In the most recent general conference, Church leaders spoke out strongly against abuse.
“Let me be perfectly clear: any kind of abuse of women, children, or anyone is an abomination to the Lord,” President Russell M. Nelson said. “The Savior will not tolerate abuse, and as His disciples, neither can we.”1
To help prevent abuse, the Church:
- Requires those who work with any children or youth in the Church to complete a “protecting children and youth training.”
- Established guidelines requiring at least two adults to be with kids at any time, to prevent situations where abuse may occur.
- Requires bishops to call a helpline when they learn that abuse has happened. The counselors and lawyers involved with this helpline can walk the bishop through the process of reporting the abuse to civil authorities, and whatever else needs to happen to help the victims and prevent further abuse.
- Flags the membership records of those who have been convicted of abuse so they aren’t asked to help with certain assignments or callings.
- Publishes articles in Church magazines, such as this one, to encourage members to make prevention a priority.
The Church also provides resources for abuse recovery, such as:
- Helping victims connect with professional counseling and therapy services.
- Maintaining an official Church website called abuse.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, which includes stories of hope, resources for parents, and more.
- Publishing Church magazine articles, like this one, that include stories from survivors.
If you or a loved one has experienced abuse, please know that you are not alone. You are a precious child of God, and those experiences were not your fault. You deserve respect and kindness.
Don’t give up. Reach out for help. Things will get better!
Spread the Word
Notes
Find an official Church statement about abuse here, including an infographic about preventing, reporting, and addressing abuse.
1. From “What Is True?” Oct. 2022 general conference.