s-00s), he also sexually…

Unfortunately this is not my story but I know it well. My brother was charged (and those charges were later dropped in a court) with abusing his 1yr old daughter. He was not wed to the girls mother. In court the church helped him with men who would attest to…

My earliest recollection of being sexually abused and assaulted by my father was when I was five years old. The abuse continued until I left home to attend university. When I reached puberty, my father stopped the penetrative assaults and resorted to molestation only. Can’t get his daughter pregnant, right?…

From the age of 2 to 9 I was sexually abused in nursery, Sunbeams, and primary. Several teachers, both sisters and brothers. During my Baptism interview, I admitted I was being sexual (I wasn’t taught it was sexual assault/ being abused because I wasn’t taught about it at all) and…

I was 30 years old and I finally realized why I didn’t want to stay in the church. I was sexually abused as a child and no one believed or helped me. I always felt an immense sense of guilt and shame for not being “worthy” because that part was…

Was sexually abused in Mount Hood, Oregon by a prominent stake member at 7 yrs old who ‘generously’ allowed our family to live in his house when we were on hard times. I told my bishop a few years later but was told it happened too long ago and that…

I was good friends with a boy in 8th grade. He confessed to liking me in December and I was so excited because I thought I was disgusting. To have someone tell me they liked me was crazy to me (even tho I had plenty friends). I told him I…

I might never speak this publicly, and anonymous or friends is as far as it might go. We were both born into Mormon households. My spouse was raped by one of the stepdads, and sexually verbally harassed by the biological Mom their whole childhood and adulthood. The Mom, as Grandma,…

Before I share the details of my experience, I would like to note the primary thoughts and comments made to me that led me to believe that my experience was “all in my head” or somehow my fault. I do this that you might understand or reflect on your own…

This happened to my mom when she was a child. Possibly my aunts. Her family has been in the religion since the 1880’s and my great-uncle was a member of the church. She said how he raped her, another sister, and other cousins. This was in the 1960’s to 1970’s…

In 2002 I was instructed to get naked and was inappropriately touched without my consent in the Columbia River Temple in Richland, Washington. I had arranged to go through the Temple for the first time in order to be sealed to my wife. To members of the Church of Jesus…

I was forced to describe, in detail, my sexual relationship with my boyfriend of 16, when I was 16 to my bishop at the time. I felt dirty, and like I was being put in the spotlight for something that’s completely natural. Most humans experiment with their sensuality around that…

September 28 1996 Salt Lake Temple. We went to the temple and checked in. When they explained the washing and anointing in very generalized terms (something NOT included in the temple prep class that I took) and had me change into just the open shield, my dad looked at me…

My high school boyfriend abused me. His mom walked in the last time because she heard me screaming. His bishop covered it up, told me not to tell my bishop, and forced me to repent for it, as it was “your own fault for tempting him.”