After the support I received for sharing my late sister’s story (Forever Family Farce, 28 November 2010) I’ve decided to share some of my Mormon experiences with everyone.

My father was in the Air Force and as children my sisters and I were raised in military wards. I wasn’t baptized at eight like all my LDS friends. For some reason (still unknown to me) my father waited until I was nine. I remember being in Primary and all the kids would taunt me about how they were Members and I wasn’t because I wasn’t baptized. I felt like there was something wrong with me. My Primary teacher did nothing to stop the kids from picking on me. It continued every week for over a year until I was finally dunked. I was an honest kid, I was very respectful of adults, didn’t swear, memorized the Articles of Faith, and tried my hardest to be a good Mormon boy.

My father is a very abusive person. He beat my youngest sister and me daily for over twelve years. If something happened around the house that he didn’t approve of he immediately resorted to violence. My mother did the same but she wasn’t as malicious as he was. She would compare me to a cartoon character "Cringer" when I flinched before she began beating me. She would call me a coward as she beat me. I remember being seven and contemplating committing suicide. With the LDS age of discernment being eight I thought that if I died I would go to the Celestial Kingdom and be free from all the abuse. My mother was right; I was too much of a coward to even attempt it. I am extremely lucky I didn’t follow through with those thoughts.

When I was in my early teens my father would grab me by the throat and lift me up off the floor. He would then slam me head first into oak cabinets in our hallway. I grew tired of hiding the abuse so I decided to report him. I told my Bishopric Counselor (Tom Moss), Tehachapi California Ward, who worked for the department of Children and Family Services what was going on. He told me that he knew my father from High Priest’s Quorum and that my father wouldn’t do those things. He offered me a chance to recant my story and I refused to. He then called my mother and she came over and spoke with him. She basically confirmed that my father was very tough on me and that he occasionally beat me. I was offered no assistance and I was told that if he reported my father he would be arrested and would loose his job as a defense contractor (Top Secret Security Clearance Required Position). I didn't want to be responsible for my sisters loosing their house or not being able to eat. I can't believe he made me feel I was responsible for them I was a child myself. Mr. Moss did nothing to help me or my sisters. He told me to read the Book of Mormon and attend church and things would get better (for the record I did and they didn't).

A few years later, I finally left my parents house after my father tried to beat me with an aluminum softball bat. I barricaded myself in to my room and escaped out my bedroom window. I was seventeen when that occurred. During high school I never dated, didn’t smoke, drink, or use drugs. However, the LDS youth assumed that I had because I quit going to church. I quit going to church once I escaped out my bedroom window. I didn’t want to run into my parents or hear any of their lies spread about me in their ward. I was always an active member up to that point. My parents would beat me if I didn’t attend. I was the Teachers Quorum President at 15 and I was ordained a Priest at 16.

I wanted to date when I turned 16. I didn’t have a car and my parents wouldn’t let me borrow theirs. I did go solo to church dances and as I wasn’t popular I wasn't shown any interest from any of the LDS girls. All the LDS girls were very popular in my school and they dated non-LDS boys to keep up their popularity. I was very lonely as a teenager. I moved into an apartment with a couple non-LDS guys from work (I worked 40-hrs a week at Taco Bell) and finished high school. I only had half days my senior year so I started work at 1 pm and worked 8-hrs every weekday. After graduating I joined the military and started my own life free of Mormonism.

It’s been almost 16-years since I graduated from high school. I return on leave periodically and visit with my 1 remaining hometown friend. I’ve had to change my facebook account in order to escape the onslaught of requests from the Mormons I once knew. The girls that showed no interest in me or any other Mormon boy all seem to be TBMs and they want to share with me their life stories. They comment on how blessed they are to be LDS and how great their lives are. I am very thankful to be out of the abusive circle of TSCC and their brainwashing. TSCC covered up years of abuse, supported my parents discarding their non LDS children, and have advanced my parents within their organization. They are evil. I am a successful adult free from magical thinking and cult worship.

Quite a Horror story! Your story will help some younger posters who are trying to decide if they should hide their nonbeliefs or not. I'm ready for part 2.

AngryAaron, This is a great story and I believe every word of it. My father was BYU professor who used to do the throat choking and slamming too.

I always find it curious that the church is 'inspired' to call men like our fathers to positions leadership, especially those high councils of low character.

If selecting people like our fathers to lead local church members is the best inspiration they got, then they are inspired to choose very things that ruin people's lives. If there is a God, the mormon church is whore.

Quite telling that even a DCFS employee couldn't let go of his mormon bias long enough to help a kid in trouble. What a jerk! He knew better.

Thanks for telling your story. Mine is similar but my situation wasn't nearly as bad. My mormon mother was also abusive, both verbally and physically. I consider myself lucky that my athiest father was loving and kind.

But good for you for breaking the cycle and living a successful life beyond Mormonism. And thank you for serving in the military.

My dad was also in the Air Force. He's not Mormon, be he was occasionally fond of using violence to get his point across, including going for the throat. He quit doing that when I threatened to kick him in the balls.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/2010 05:57PM by knotheadusc.

but I'm wondering if your father ever apologized for the harm, etc., he ever caused you.

Thank you for your service.

You made it out and made a decent life for yourself. THAT is the best revenge. (From one abuse survivor to another). Thank you VERY much for your service.

The adults in your life really let you down. It's admirable you've been able to forge forward in your own life and become the wonderful person you are today.