Emancipate Your Mind: 080: Organizational Narcissism and the LDS Church’s Response to Child Sex Abuse Allegations

This month has been a dumpster fire in the LDS and ex-LDS communities as we’ve watched the Mormon church respond to allegations that they’ve been covering up child sexual abuse. Since the Associated Press investigation broke, my Licensed Professional Therapist husband and I haven’t been able to stop reading and researching and discussing what we’ve found. Watching the church respond to the allegations has been disappointing and frustrating but has also revealed the deep rooted organizational narcissism present in the church. However, on Friday, August 26th, Stuart Reid’s Salt Lake Tribune Article was so overtly harmful we felt we needed to discuss the organizational entitlement, grandiosity, and lack of empathy present in both this article and all of the statements the church has released since the article broke earlier this month. ___________________________________________________________________ RESOURCES: Reid, S.C. 2022, August 26. Stuart C. Reid: Privacy of the confessional is a God-given right. Salt Lake Tribune. Rezendes, M. 2022, August 4. Seven Years of Sex Abuse: How Mormon Officials Let It Happen. Associated Press. Rezendes, M. 2022, August 4. 4 Takeaways from AP’s Mormon church sex abuse investigation. Associated Press. Church provides further details about Arizona abuse case. 2022, August 17. Official Church Statement. ChurchofJesusChrist.org Proffer, Craig. 2022, August 9. LDS Church responds to AP investigation into sexual abuse. East Idaho News. Fletcher Stack, P. 2022, August 21. Lack of LDS Church transparency in child sex abuse cases stuns AP reporter. Salt Lake Tribune. Schlueter Ross, P. 2015, October 22. Most child molesters ‘religious’, often target church members. Reporter: Official Newspaper of the Lutheran Church McKinney, C. 2010, August 24. Reliability of self-reported childhood physical abuse by adults and factors predictive of inconsistent reporting. Pub Med, Violence Vict., 2009; 24(5); 653-668 Myths and facts about sex offenders. City of Rifle, Colorado. Mortensen, R. 2011, April 18. The Mormon church and illegal immigration. Center for Immigration Studies. (Reid’s quote is in the section titled: Quietly Influencing Public Policy) Atheists roughly as distrusted as rapists, UBC study finds. 2011, December 1. CTV News. A voice for victims: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon Church). HermanLaw.com. 1644: Mormon Church Discouraging Sex Abuse Victims From Reporting- Survivor Stories. 2022, August 19. Mormon Stories Podcast. YouTube. Mormonism Live: 089: Manipulation, Money, and Mormon Sex Abuse. 2022, August 17. Mormonism Live Podcast. YouTube. ____________________________________________________________________ JOIN THE DISCUSSION Come join the Emancipate Yourself Facebook group to share your thoughts on today’s podcast and ask more questions. DONATE TO THE PODCAST: Want to support our work and keep these resources available to all who want or need them? Consider making a tax-deductible donation at emancipateyourmind.org COME SEE US AT MORMONPALOOZA, OCTOBER 1, 2022 Get your tickets here: https://www.mormonpalooza.com/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS