(Mary S. Currie at the summit of Mither Tap near Aberdeen, Scotland)
Mormons—DON’T ALLOW THE CHURCH TO GET AWAY WITH PROTECTING PREDATORS.
The next time it could be your child or your grandchild, your friend’s daughter or your neighbor’s son.
Shared with permission.
Roughly 10-12 years ago, a sibling of mine came forward with a terrible story. He gathered the family together and informed us that when he was younger he had been groomed and repeatedly fondled and raped by a former Bishop (Mormon). He approximated that he had been about 10 years old when it had started. It continued for several years. He had decided to inform the current Stake Presidency of said Bishop. And he wanted us all to know what had happened before he did because shit might get crazy. I was shocked, but I was extremely impressed and proud of my brother’s bravery that day.
My parents were both present as our former bishop was read a letter composed by my brother detailing the events of their highly inappropriate relationship. The former bishop confessed to it all. At this point my brother and family naively expected The Church to take action both within The Church and also with law enforcement. The Church would do the right thing…we thought.
After several months of silence, an anonymous person informed my parents that the Stake Presidency had been instructed by their superiors to say nothing about the crimes of the bishop, not even to their own families. In disbelief we realized that The Church was protecting a pedophile in their ranks. Discouraged, my brother decided that if the Church would not go to the law he would. At the very least, my brother expected an apology from The Church. Maybe some counseling. He had hoped that informing them might make them reconsider some of their policies. He didn’t want this to happen to anyone else. But The Church made no contact with my brother. The silence was deafening on all sides.
My brother went to the police with his story and the bishop was arrested. He was released on bail shortly afterwards. The press picked up on this story and it was reported widely locally. After the story broke the District Attorney started receiving calls from other victims of our ex-bishop. Apparently my brother was not the only victim. This District Attorney would not give exact numbers but he did say that the number was “substantial.” Unfortunately all other victims decided to remain anonymous.
Then a funny thing happened. After months, perhaps a year, The Church came forth with a statement that read: “The Church was shocked to learn recently of these allegations, particularly considering the relationship of trust that must exist between a bishop and the members of his congregation. We express our deepest sympathy for the victim and his family. The Church has cooperated fully with law enforcement officers in their investigation of this matter.”
Wait, what? The Church is extending it’s deepest sympathies? They’re shocked at this news? If that was the case why in the hell hadn’t they apologized to my brother months ago! And why didn’t they alert the public that a pedophile who had victimized many was roaming freely among the unsuspecting. Why did they wait for the issue to become public before saying anything at all?
At this point it was painfully obvious that The Church did not give a shit about my brother and the emotional anguish that had haunted him for years. No. The Church was worried about it’s reputation. It was all about PR for them. And what was even more disturbing is the fact that the highest leaders of The Church were aware of this matter. President Hinckley was in on the sham! The Church doesn’t make a public statement without the leaders knowing, right? It made me sick. I was revolted at the trust I had extended to this institution at one point in my life.
The bishop walked away a free man. Not for lack of evidence. There was plenty of evidence to put him away. But it had been too long and the statute of limitations had passed. The Courts could do nothing. Soon the media attention faded and so did the horrific acts of an evil man. A man that may still be an active pedophile. Who knows how many more since then.
I was so angry at this ex-bishop. I was even more angry with the secrets and deceit of The Church. They played it all so well. They walked away clean. I’m still angry! But it’s not so much concerning the events of a decade ago. I’m still angry because I repeatedly hear the same story, over and over again. Another sexual predator in the Church that I hear about on the news or through acquaintances (I know a lot of people that have had this experience,) who slips away quietly after The Church instructs its leaders to say nothing about the sexual predator next door. Silence is their policy. And it happens again and again and again. People tell me I should let this go. Perhaps I can. But it won’t be until The Church of Jesus Christ and it’s sexual predator epidemic is front page news on The Washington Post or The New York times. There must be a reckoning! What the Church is doing is nothing short of evil!
Speak up!
Fight!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!
April 2004, this bishop was arrested for sexually abusing the 10 year old boy in the story above.
December 2018, a bishop was arrested for sexually abusing young boys in his ward.
