On occasion, members of the church have fussed at the petition. They have said that it paints all bishops as if they are pedophiles. Let me straighten that out: I assume that the number of pedophile bishops is pretty small. The vast majority of Mormon leaders are good upstanding men.

The supreme head of the Catholic Church estimates that 2% of his priests are pedophiles. Some estimates run as high as 7%. Is it possible that the population of sexual predators in LDS leadership is smaller? I hope so. We simply have no scientific data to support any estimate.

However, plenty of evidence exists which proves that there ARE sexual predators in every rank of our Mormon hierarchy. From Sunday school presidents, to bishops, to stake presidents, to mission presidents and seventies. With the advent of the #metoo movement, more and more Mormon victims are coming forward. Over the past 12 months, at least 8 leaders, mostly bishops, have been arrested, convicted or sentenced for sexual assault of minors. So far in 2018, two men who served in high leadership positions have been revealed as sexual predators, Joseph Bishop and Philander Smartt.

So no, not all bishops are sexual predators…but some are. Like every other institutional church on the planet have already done, we should implement protections against the dangerous men in our leadership.

Almost All Bishops ACT Like Sexual Predators !!!

Whatever percentage of our leadership might be evil, almost all of our bishops are ACTING just like sexual predators behave!!!

Taking minors behind closed doors, beyond the earshot and eyesight of everyone, IS predatory grooming behavior.

Asking a minor sexual questions is totally predatory behavior.

Almost every bishop is grooming our children for the sexual predators in our leadership ranks, in the neighborhood and anywhere else in society. The bishops groom kids for those serving above and around them. Bishops are grooming our youngsters for the predator who might replace him as the next bishop.

Fortunately, there are some leaders who refuse to take a child behind closed doors without a parent being present and also refuse to ask sexual questions. Good on them. Unfortunately, these bishops are in the vast minority. They are the ones who are proactively protecting our children.

What a horrid indictment on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the vast majority of our bishops continue to act like sexual predators. They are preparing our most vulnerable children for the monsters lying in wait. Some of those monsters are other bishops, stake presidents and mission presidents.

And remember…this ONLY happens in the LDS Church. In all other churches that I’m aware of, this behavior would result in the the pastor being disciplined or defrocked. Our friends the Catholics set a laudable example by not tolerating sexual questions being posed to minors.

Protect Your Children—NOW ! Send your Bishop a Letter

Set firm boundaries with your children. Let them know that it is not appropriate to have one-on-one meetings with church leadership….or anyone else. Inform them that they are to let you know if anyone attempts to take them behind closed doors, including the bishop and stake president.

Then set the same boundaries with the bishop. Put it in writing. Send your bishop a letter or email. Three sample templates can be found HERE.

I regret that my children were exposed to sexually explicit questions, all alone, behind closed doors. Please take action so your children won’t be victims. Otherwise, you can see and read the horrid consequences that may be in your children’s future.

What Else Can You Do to Help Protect The Children ?

Like Protect LDS Children Facebook page. After you send a letter to the bishop, share your experience on the Success Stories page. Sign or share the petition. If you have experienced inappropriate bishop interviews, share your story….if you feel ready. Victims of either overt or covert sexual abuse are the only ones who can determine when or if sharing their story is appropriate. We support you in whatever decision you make. If you are unfamiliar with the damages the LDS Church is causing to our children, educate yourself. See the stories. Read the stories. I have chosen to invest a ton of my own money into this campaign. If you want to help, feel free to donate. And thank you to all those who have already helped out to the tune of $80,000 over the past 6 weeks. Your commitment to save our children is stunning.

Donations

To make a donation, go to our website ProtectLDSChildren.org.

On a laptop, the donation button is in the upper left hand corner.

On a tablet, the button may be on the left or right side, depending on the size of the device.

On a phone, click the three line menu. The Donate button will be at the bottom of the menu.

All funds will go to a new organization named “Protect The Children Association.” A 501C3 application has been filed. All donations made 27 months before the application is approved by the IRS will be tax deductible. I’m expecting everything donated at this point will fall in that category.

Caveat: DO NOT feel any obligation to donate. DO NOT feel one whit of regret if you can’t or choose not to donate.

Thank you for traveling this journey at my side in whatever methods you choose.