Tag: Protectlds.org

10,000 Gifts for Our Children

Christmas Gifts

Christmas Eve, 2017….a milestone for our children was attained.  10,000 signatures on the Petition:  Protect The Children–Stop Sexually Explicit Interview of Mormon Youth

This is the first major step in our march to stop behind-closed-door interviews where our children are probed about sexual matters.

I want to thank everyone who has taken a stand with your signature.  Thank you for sharing, discussing and speaking up.  I know many of you took a lot flack from friends and family.  Let me assure you that your reputation is not at risk.  We are on the right side of history.

BTW, I have often seen the petition referred to as “Sam Young’s” petition.  Once upon a time, that description was fitting.  No longer.  It’s “OUR” petition.  It now belongs to 10,000 protectors of children.

Very Important Next Step

The petition has already accomplished a lot of good.  However, much work still remains to induce the church to make the drastic changes that we want.  Several initiatives will be rolled out over the coming 3 months.  Please stay the course.  If our 10,000 dissipates, the task will be that much harder.

Over the next 2 weeks, our goal is to record 1,000 stories of youth interviews and their consequences.  We have already reached 4% of the target.  This step is critical in promoting our cause to the media.  It will be media attention that will ultimately catalyze change at church headquarters.

Take the next 10 minutes and do the following:

  1. Go to the new site protectldschildren.org
  2. Click on SHARE YOUR STORY
  3. Record your story.  It can be as long or short as you choose.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Wellsprings

You may be interested as to where the Protect-The-Children people are located.

I’ve broken it down by State and then by Country.  All U.S. states are represented along with 54 countries around the world.

By State

State Count %
UT    4,517 47.40%
CA      761 7.99%
AZ      538 5.65%
TX      509 5.34%
ID      461 4.84%
WA      421 4.42%
OR      253 2.66%
CO      238 2.50%
NV      176 1.85%
VA      113 1.19%
NC      100 1.05%
NY        96 1.01%
FL        94 0.99%
OH        81 0.85%
MO        78 0.82%
IL        74 0.78%
GA        66 0.69%
PA        65 0.68%
IN        60 0.63%
MI        57 0.60%
NM        54 0.57%
WY        49 0.51%
MN        47 0.49%
MA        44 0.46%
TN        44 0.46%
MD        43 0.45%
MT        41 0.43%
IA        38 0.40%
WI        37 0.39%
HI        35 0.37%
OK        35 0.37%
AR        30 0.31%
KS        29 0.30%
NJ        29 0.30%
KY        28 0.29%
SC        28 0.29%
AL        26 0.27%
AK        22 0.23%
CT        21 0.22%
LA        17 0.18%
NE        16 0.17%
SD          9 0.09%
WV          9 0.09%
ME          6 0.06%
ND          6 0.06%
NH          6 0.06%
DC          5 0.05%
MS          5 0.05%
VT          5 0.05%
RI          4 0.04%
DE          3 0.03%
TOT   9,529

By Country

Country Count %
USA     9,531 92.79%
Canada       232 2.26%
UK       137 1.33%
Australia         90 0.88%
Sweden         39 0.38%
Brazil         25 0.24%
Germany         24 0.23%
Norway         19 0.18%
Finland         18 0.18%
New Zealand         16 0.16%
France         10 0.10%
Netherlands         10 0.10%
Spain         10 0.10%
South Africa           9 0.09%
Ireland           8 0.08%
Japan           7 0.07%
Philippines           7 0.07%
Switzerland           7 0.07%
Denmark           6 0.06%
India           6 0.06%
Mexico           6 0.06%
Austria           4 0.04%
Greece           4 0.04%
Italy           4 0.04%
Singapore           3 0.03%
Belgium           2 0.02%
Chile           2 0.02%
China           2 0.02%
Colombia           2 0.02%
Dominican Republic           2 0.02%
Hungary           2 0.02%
Malaysia           2 0.02%
Peru           2 0.02%
Russia           2 0.02%
South Korea           2 0.02%
Thailand           2 0.02%
UAE           2 0.02%
Antigua and Barbuda           1 0.01%
Argentina           1 0.01%
Bulgaria           1 0.01%
Costa Rica           1 0.01%
Czech Republic           1 0.01%
Ecuador           1 0.01%
Estonia           1 0.01%
Hong Kong           1 0.01%
Iceland           1 0.01%
Jamaica           1 0.01%
Kuwait           1 0.01%
Luxembourg           1 0.01%
Panama           1 0.01%
Puerto Rico           1 0.01%
Uganda           1 0.01%
Zimbabwe           1 0.01%
TOT    10,272

Additional Resources

Children are Sacred…Policies are Not

david-goliathIn response to the Petition, ‘Protect The Children,’ the LDS Church recently released a statement.  In it, bishops’ interviews with children are called “sacred opportunities.”

A sacred opportunity?

Taking a child behind closed doors, all alone, with an older untrained man?  This is a sacred opportunity?

Then, talking to the child about masturbation, all alone, behind that closed door?  Really?  You have the audacity to call this sacred?

Every church in America has outlawed this egregious behavior….except one….the LDS Church, my church.

Calling this dangerous and disgusting practice sacred befouls the very meaning of the word sacred.  Policies are NOT sacred.  Practices are NOT sacred.  Especially NOT this one.

Then What is Sacred?

CHILDREN!!

CHILDREN….are….sacred.

And….Adults have a sacred obligation…to protect our sacred children.

Five Stones

David, in preparing for his epic clash with Goliath, “chose five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag.”

For our epic clash with Goliath, we will also need five smooth stones.  The first stone is now securely nestled in the bag…10,000 signatures of responsible adults.

It’s time to gather up our second stone…1,000 stories of inappropriate youth interviews and their harmful consequences.

Here’s what I’m asking of you…share your story.

  1. Go to the new site protectldschildren.org
  2. Click on “Share Your Story.”
  3. Record your story of inappropriate interview questions and the harm done.  It can be as simple as, “The bishop asked inappropriate sexual questions which caused self-loathing during my teen years.”
  4. Share this blog post and encourage others to record their stories.  But, only if it’s safe.

This little stone of 1,000 stories will be very important going forward.  Please help us put it in our shepherd’s bag.

Until a week ago, we had no real plan…except for completing the current step.  That’s changed.  We now have a battle plan.  I’ll outline it all soon.  In the meantime, let’s get those 1,000 stories.  WE made the 10,000 happen.  WE can make these 1,000 happen, too.

Thanks for enthusiastically embracing our sacred duty to protect the children.

Additional Resources