February 2019, a bishop was arrested in a human trafficking & prostitution sting.
My blood is boiling. I hope all who read this feels the boiling indignation that will drive you to action. It is time that WE bring this to a halt…in the Mormon Church and in every other church on the face of the earth.
Climb a Mountain, Save a Child
This is the year to make a huge difference. It’s all laid out HERE. I know, I know…I need to write it out. It’s on my list to do VERY soon. The new website for Protect Every Child is about done. Flags will be available for purchase. In the meantime, several people have already climbed several mountains and unfurled their own homemade banners.
Petition
A new petition is also in the works calling for parents and churches to Protect Every Child. In the meantime, if you haven’t signed the last petition which was addressed to the LDS Church, please consider doing it now.
THANK YOU!
Tocubit Is Invisible's Cubit 
I totally relate to the brother wanting to stop keeping it a secret; It’s a killer to carry stuff like that all by yourself for years and years (esp when you know you are surrounded by people who can’t deal with it/ won’t understand/ will see you -even more- “as a case. And I certainly concur that reputation trumps- Mormons tend to want to believe people are better for being involved in Mormonism- but of course Mormonism is no different than any sub-cultural ‘ism’… it actually attracts all kinds.
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The Deseret News link to the 2004 story is broken. Did they remove it to help protect another predator?
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Hmmmm. I’ll have to check that one out.
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The link worked for me, https://www.deseretnews.com/article/595057745/Former-LDS-bishop-arrested.html
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In public of course, the church shouts about zero tolerance, but in private, it is the exact opposite. ‘Evil’ is an appropriate word to define its real nature. The hiding, the misleading, the deceit and the silence – all the while pretending to righteousness, seems to be their greatest ongoing sin. The membership are generally good decent people, but the official, institutional rules and policies, which result in such gross deliberate neglect, must originate from hearts lacking love, justice, truth and goodness. Evil.
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If this happened as written here, it is evil and criminal. The question I have is why didn’t this family come forward with this Bishops name and address? If this had happened To a member of my family and I knew the Church knew and the Law knew, I would make it public myself. Why are people allowing the statute of limitations to pass. The recent case of the Bishop trafficker is how it should happen. The church should not be involved in law enforcement. The family should have been demanding justice thru law enforcement. We seem to feel the church should take care of every aspect of our life like the government. If this story is correct as a matter of public record, the family should let everyone know the Bishop’s name and address. It is their responsibility to warn their neighbors.
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The name of the perpetrating bishop is linked in the article. I’ve also posted his picture.
Why are people letting the statute of limitations pass? These are children we’re talking about here. Most kids are confused and fearful so they don’t speak up until years later, if ever. It’s imperative that proper safeguards be put in place to prevent this from happening as much as possible. If this 10 year old had never been permitted to spend one-on-one time with his bishop, he would not have been sexually abused. The fix is simple. It should be universally mandated in the Mormon church as well as all others.
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The reason is the idea that what is discussed between members and church leaders is confidential and should not even be discussed with law authorities. This of course is based around the idea that the church can deal with it using church discipline because that is a higher authority than the law of the land. They also take the view that when the person has been disciplined by the church, the matter is finished and they should then be forgiven. Of course this is wrong and why these people get away with it. As a former Branch President and member of a Stake High Council, where I live, the state government brought in a law that required public officials to report any evidence of physical or sexual abuse they became aware of. Our Stake President at that time was a police officer and so he was not allowed by law to keep confidences in any of these matters brought to his attention. He had to take them to the appropriate state authorities to be investigated. Instead of agreeing with this new law the church’s response was to talk to the church’s law advisers before Bishops or Branch Presidents could take any matters of this nature to the Stake President so they could legally keep it confidential. As part of the repentance process, the perpetrator was the one who was responsible for taking it to the law authorities. As if that was going to happen?
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My family moved into this ward a few months after he was bishop. After being a bishop he was a young men’s leader, taking me and my friends on scout camps and other activities. After the media picked broke the story in 2004 all of us were in disbelief. I had no clue growing up that this was going on. After reading the ***hundreds*** of counts against him it made me absolutely sick. He was my leader for a few years, when I was a teenager. My friends and I were not victims, but I feel so bad for those that were. Thank you Sam for everything you continue to do.
