Sugar Land man to appeal excommunication from Mormon church

Sam Young is challenging the Mormon Church's private interviews with children. "I am doing this for them," he said, referring to photos of his grandkids.﻿ Sam Young is challenging the Mormon Church's private interviews with children. "I am doing this for them," he said, referring to photos of his grandkids.﻿ Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Sugar Land man to appeal excommunication from Mormon church 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

A Sugar Land man who was excommunicated from the Mormon church last month for criticizing its practice of allowing one-on-one interviews between youth and bishops announced Thursday that he is appealing the decision.

Sam Young, 65, was forewarned that he could be excommunicated for crusading against the church's policy of allowing bishops to meet with children one-on-one to discuss topics regarding their faith and personal behavior. Young, who served for five years as a bishop, has been pushing for reforms to the routine meetings after learning that some of the questions bishops asked were sexually explicit.

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Young was summoned to a rare excommunication hearing in September at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Sugar Land.

Under church rules, Young said he has had up to 30 days to file a formal appeal with the First Presidency of the Church.

"I have received pushback from people about why I am appealing the excommunication, that I shouldn't be pleading or begging on bended knee," Young said at a press conference Thursday in Houston. "I have done nothing wrong."

Young has been a lifelong active member of the Mormon church. In addition to serving as a bishop, he has been a bishopric counselor, a ward mission leader, stake activities director and a seminary teacher.

Church officials have declined to comment on the case. The church considers Young's case apostasy, or as it explains, "the repeated, clear and open public opposition to the church, its leaders and its doctrine."

Young wants the church to reconsider its policy regarding interviews that take place between Mormon youth and church officials. He learned last year that the interviews included sexual questions like if the child masturbated or has been sexually active.

He started asking around to learn more, even reaching out to his own daughters. Then countless church members shared stories with him and several agreed to let Young post what they wrote on his website, ProtectLDSChildren.org. Many of the stories talk about how the interviews led to feelings of shame, guilt, self-loathing and even suicide.

The church changed its guidelines for interviews in March, stating, "If the person being interviewed desires, another adult may be invited to participate in the interview. Leaders should avoid all circumstances that could be misunderstood."

Young said the change wasn't enough — and places children in charge of deciding whether or not a parent is present in the interviews. He added that the new policy does not address the issue of sexually explicit questions.