Abuse Survivor 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…

My brother was convicted of multiple charges, including several sex with a child charges. His own 3 daughters were abused along with several nieces, cousins and neighbors. None of this would have continued if the LDS church would have reported his first confession of rape to get off his mission…

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 dad digitally raped me when I was 6 years old. My little brother was in the room with me at the time. He doesn’t remember it, but he’s talked about how he feels he “saw something he shouldn’t have” at a young age. Oddly, there were no other incidences…

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.…