With the April 2018 General Conference, many hoped LDS Leadership would address the most recent abuse scandals that have rocked the foundations of trust for members of the Church.
Many of us have been aware of systemic abuse and cover-ups under the roof of God’s house for a long time, yet recently, two of those cases have been shouted from the rooftops loudly enough for those both within and without the Church to hear.
In February, two ex-wives of Mormon White House staffer Rob Porter alleged not only abuse by their husband, but mishandling of that abuse when they reported it to Church authorities.
And more recently, former MTC President Joseph Bishop was accused of rape by a former missionary, and his admission to sexual assault was recorded on tape. The victim reported her abuse to the Church many times, and in return, LDS Lawyers compiled a file containing every speck of dirt they could find on her to give them an advantage in the legal settlement — including Church and employment records. Greg Bishop, Joseph Bishop’s son, sent a copy of that file to Utah news outlets in the hopes of smearing her name in the court of public opinion.
The weight of these public stories, and the thousands of lesser-known stories of abuse and cover-ups, have led to mass outcry and movements such as Protect LDS Children. For many victims of rape and domestic violence, this is a Mormon Me Too movement. For many children, victims of predators who were protected by the Church, this is the Mormon Spotlight, because it compares to Catholic abuse cover-ups.
One protester during a Saturday session in Conference shouted, “Stop protecting sexual predators!” before being escorted out of the building.
The Church’s public response has been less than encouraging. They have:
- Blamed the victim.
- Slandered the victim.
- Gathered evidence against the victim’s character that had nothing to do with the actual rape.
- Issued non-apologies.
- Protected perpetrators by declining to report to law enforcement, failing to place them into the Church discipline process, allowing them to maintain high callings, protecting their “good names” above the good names of the victims, and allowing them advancement to high levels of status in society.
To many of us, this isn’t news, and these aren’t isolated incidents. I’ve seen this pattern for decades and been frustrated at the Church’s inattention and inaction.
This Conference was a further exercise in misdirection.
Let’s take a look at the talk by Apostle Quentin L. Cook, in which he presumably addresses this issue, yet his attention is still focused on making the Church and its leaders look pristine while making members feel inadequate. In which the seriousness of the sins of violation and abuse is watered down. In which the Church places blame on victims and decides to await further instruction from the Lord rather than taking proactive steps.