Only 4 weeks to go before the March-For-The-Children event in SLC on March 30, 2018. Details and registration can be found HERE. Current registration stands at 347. Only 653 away from our goal of 1,000.
Local Rallies
Many friends of Protect-The-Children who want to come to the march are constrained by time, distance, or money.
Good News!!! We are organizing local rallies in offsite locations to coincide with the Utah march. Same date, same time…different place. Imagine 20 people in Seattle, 30 in Dallas, 25 in St. Louis and so on and so on and so on!
Every place we have a gathering, local media will be invited to cover. We are expecting the national media to be at the SLC event. The local rallies will illustrate in a big way that our cause is a country-wide movement and deserves national attention.
This will be a big step in bringing awareness to good Mormon parents and bishops everywhere. So far, our efforts have reached some. The march will extend our reach many times over.
If you are interested in participating in a local rally, please register here. A volunteer coordinator will reach out to you soon.
Come help us save our children!!! Whether it be at Church Headquarters or at local venues all across the country, your efforts will protect generations of children to come.
A recent message from an active LDS member who supports the petition tenets.
Sam, just wanted to give you further good news. I just finished my recommend interview with my stake president. I told him specifically of my support for your petition and that I signed it. Long story short, he said that he sees nothing in that which is contradictory to the church. He said he thinks that there will be guidance coming down that addresses it and believes that the church will change its policies. He had no issue granting me my recommend. The interview was with the stake president himself, not a counselor.
Far more people support you than oppose you. They just usually aren’t as loud. That’s why I think it’s important to express it. Have a great week Sam!
Everyone I’ve ever talked to OUTSIDE the church knows our interview practices are awful. I love the confirmation of this friend that more active members than not also know our policies MUST be changed.
Join Our Historic March-For-The-Children
If you are in Utah, within driving distance, or even flying distance, come help us assure that the children of the future don’t repeat the dreadful experiences of children in our past.
On March 30, 2018 we will gather at the Salt Lake City/County Building. Then march 5 blocks to the LDS Church Office Building. Upon arrival, we will present 2 items to church officials:
The signatories on the Petition to Protect The Children–Stop Sexually Explicit Interviews of Mormon Youth
Sacred Stories of Sacred Children. A record of childhoods destroyed behind closed doors.
Register here so we can get an accurate count ahead of time. Our goal is 1,000 marchers. It’s going to be big.
How can you help protect our children:
Share the march info everywhere.
Bring your friends & family.
Encourage friends & family in Utah and surrounding states to join us.
We are making Mormon history. Come make it with us. It will be a once in a lifetime event.
This is story #359. I’ve redacted the location. Our current policy facilitates grooming and sexual assault of our children. The following would never have happened if parents had been in the room.
We lost a generation of young men in my ward in the 80’s due to grooming and molestation by a bishop facilitated by one on one bishop interviews. He convinced several young men that there was a secret priesthood initiation involving oral sex. One young man spoke out and his parents took it to church court. The bishop brought in many character witnesses. The accusation was kept secret so no other witnesses came forward and no investigation (e.g. interviews of other youth) took place at that time. So the decision by church court was apparently to remove him from his calling and make it so he “never was bishop again.” He then moved to Pennsylvania, became bishop, and did it again. This time the accusations were proved true, and a serious investigation in our ward youth commenced. All the young men were interviewed. The extent of his depredation was widespread and his family, who I love, was devastated. So the system fails the youth. There is no window on the door to the bishop’s office. No youth should be interviewed without a parent present. Period.
By eliminating one-on-one, behind-closed-door access to our kids, where all kinds of sexual practices can be discussed, we will:
Protect our children
Protect our bishops
Protect the good name of the church.
Join the March for The Children
Help us assure that the children of the future don’t repeat the dreadful experiences of the children in our past.
