Guest LiterateParakeet Posted August 7, 2011 Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 In honor of Sis. Okazaki, and because it is an amazing talk....http://www.byub.org/talks/transcripts/eh/2002/10/eh20021023-1136.pdfI was truly amazed when I read this. I've not felt so understood and validated by someone in the church before. I wish every adult church member would read it and take it to heart. To underscore WHY I think this is so important for everyone to read by sharing Sis. Okazaki's words.. . .sexual abuse is a problem for all of us, both men and women, whetherwe have experienced it personally or not. The most conservative statistic I have heardis that one woman in ten is sexually abused before she is eighteen. The worst I haveheard is that the figure is closer to one in three. One in three. A comparable statisticfor the sexual abuse of boys is one in ten, and researchers feel that the sexual abuse ofboys is even more severely underreported than the sexual abuse of girls. There are nosystematic studies of which I am aware done on Mormon men and Mormon women, butthose who work with LDS women and men as counselors and therapists say they haveno reason to believe that the statistics are any different for them than for the nationalpopulation.Now think about the worst statistics: one in three. If you are a woman, it means that youhave a 33 percent chance of being that woman. If you are a man, it means that yourwife, your mother, or your daughter, may be that woman. If you have three daughters, ifyou have three sisters, if you have three daughters-in-law, if you have threegranddaughters, this terrible evil could have entered your family’s life with or withoutyour knowledge. Consider the men in your life. Think about your sons and grandsons,your missionary companions. Did one of them struggle silently with this spiritualburden? If you have worked in three elders’ quorum presidencies or bishoprics or stakepresidencies, the statistical odds are that one of them bore this grievous, invisible wound.Think of your friends; think of the women sitting in your Relief Society and the mensitting in the priesthood meeting. Think of the children in your Primary. Sexual abuseis a problem for all righteous women and all righteous men everywhere.I would love to have a discussion on this talk..once you've had a chance to read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted August 7, 2011 Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Outstanding - especially considering it was given in 2002. We humans didn't really start figuring much of this stuff out until the last few decades. I remember in college in the '90's, doing research on how spousal rape was actually possible and something that happened. Her 8 messages should be enshrined in our culture these days - but there's always still people to reach with this information:1. Sexual abuse is a problem for all of us2. sexual abuse is not the child’s fault3. women and men who have been sexually abused probably need professional help and certainly need personal support.4. women and men who are coming to terms with sexual abuse need all the spiritual help they can get.5. Fifth, those of you who are teachers and leaders have a special role in play in supporting a man or a woman who’s going through the aftermath of abuse.6. healing from sexual abuse is a very long and very painful process.7. [do not] shield perpetrators out of mistaken sense of love.8. we can do much to stop the abuse before it starts by holding the men and women in our lives to gospel standards.Thanks for posting this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiechick Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) Hello Everyone, I am an active memeber, I am 34 years old, I am a wife to a wonderful husband and mother to 4 living children and I have only now begun to open up about what happened to me at the hands of my mother. I have started to blog the memories, right now it is the purging our and soon it will be the growth and blessings. I would appreciate your comments and support. To become the Lotus God bless everyone in the healing journey. Eva Edited August 14, 2011 by Loudmouth_Mormon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Hi Aussiechick, and welcome. You're not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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