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This person is disgusting to make excuses for the mormon cult and this sick sick sick bishop. This person has NO concern for the poor victim who is now psychologically scarred for life. We are gathering evidence for an ABC producer on the topic of bishop shaming, Mormon brainwashing, mind control, and sexual abuse within the Mormon cult. We would like to have these people speak on the program. Please have them call our production number 206 401 4334 as this stuff needs to be exposed. What that bishop did to that poor young boy was wrong wrong wrong!
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President Hinckley in on the sham? Most definitely not! He is a beautiful man, a prophet of God. You try and keep account of nearly 10 million members. Those who covered it up will be punished either in this life or the next life. Keep the Prophet out of this.
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Hinkley lied on national television about the churches involvement and doctrine on polygamy. He is just as guilty as all the rest. The church covers up the sex crimes of the men leading their church, protects its image at all cost. Just look at the Jospeh Bishop case. You’re going to tell me that a mission president who raped a sister missionary in the MTC wasn’t on the higher ups radar? That know what’s going on down below and they chose to stay quiet, Hope it just fizzles out and brush it under the rug. The church is a sham, Hinkley was in on the sham as are all other male leaders.
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I am the author of this story. Something I omitted when writing this was the fact that The District Attorney warned our family that the trial would likely become a volatile national story and to prepare for a lot media attention. Had it gone to trial it may have. I’m sure The Church was advised the same. I can’t say for sure, but it’s not hard to imagine that this was related to The First Presidency considering the fact it would have likely been the biggest PR disaster they had ever had to deal with.
But the real reason I know Hinckley new was because the Church released a statement on the matter that was printed in Salt Lake’s two major newspapers and broadcasted on all local news stations. If Hinckley didn’t know then he had his head in a bucket. No, I will not keep The Prophet out when he undoubtedly was in on the sham.
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As a matter of fact, years ago, I complained to all the 15, via email, regarding the money misuse to the extent of corruption, by the Area Presidency down to Stake Presidency. This corruption might have happened for decades.
Their answer of the 15 was from their Secretary, via email, saying they knew. Then, nothing continued, even after I asked for clarification of their answer.
As a result, I gradually sensed there had been a culture of power and money, which was bad for our children’s development.
In conclusion, I did not believe a man walking with God would choose to allow such a culture to continue any impacts on the members’ development.
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The prophets of this church never accept responsibility for anything ..they are blindly en route the Second Anointing. Receiving revelation entails sitting around a conference table , discussing issues with the rest of the Q 14, giving their own qualified input, eventually praying and lo and behold the conclusion is a revelation. They never accept the fact that the church policies facilitate such horrendous situations. This has been going on for years and these beautiful sweet old men perpetrate these horrible horrible acts and they are not oblivious of what is going on. But rest assured what goes around comes around. God does not allow such horrendous acts to take place but expects us to put an end it to this. Do not expect weak men or women to take up the cudgels and please refrain from worshipping such men. It takes a Sam Young or a McKenna Denson, a John Dehlin etc., etc.,and also a Newnamenoah to bring about change especially to dispel the activities of this Boys Club …the LDS/Mormon Priesthood.. Mormonism/ Lds Church whatever, has become such a dirty word.. no longer to be mentioned in our home…EnOUGH is ENOUGH..
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My witness in matters such as this is not one of a member of an LDS organization at any point in any way, but of one whose separate organizations have been repeatedly afflicted by such policies as not just protect but go so far as to actively assist active pedophiles in gaining new victims even beyond those limits of the LDS and then actively helping those abusers escape police. Where such immorality is not limmited even to those bounds of those who have chosen to be a part of such an organization but secreted upon unsuspecting persons in groups beyond their direct authority is beyond immoral, it is that actively criminal process of those whose organized impunity meet that criteria of human trafficing at that organizational lever.