Make plans to join us for this historic event. On March 30, 2018 we will gather at the Salt Lake City/County Building. Then march 5 blocks to the LDS Church Office Building. Upon arrival, we will present 2 items to church officials:
The signatories on the Petition to Protect The Children–Stop Sexually Explicit Interviews of Mormon Youth
Sacred Stories of Sacred Children. A record of childhoods destroyed behind closed doors.
Register here so we can get an accurate count ahead of time. Our goal is 1,000 marchers. It’s going to be big.
How can you help make this all happen:
Share the march info everywhere.
Bring your friends & family.
Encourage friends & family in Utah and surrounding states to join in
We are making Mormon history. Come make it with us. It’s a once in a lifetime event.
Last night, I reached out to my friend Sandy, one of the victims of an egregiously evil bishop’s interview. Thank you Sandy. It helped. I’ve linked her story below.
Two more things happened today that have helped lift me. I’m not out of the woods yet, but, I’m starting to see the way out.
1. I had lost hope that my cause had any chance of success. Today, I talked about it with other friends and mulled it over on my own. I have come to realize a major reason that hope was fading. A few months ago, a former member of my ward reached out and let me know that she and her husband have basically left the church. That was a shocker. She had watched my journey and felt this quote was appropriate: “Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.”
That sentiment resonated big time.
Here’s what has happened over the past couple of weeks and in earnest over the past few days: I have tamped…down…my…anger. Of course, we should exert control over our emotions. But here’s the problem. Hope and anger are intertwined, according to St. Augustine. As I have pushed anger out of the my mind, hope has started to flicker and wane. Then followed by a descent into despair. Today, I have embraced my anger again. As I have, hope has come rushing back to burn brightly in my heart.
After All….
How can I not be angryat a system that allowed and fostered 6 years of my sweet daughter being taken behind closed doors and grilled about masturbation?!!!!
How can I not be cut to the quick and outraged at what was done to 7 year old Sandy on the bishop’s desktop?!!!!!!
How can I not be brought to tears and incensed by what was done to 12 year old Amy in the bishop’s office?!!!!
How can I not be devastated and enraged at the tragedy of Samuel’s death?!!!!
My anger is God-given. I will embrace this gift from God. Christ is my exemplar. Hear the tone in his fiery roar: “Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
2. This afternoon, the company’s top sales person came into my office. He’s not Mormon, yet feels strongly about protecting LDS children. We discussed all that’s going on, including the lack of support from my long-time active friends, the threat of excommunication, the total lack of concern and non-response I’ve received from the Church. In conclusion he said this: “Sam, I feel it’s a privilege to witness what you are doing.I hope you know that God is directing you.“
Occasionally, people express concern for me. Here’s when you should worry….when I am no longer emotional about the hideous things we are doing to our kids. Until my faith transition, hope was not much of an operative virtue in my religious practice. It is now. For me, the HOPE to protect our children inspires ANGER and COURAGE. When I have both in my heart, I find myself standing tall with my 14,000 friends. When I push either away, my heart starts to say, “Run away, Sam. Run away.” I’m not running the hell away. I’m embracing my outrage and running to meet Goliath.
If you see a spark of fury or observe a glimmer of courage……know that once again, I am full of hope.
Sandy’s Story
Amy’s Story
Samuel’s Story
March-For-The-Children
On March 30, 2018, one thousand concerned human beings will March-For-The-Children in support of changes to prevent the hideous damage we are inflicting on our kids. This will be an historic occasion in Mormon history.
Make plans to join us now. Arrange the day off, book your flight, put together your car pools. Bring your family, bring your kids, bring your friends. For most of us, this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. One that we will treasure with fondness for the rest of our lives.
You can register to March-For-The-Children on Eventbrite or on Facebook.
***Please Share the March-For-The-Children FAR and WIDE***
The March March is Nearing
This is story #359. I’ve redacted the location. Our current policy facilitates grooming and sexual assault of our children. The following would never have happened if parents had been in the room.
The past 3 days have been really hard.
Tocubit Is Invisible's Cubit 