NOM

Mossyback's post in a different thread caused another thought.

The church (along with other organizations) have had issues with abuse of children in the past. The church typically falls back on a statement similar to this one made by President Nelson in conference, "Any kind of abuse of women, children or anyone is an abomination to the Lord."

Organizations like BSA took steps to do what they can (albeit belatedly) to put practices in place that should protect children. One example of this is mandatory training and background checks as well as two deep leadership. My youngest is currently working on an eagle project and cannot even email the scoutmaster without a second adult copied into the email and vice-versa.

The church tried something similar but the training is a joke, and two deep leadership is more of a nod and wink.

For example:

Mossyback's post got me thinking about how much more ingrained it is than that. A youth is assigned to go "ministering" with another adult (not their parent) that we are sending - wait for it - 11 year old kids out with strangers to ride around in their car, go into potentially dangerous places and situations by assignment.

The bishop takes young Sally Smithers into his office for an interview where he will ask her if she is living the law of chastity, doing anything naughty with her boyfriend, or if she is touching herself inappropriately. As abhorrent as that is...and IT IS...a lot of LDS members seem to excuse that under the guise of his calling as bishop and that if there are others in the room that the individual might not be as open and honest in confession (Whatever!).

A young missionary is sent away from home, many times to a culture and language that they are marginally aware of at best, and shacked up with a senior companion who has "authority" over them with no good way to contact family or support.

It just goes on and on...and of course the leaders and most members see nothing wrong with that....

I don't even have words!

-lost

Don’t forget the temple initiatory ordinance formerly known as “the Naked Poncho”!

For all of those who forgot or never got to experience the Naked Poncho, the participant would strip down to full nudity in a dressing cubicle within the locker room. They would change out of their street clothes and normal people underwear. Put on a white polyester poncho that was open on both sides. Then the participant would be escorted down a breezy hallway, poncho flapping in the wind. Then they would enter a room with temple workers who proceeded to dab oil all over your body as they recited religious blessings. If you were truly blessed by the Lord like I was, your loins and groin area were groped by the temple worker in sync with the blessings promised. What a shit show. As a young 19 year old who was given zero information about the ceremony beforehand and whose mission call and eternal progression depended on this ceremony, it’s a perfect place for an old pedophile to volunteer and victimize over and over again with no accountability while the victim has been taught they can’t discuss the sacred temple ceremonies. The church is a perfect place for pedophiles to exist. As we all know, the church is full of them.

I need to resign soon. It didn’t particularly matter to me before but I think that has now changed. In a perfect world I could see us all doing that as a family. Hopefully in a year or two that could happen if Sis Ryder continues down the rabbit hole. Her journey has stalled a bit lately so I can only hope someday to post it here on NOM that the Ryder family is out.

#Not a Cult?

Yeah man, as Red pointed out, that temple experience in 1983 shook me to the core. After going through the creepy old man chanting and touching (yeah, I'm pretty sure I got my balls tickled, but it's all a bad memory now), then came the penalties and prayer circle chanting. One of the most Fd up days in my history book. I'm still a bit pissed at my parents for not prepping me for that culty crap, but then nobody gave them any warning and it was way secret in those days.

Can you imagine if kids went through that crap? Bad enough they lowered the age for teens to go through now. At least they took out some of the more creepy crap since then. Every time I hear chanting in a repetition, like on a TV show or movie, it triggers my LDS temple PTSD.

Yeah I went through the temple for the first time in 1984 , sòoooooooo creepy an old man touching me all over (naked poncho) it really creeped me out for years after that. A prior warning would have been good as I am a sexual assault victim. Didn't go back to the temple for many many years and I am still not cool with the cultish experience.