This is the most recent Sacred Story of a Sacred Child. It is truly a sacred story.
She recounts a very unfortunate part of her life and follows it up by sharing an email exchange with her former Stake President. Their back and forth is filled with wisdom, insight and compassion.
Over the past months, I have met and interacted with many wonderful people whose childhoods were filled with trauma & tragedy. Their stories are now recorded for the world to read and understand. In almost every case, I have been amazed at how capable, strong and confident these people are. They appear to be completely past the disasters of their youth. #558 helped me better understand the reality of the unseen inside vs. the impression gleaned from the outside. Here are two sentences that shed new light for me. These words are contained in an email to her stake president.
My strength and goodness are different from my healing. I know it could take my entire lifetime to feel “healed” and even then I will still have the painful memories.
Here’s another stunning insight shared with her stake president.
I believe the problem lies in the belief that you are responsible for fixing the problem you may have unintentionally contributed to. What I really needed for healing is for you to say: I see you, I hear you, you are important, you have always been good, I’m sorry.” Which you did all this, but you still offered a solution. The solution lies within myself and in trauma healing. What is most empowering and healing is being supported in finding my own resolutions from within.
My dear #558, I’m going to use you own words to speak to you: Your voice matters. Your life matters. Your future matters.
I believe you. I see you. I am here for you.
Thank you, my friend.
#558’s entire story can be read HERE. It’s lengthy, but more than worth the effort.
Sam you have surely confounded the LDS church leaders…as shown by their futile attempts to comply with the content of the petition to protectLDSChildren in future.One first has to go back to address the wrongs of the past before one can go forward. In mho there are two key principles here …APOLOGISING for sins and telling the TRUTH. The hierarchy facilitated these horrific stories (not just stories but truthful accounts of abuse…and there are certainly many, many more yet untold); however, the bishops and stake presidents executed those intructions. They are all accountable…for they are surely not automotons. APOLOGY needs to become a byword in the LDS church mingled with RESPECT. Forgiveness can then follow in due course.
#558 you are such a beautiful person and an example to all who have been abused in the ldschurch. Do not abandon your quest. Records should be in place to enable one to identify the bishops and stake presidents in office at any particular time.
And Sam Young ..I have read but 4/5 stories and am so overcome. You have read them all and you know the victims… how much sorrow you carry and determination to press forward! How naive and irresponsible we were to have been party, as parents, to this abuse.
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