Light and Truth Letter VII
Suggestions for the Leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”. Psalms 147:3
Dear Sirs,
I grew up in the Church. It was all I ever knew until the day I left it. I didn't leave over hurt feelings, an unwillingness or inability to follow the moral guidelines or any of that. I left because, at the time, I thought it the best thing for everyone, including the Church, if I left.
Our family tried to leave peacefully and quietly, without burning bridges. That opportunity wasn't afforded us and we ended up using a suggested "exit letter". I didn't like it then, and I regret that we used it but that's how it happened. So for that, I will sincerely apologize. I realize the way the exit letter was written was likely offensive.
As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I believe that it's everyone's responsibility to put the welfare of the children first, even if it means looking through a microscope at your organization, an organization you no doubt love dearly, and seeing where the cracks need to be filled, where changes need to be made, and yes, where monies can be better spent.
In that regard, I have some suggestions for the Church based on what I know about it (living LDS for a large part of my life), the structure, and the care of members.
BEGIN WITH A MORE ADEQUATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. What you currently have now is, at best, weak. Having sat through the video (I even typed up a transcript as I went through it) I was honestly appalled at how mediocre it was.
A half-hour is not nearly long enough to educate others and prepare them to work with children and youth.
Might I suggest https://ministrysafe.com which has been used successfully by many churches. The Church can easily afford to do this, but it cannot easily afford not to.
Too much is at stake- especially the lives of the children. You may also want to look into these other resources:
https://ecap.net/ (Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention); https://www.protectmyministry.com/child-safety-training/; https://www.safeguardfromabuse.com/churches;
and there are others out there.
MAKE REPORTING MANDATORY. More denominations than not have now decided to make, at the very least, the Pastor, Youth Pastor, and other leaders, mandatory reporters. The Church does not incorporate congregational autonomy, so this will have to come from Salt Lake leadership itself. Mandatory reporting helps stop continued abuse and prevents extended abuse from happening.
PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS. This may mean a mother has to take her children elsewhere. It may mean a teenager needs to get out of the house. It could mean a little child needs a safe place. And it could mean that all three need costly and time-consuming counseling.
Why couldn't the Church host "safe homes" for women who are trying to protect their children?
Why couldn't families within the Stake be given classes, paid for by the Church, to become temporary foster homes for teen and child victims working in conjunction with State and local authorities?
Why not stop hiding behind the veil of clergy and put the children before the privacy of a possible pedophile?
CREATE AN ACTUAL HELPLINE FOR VICTIMS instead of a pipeline to attorneys for leaders. Yes, there are civil resources out there. But the impression given under the current system is that this is an actual helpline. It isn't. We all know that. Call it something else if you must. But how about making an actual helpline for victims and families?
CHANGE PRACTICES AND TEACHINGS. To its credit, the Church has done this but only to a point. These are some practices and teachings that may well have exhausted their purpose:
THE BISHOP INTERVIEWS. Ask yourselves: Are these necessary? Or are they a means of controlling people's lives? Do you not trust your members enough to give them latitude when it comes to what they eat or drink, what they do in private, how much they tithe, etc.? This could cut down on some of the problems while at the same time protecting the Bishops from false allegations.
You may not appreciate this, but the late Reverend Billy Graham had a standard: He never met alone with a person of the opposite sex other than his wife. This avoided even the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5: 22).
STOP CONFLATING VIRTUE AND VIRGINITY. The application of "virtue" as being the same as one's virginity is the archaic definition. Make the distinction and make it crystal clear.
Once virginity is gone (physically for both genders), it can never be recaptured. But virtue? It can regained. Look at the definition of virtue: "behavior showing high moral standards". Anyone, regardless of their past or even recent present, can change and regain their virtue.
CLARIFY DOCTRINES THAT LEAVE TOO MUCH UP TO INTERPRETATION. This has to be OFFICIAL, not done by apologists on YouTube or groups like FAIR.
Are we conceived via a kind of spiritual incest? Was Jesus conceived by an exalted man, his Father in heaven, with his spirit sister, Mary? In short, spend more time contemplating and addressing doctrines. If the teachings of prior leaders are no longer to be accepted as doctrine, then dispose of those quotes and never use them. Stop trying to explain them away.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly: OFFER A HELPING HAND TO THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT and have suffered from the teachings, practices, and policies. Listen to them and their stories.
Such a helping hand could be a written apology stating that the Church doesn't condone what happened and that you ask forgiveness for the pain inflicted.
Don't justify; don't deny culpability. Just offer an official apology. Others may require more but the beginning of healing for everyone is when the people responsible offer a hand of peace.
Sincerely,
L.C. Walker
2025