The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is changing up programs for children and youth. Their official announcement from December 14, 2018 can be found HERE.
New Policy For 11 Year Old Children
“Young women may receive their first temple recommend and young men may receive the Aaronic Priesthood and then their first temple recommend in January of the year they turn 12.”
“Ordinations and obtaining limited-use recommends will typically take place throughout January.”
This means that a child born on Dec 31 is to be interviewed within his/her first month of being 11. It moves the assessment of ‘worthiness’ up by almost a full year from the past practices.
Here we have a mere child being taken behind closed doors with an untrained older man. In June of 2018, the church openly declared that bishops are to ask the question “Do you live the law of chastity?” That is a SEX question….with a child who is barely 11.
Can bishops ask “Do you masturbate?” Absolutely!!! Protect LDS Children has challenged the Church to condemn 29 Questions that are being used to prob our kids. Masturbation is at the top of the list. The church’s response? “Bishops should not ask unnecessarily probing questions.” What the hell does that mean? It sends a loud and clear message that bishops can ask any question that they deem as ‘necessarily probing’. Now they are free to do it to kids 1 year younger than they we allowed to previously.
THIS.IS.HORRENDOUS.
Dec 12, 2018: Bishop Charged with Sex Abuse
Two days before the church announced that 11 year olds are now to be interrogated about sex, a Mormon bishop was charged with sex abuse of young people in his congregation. How ironic that both these news stories appeared at the same time.
Much of what this bishop did is CONDONED by the LDS Church. You can read the news stories at FOX13, 2KUTV, and KSL.
What Does the Mormon Church condone?
One night, after a church activity in August of 2017, Head drove the boy home. But when he got to the boy’s driveway, he “locked the vehicle doors and stated, ‘We have to figure this masturbation thing out. You’re not leaving until we figure this out,'” the charges state.
A bishop all alone with a young boy? Bishops are totally sanctioned to be alone with the children and youth of their congregations!!!!
A bishop behind closed doors? Absolutely. Whether it be an office, a car, or a home, the church allows children to be taken behind any closed door by any bishop.
Bishops talking about masturbation with a minor? You better believe it. That’s the #1 question on the list of 29. In many stakes and wards, the leaders have been told that masturbation specifically should be asked.
Another boy told police that Head would discuss sex “all the time,” according to the charges.
A bishop talking about sex all the time? Bishops are mandated to interview the youth at least 2 times per year. If he perceives the child needs help with a ‘problem,’ he has the purview to call the child into interviews as often as he deems necessary.
A decade after it happened, I found out that at age 12 my daughter was probed by the bishop, “Do you masturbate?” I asked her if that question was ever posed again. Like the boy who was abused by his bishop, her response was “All the time, dad.”
The Mormon Church provided this statement in response their bishop being charged with child sex abuse.
“Abuse of any kind cannot be tolerated in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”
My rebuttal to this statement: LIARS!!! Their policy of one-on-one interviews opens the way for abuse. Asking sexual questions IS child abuse!!! Thousands of witnesses provide a monstrous monument to the massive abuse the church has facilitated. You can SEE and READ hundreds of those stories at protectldschildren.org.
News Conference
There was a time that I wondered, “Why do the Mormon apostles allow this?”
There was a time that I asked, “Why do Mormon bishops continue to take children all alone behind closed doors and interrogate them with sexual questions?”
There was a time that I pondered, “Why do the good members of the church tolerate this practice?”
I no longer care why the Mormon Church harms children. At this point, I just care that children are in harm’s way. It must stop. It will stop.
On Thursday Dec 20, 2018, I will hold a news conference in Salt Lake City. The plans for our next action will be publicly announced.
This will be a MAJOR action. Bigger and more comprehensive than anything we have done before. Our message will be expanded. The audience will be extended. Its impact will be a gigantic and historic hammer blow to protect ALL children.
To the Mormon Church
I never wanted to embarrass you. I never wanted to shame you. You were my church.
But now the time has come.
You, without apology, shame children into self-hatred. It’s time you be shamed. From the mountains tops. All around the globe.