

27 March, 2018

Dear Sisters, Children, and Brothers of the Church,

In light of the recent case of sexual abuse involving a former MTC President, we feel moved to sincerely apologize to anyone who has been similarly victimized. We reiterate that we have zero tolerance for sexual abuse and will be working very hard to ensure that our future practices reflect that intolerance. Sexual abuse is a matter of deep concern for us and we will be working very closely with the General Women’s Presidencies to ensure due diligence and best practice as we seek to better address this terrible sin. Let us further assure you that our primary concern is for the victims.

Attached to this notice is the contact information for reporting sexual abuse to your state and national authorities. We urge you to do this first, particularly where children are involved. In most countries, this is a criminal act and should be reported immediately.

In cases where the sexual abuse crosses over from the family into church (eg. an abusive father is also a Bishop) or the abuser is in church authority or leadership you will find a trained counselor on standby at your local area office who will walk you through the steps you need to take to make yourself and/or your children safe. If the abuse is historical, please avail yourselves of their services to help you take steps toward healing and recovery.

If there are criminal and civil cases to be heard because the abuse occurred in church contexts, talk to us about your legal needs. We assure you that we will do all we can to ensure that the church’s legal counsel stands with you and not against you.

Because we need to understand what is happening we ask, if you are able, for you to contact our social research team who are eager to hear your story and will do so in complete confidence.

Our prayers are with you and the church as we seek as a body of saints to recover from the terrible sin of sexual abuse.