signing the Sam Young petition about youth interviews

[Culper Jr.]

I just signed the petition about ending the sex and masturbation questions in youth interviews. I have an "especial" hatred of these interviews. Not only did it affect my life by making me feel ridiculously guilty for years about STUPID things that shouldn't even have been an issue, but I saw how these interviews affected the young men when I was a youth leader. I loathe these interviews. I don't want my child subjected to this. I've already told her to never confess anything to a bishop.

So in a moment of righteous indignation, I signed with my full name and city and state visible. I'm curious to see if anything comes of it. I live way outside of the Moridor, so it will be a no brainer to find my bishop. Anyone else signed?

[Zack Tacorin Dos]

CJ,

I hate those interviews too. Like you, I signed the petition with my full name and city & state. I wish they'd try to harass me about it. But, it seems my Mormons are fairly well behaved, which is sometimes disappointiing because I love a good excuse to open a can of critical thinking and rationality whoop ass.

At any rate, way to support the kids bro!
Zack

[Not Buying It]

Signed it. Doubt there will be any repercussions, but let us all know if any of you experience any.

[Just This Guy]

Here's the link if anyone needs it.
https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/p ... views.html

Signed it with my real name.

[StarbucksMom]

Just signed, thanks for link. I am sure no action will be taken, there are going to be thousands of signatures. Can you imagine the PR firestorm if they tried to call us all in to meet w/ our bishops for discipline---because we want to end adult males asking 12 year old boys and girls behind closed doors if they touch their penises and vaginas? Not gonna happen.

[Zack Tacorin Dos]

Can you imagine the PR firestorm if they tried to call us all in to meet w/ our bishops for discipline---because we want to end adult males asking 12 year old boys and girls behind a closed doors if they touch their penises and vaginas? Not gonna happen.

This.

If they receive enough media exposure regarding the practice alone, there is no way for the Church to avoid a $h__ storm. It's creepy, it's indefensible, and there are easy workarounds like having the parents included in interviews and just asking something like, "Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the temple?" If only the Church had a profit, sneer, and revelamator who could consult with deity to know how to best proceed

[Not Buying It]

http://fox13now.com/2017/12/01/former-l ... practices/

But Elijah Williamson, a youth member of the LDS Church, expressed his thoughts online.

He says the petition is “incredibly exaggerated to sound predatory to outsiders.”

He said during interviews he was only asked if he obeyed the law of chastity. He defended church leaders saying they are merely following the church handbook.

I know I should probably give this kid a break due to his youth and inexperience, but a) it is a practice that leaves doors open for predators, and one is too many, b) maybe he's never been asked sexually invasive questions, but I sure as hell was and there are thousands like me who were also subjected to them, c) he completely sidesteps that young women must "confess" their sexual activities alone behind closed doors to an older male, which is icky and indefensible, and d) so what if leaders are following the handbook - part of the issue is that the handbook needs to be changed (and how would he know what the handbook says anyway, since none of us are given access to it?).

I am trying very hard to maintain charitable feelings toward this young man and not wholly succeeding.

[RubinHighlander]

Even thought my family and I are not subjected to any of that anymore I signed it. They've torn down the little factory, now it's time to change the hand books.

[slavereeno]

Signed

[Red Ryder]

Two things come to mind here:

1. The church doesn't see this as a problem. This effort to expose won't change the interview policies.
2. The need to be anonymous reflects an even greater problem then the interviews. What kind of organization creates this much fear that we have to be anonymous in our criticism and support for a bad practice?

[wtfluff]

Two things come to mind here:

1. The church doesn't see this as a problem. This effort to expose won't change the interview policies.

Well, if the right media organization got 'hold of this, it might-could happen that President Newsroom could see it as bad for PR, and make some sort of change. Or at least publish a plausibly deniable bit of text on the newsroom...

[BriansThoughtMirror]

I signed it too, with my real name, city, etc. I think the doctrine (or at least common cultural understandings of the doctrine) are a bigger problem than the interviews themselves. Lots of kids end up just great, but some are really harmed by these things.

[Not Buying It]

Why are there so few signatures? Fewer than 6,000 signatures isn't enough to get the Church's attention. The Church can't be going through much of a crisis within the ranks if that's all the disaffected and former members who will bother with something so important.

[Red Ryder]

Why are there so few signatures? Fewer than 6,000 signatures isn't enough to get the Church's attention. The Church can't be going through much of a crisis within the ranks if that's all the disaffected and former members who will bother with something so important.

No kidding. You would think the 60K exmo reddit users would be all over it.

I did see Elder Bednar and Thomas Monson both signed it.

[slavereeno]

Yeah, at times I feel like there are a lot fewer of us in general than I would like to believe...

[Red Ryder]

Yeah, at times I feel like there are a lot fewer of us in general than I would like to believe...

I've been thinking about this all morning. The best I can come up with is that the few are us who remain connected. Once you leave Mormonism, after time you just don't look back.

I think that's the case here. The people who left long ago just aren't bothered about interviews like us who still remain connected are. To them the easy answer is to "just quit!" If you don't like the interviews then stop sending your children in. Quit going to the church that continues to abuse you.

If only it were that easy...

[GoodBoy]

I signed it.

[moksha]

You can always sense something is up when the bishop asks the young person to go into greater detail and to speak slower.

[Not Buying It]

Well, President Newsroom has spoken:

http://www.sltrib.com/religion/local/20 ... nterviews/

No acknowledgment of the harm that has been done. No acknowledgement of the danger. No acknowledgement that questions of a sexual nature are asked other than a vague reference to discussions of "moral cleanliness".

But what else could I expect?

[moksha]

The Mormon Newsroom didn't say they would be giving up this questionable practice but they did say they would try to be more sensitive. Since bishops do not grant absolution nor observe strict confidentiality in not revealing information shared in these confessionals they serve little purpose other than exerting ecclesiastical control and punishment. They have no rigorous code of behavior like Catholic Priests are expected to observe. The Mormon confessional is not sacrosanct. I've heard of the door being left open to the councilors office next door so they could listen in on the juicy parts. From now on, getting off on the juicy parts will have to be done with greater discretion.