EP 595 – Preventing and Addressing Abuse within the Church

Jennifer Roach

One would have had to be quite isolated last week not to read AP's story about a father and member of the Church sexually abusing his daughters, and Church officials' reported failure to act appropriately and help the victims despite knowledge of the incidents. There is a ton of information to work through on this story, with some saying AP isn't being fair, and others wondering if the Church is more concerned about its image and protecting the institution than helping victims.

We're joined this week by Jennifer Roach, MDic, LMHC. She has been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for three-and-a-half years. Previously, she was an ordained pastor in another denomination. Jennifer is a survivor of abuse and works as a licensed mental health therapist. We're thankful she's here to provide insights on a difficult topic.

It's clear the Church failed to protect victims in this case. The safeguards in place didn't do their job. But that doesn't mean the Church has nefarious intent. Please sit with us as we work through this issue. Other news follows after about 45 minutes.

Some corrections: In our discussion, we had noted that the information at the time made it unclear whether either bishop was explicitly told not to report anything. Since the time of recording, the AP released a video of Bishop Herrod, in his own voice, saying that the helpline told him he was not allowed to call; his hands were tied. He later says that he passed that same information along to the next bishop. It's also important to note that an Arizona grand jury took up the question of bishop culpability last year in case GJ21-0072 and did not charge either bishop with a crime.

https://youtu.be/Ool6oN9P-hY

Abuse in the Church Links

* Church's official response

* Michael Austin's "better" Church response

* A concise summary of events

* National Domestic Violence hotline

* RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline

Other Latter-day Saint News

* The Church finally announces who will dedicate the Washington DC Temple - President Nelson!

* President Nelson is the oldest apostle in the history of the restored Church

* The Amos C. Brown Fellowship, which connects Black students to their ancestry in Ghana, begins

* Association of Mormon Letters announces 100 significant works in Mormon literature

* <a href="https://www.ldsliving.com/30-names-and-terms-that-are-no-longer-used-by-the-church/s/10868" target="_blank" rel=...