This well reported fact of abuse within LDS organizations is perhaps less surprising than its active assistance of abusers acting outside of its direct authority thus promoting such abuses on not only the uninformed within its own ranks but upon those organizations and individuals whose ability to respond is further separated by both nonmembers & insularly enforced silence.
From within the LDS administrative authority the Boy Scouts of America were used as one such external group through which Lisa’s active priesthood holders who were also known pedophiles were promoted into positions which gave them active access to children beyond LDS authority. Through this and other such events involving children, those children internal to LDS authority were then promoted by LDS bishops and presidents in ways which then gained those known active priesthood holding pedophiles into places where that access gained by their charges gave them further access to children whom they then victimized within events outside of the LDS authority. When caught those abusers were often secreted out of reach for local law enforcement and by this method such crimes spread broadly. What I personally speak of here is from direct personal & institutional authority form one of those outside organizations bitterly afflicted by this organized systematic known activity of intensional abuse. The LDS goes to great lengths to demand that such abusive systems within its organization are above & beyond the common law of society and that such laws must survey such organized intentionally immoral activities with impunity. As those whose choice it has been to affiliate yourselves with such an organization keep saying you have only those options to submit or leave, it would be offered that you may also speak out collectively against such organized intensional harm of children. Then if, as has been seen by those outside LDS, that organization separated those calling for change in mass numbers, then you gain that further active witness of such intension towards abuse & a footing by which to further demand change or in that very least to speak of intensional harms being committed by this group under your own personal witness.
Any authority, who by knowledge of facts of active abuse, supports abusers in continued activities of that abuse, by direct actions or direct inactions, is a direct accessory of any hats committed by that abuser whose actions their behavior aids. If that choice the LDS organization offers is to either leave their fellowship or remain silent to such abuse, it is the hope of survivors & witnesses of theseorganized crimes that they will be fully reported until such abuse is brought to its end.
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It has been stated that it is only the intellectuals who leave the church; thus casting aspersions on those intellectuals being devoid of faith in God, without accounting for the fact that apart from rational thought the former are motivated by compassion and a sense of truth. Yesterday I came across “How The Irish Saved Civilization” by Thomas Cahill. Despite a load shed, the angst of South Africa, and by torchlight, I revelled in the manner in which he covers the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe. He refers to Augustine: “Augustine wanted truth, not cheap success; such a pressure-cooker psyche can settle for nothing less….eventually adopting Manicheism, which for a while lets him off the hook……But it could not keep up with Augustine’s fearlessly inquiring mind. Like Jehovah’s Witnesses or MORMONISM, it was full of assertions but could yield no intellectual system to nourish a great intellect.” So the facts need to be acknowledged.. As long as TBMs continue to support their leaders without question, blindly following, they too need to be held accountable for the Shocking abuse perpetrated and facilitated by the policies of this organisation. The utterances of the psycophants praising the two great abominable abusers in Rome at this time is nothing short of disgusting as abuse of the children in this so-called church continues unabated.How dare one ask an 11-year-old about chastity? Gone are the days of labelling facts as anti-Mormon.
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The writer hit the nail on the head: SILENCE IS THEIR POLICY and it’s how they’ve escaped being held accountable time and time again. When they learn of abuse, they do everything in their power NOT to report. They do not cooperate with law enforcement, despite what they publicly say. They then talk to victims about forgiveness and letting the church handle it internally. They tell victims not to talk about it with the other ward members. If no one talks about it, no new victims come forward. This protects their image and billions of dollars… but puts more children at risk. Even when a church pedophile is arrested and the entire ward knows, church leaders are silent about it in ward meetings, sending a clear signal this is not to be discussed. They often tell members not to discuss these high profile cases. The church will put pedophiles with an extensive history of abuse in a ward and be silent about the potential danger. Church leaders also state it’s wrong to criticize the church or church leaders, even when it’s true. STAY SILENT. So if you speak up about how they’ve covered up abuse and protected a predator, you’re acting against the church. Speaking out against the church or leaders is considered apostacy, grounds for excommunication. So if you can’t go along with their POLICY OF SILENCE, your only real avenue is to leave the church. They knowingly put children in harm’s way in order to protect their own image and bank account. EVIL.
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