I'm reading through the story of Jack C McCallister, the Oklahoma teen who was abused by his Bishop in the early 1960's.

http://web.archive.org/web/20080724231554/http://mormonalliance.org/casereports/volume1/part2/v1p2c08.htm

Fifty years later and they still interview the youth alone one on one behind closed doors. Hinckley and Monson have been directly involved in these cases and still no policy changes.

THIS PRACTICE NEEDS TO STOP!!

Jack states...

"I was privately interviewed in the bishop’s office annually from the time I was twelve, which is the custom. The first time I was asked about "masturbating," I had no idea what he was talking about. After a brief description, I could tell it was some kind of big deal and I was glad I didn’t know anything about it. It sounded weird and gross to me."

"Time passed and I was almost sixteen. Bishop Mercer called me one night about 7:00 PM to come to the church. He wanted to talk to me. I knew it was important or why would he call me in the middle of the week without notice?"

"
We were the only ones at the meeting house. We shook hands and he put his arms around me. He told me how much he loved me and how much the Lord loved me. He felt directly inspired tonight to call me down to his office. He said he had something really important to talk to me about. It was an honor to have a special, private interview. He asked if we could pray together before we talked. He said a lot of really nice things about me to God. I was embarrassed to get so much attention and recognition. I felt very special and very humble. It was one of the most beautiful, heartfelt; eloquent prayers that I’ve ever heard on my behalf, asking the Lord to bless me, watch over me, care for me, and assuring the Lord of what a fine wonderful young man I was. While he prayed, he reached over and put his arm around me and pleaded with the Lord to bless me with wisdom and understanding and on and on. Then we sat down in two chairs in front of his desk. He pulled his chair up really close to mine, looked me straight in the eyes through his pink-tinted bifocal lenses. I could see he still had tears in his eyes from the prayer. "What sincerity!" I thought "Maybe some day I can learn how to talk to God with such powerfully impressive prayer language." I was really touched. I had a real low self-image back then. I was skinny. I wore glasses. All the girls liked my guy friends better than me.

Then after a long pause, he finally said, "How are you, Jack?" He leaned forward and started asking me the usual interview questions: "How are your folks? How’s school going? Are you keeping all the commandments? How about your personal worthiness? Are you morally clean?" Then he said it; "Are you masturbating?" I didn’t say anything. I felt too ashamed and embarrassed. He said he understood how hard it is growing up and the changes your body goes through."

"He leaned forward, put one hand on my knee and the other on my thigh. He ran his hand up to my genitals and it rested there in cupping shape. "You have a beautiful body," he said. "It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I can help you with your problem."

You can read for yourself what happens next.

THIS PRACTICE NEEDS TO STOP!

* puke * This is why I will not allow this practice with my children.

Seriously, how is this legal? Not going to happen with my kids. Agreed, enough to make you sick. It goes on in the world and that is sickening, but that it goes on in the name of God/Christ is particularly sickening. Taking advantage of trusting victims. Absolutely disgusting.

It's even worse than the Catholic confessional booth <Not to minimize the victims of abuse by the hands of priests, *AT ALL* because we all know about that one> But I mean come on! Behind closed doors. Telling your sins -- sexual sins-- I feel sick.

Nobody should be subjecting themselves to that. Kids have no business being in there.

Adult women shouldn't be in there either. I have a friend who went to her bishop because she was having marriage problems. The talk turned to their sex life. She was very distraught. The bish took advantage of the situation and turned his visits into sex sessions. She left the church, but needs some serious counseling to help her emotionally. She was 19, he was 54 at the time.

The bish got ex'd, but that wasn't enough. He should have been arrested. It was most certainly a predator situation.

Agreed.

They have a policy that someone has to be sitting outside the room - like that does anything!

The problem is that members consider bishops to have the authority of God - they are literally given godlike authority because they are said to literally represent Christ to their ward. So LDS members don't see the danger.

Of course this should stop. I had my son when I was a teenager (He's 12 now) and the thought of having some old guy who never gets laid asking him about jerking off is comical to me. Of course he's going to jerk off. It's completely natural. I would worry if he didn't!

Also, I remember being interviewed by the Bishop when I was about 14 and choking it an ungodly amount every day. Toward the end of the interview, and out of nowhere, this creepy guy wearing those big thick wire-frame glasses that are so prevalent leaned forward and asked me, "Did you know that masturbation can become addictive?" He tried to add emphasis by speaking in this loud baritone voice. One of those voices you used to hear on the film reels in seminary. He even made the up and down motion with his hand so as to mimic the activity. I remember thinking "OH MY GOD, this guy is INSPIRED!" Later I figured out that my Mom got tired of washing all those crusty socks and squealed.

>"Did
> you know that masturbation can become addictive?"
>

"I'm sorry to hear that Bishop, I'll pray for you"

Religions have an old "exempt" status from a lot of rules businesses and other organizations have to follow.

I agree this should really be stopped. What the hell is some stranger pretending to be spirit-filled, inspired called of Gawd, doing asking adult women and children about their personal sexual exploits.

Pretty messed up stuff. .. .

First off I want to be sick. This brings back so many horrible worthiness interview memories as a deacon, teacher, priest, missionary where I just cringed knowing before going in that I was expected to answer uncomfortable questions that always probed deeper and deeper. For whatever reason I learned early to lie and give short answers and never tell the bishop anything. Dishonest? Hell ya but to protect myself from intrusive old men and I don't regret it one bit.

I just can't comprehend how these worthiness interviews can continue all of these years later!

Something needs to be done to stop this!

I can't let this go...

'conservatives' use male/female work situations (at least in the past) to bolster their views than women, with few exceptions (teachers, nurses, telephone operators) should stay home. Oops, I forgot secretaries.

Oh man, this is brutal. Just brutal. I read the whole account in the link and I am sick to my stomach.

Yes, THIS PRACTICE NEEDS TO STOP.

The practice will stop when the sheep, I mean members, simply say no. A parent should be present during interviews. Now that recording devices can be easily hidden, I hope someone gets the abuse on tape or video and posts it on the web. I guess that's why the church has lawyers for GAs and not theologians.