This week I catch up with Sam Young, the Former LDS Bishop who asked the LDS Church to stop asking children sexually explicit questions during Bishop Worthiness Interviews. Sam Young created a petition, collected survivor stories, organized a march in Salt Lake City and survived a 21 day Hunger Strike with firesides each night to bring awareness to the dangers of these interviews. After all this, the LDS Church excommunicated Sam Young for his efforts to protect children from harm. Over the next year, Sam continued to turn his frustration at The Church’s response to raising awareness of the need to Protect Every Child. He turned his campaign into a national effort to Protect Every Child, not just LDS Children. Listen in a Sam shares what his efforts have entailed during the past year, including many mountains climbed, many conversations, and a march 3x his original march in SLC. If you’d prefer to watch this interview instead of just listen, visit Mormon Happy Hour on Patreon and support the podcast today!
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
-
- CALL Mormon Happy Hour at 435-494-1427
- VIDEO of this episode on Patreon
- VENMO for Mormon Happy Hour one time donations
- MHH02: Sam’s 1st Appearance on Mormon Happy Hour
- MHH29: Sam Announces Hunger Strike
- MHH33: Sam After Hunger Strike
- MHH50: Sam Reacts to TAL Episode about Protect LDS Children
- Protect Every Child Website
- Protect LDS Children Website
- SNAP Article about Sam Young
- Music by bensound.com and by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 - Transition pieces found here
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Lesley Butterfield, Bryce Blankenagel and I create a very strong case for why we all should care about the Strengthening Church Members Committee and their top secret files obtained through secret spies and online moles. We learned quite a few things during our call to the SCMC office, call in Episode 73, and we bring in current events that make these discoveries even more significant. The recent Vice piece chronicling the sex abuse case in West Virginia and how they focus on the LDS Church “Helpline” becomes a vital tie in. And did you catch the Panel of Women at the Women’s Conference at BYU who told all the women in the church how to submit when Priesthood leaders are being dismissive? Yuck! It is aaaaaalll related! Be sure and listen to Episode 75 as well, as this is a 2 part discussion. The videos for these episodes are already on Patreon, where subscribers got a super early release!
This week, Sam Young returns to give us his inside reaction to the episode of This American Life: But That’s What Happened, that addressed the consequences in the lives of children after experiencing Worthiness Interviews conducted within the LDS Church. Sam shares the results from this and other actions that Protect LDS Children has taken and plans he has for the future to continue to spread awareness and Protect LDS Children.
Colleen and Lesley take a chronological approach through the past 2 weeks of sexual abuse hot topics in Mormonism. We vent our way through Sam Young of the Protect LDS Children movement called to a disciplinary court and the results of that court still undetermined. Don’t miss McKenna Denson calling out her alleged rapist, former Missionary Training Center President Joseph Bishop in front of his local congregation. Next, beloved Progressive Mormon Columnist for the SLTrib, Robert Kirby, responds to Denson’s call-out and social media erupts. MormonLeaks is sued by Brigham Young University, and also this past Tuesday, drops a leaked memo from Kirton McConkie, the LDS Church’s law firm. The memo addresses 6 cases of sexual misconduct and how the church [MIS] handles them. And we wrap up the vent fest with two brave women who are speaking out about the unsafe conditions of LDS missionaries, including their own harrowing experiences of sexual assault. Full video of the episode is available on Patreon.
This week Colleen brings 3 guests on to discuss several hot topics in Mormonism. First up, Blaire Ostler, a queer Mormon woman, takes on the Exclusion Policy addition to both the Missionary and Seminary manuals. Second, Marie Kent from My Book of Mormon Podcast hashes out Utah Prop 2, the legalization of medical marijuana. And lastly, New Name Noah Mike Norton gives us an update on what we should be calling the church formerly known as The Mormons. Don’t miss Mike’s upcoming plans for Sam Young’s pending excommunication for asking the LDS Church to stop asking children sexually explicit questions. But those can only be found with all the other full-length videos on our Patreon page!
Sam Young joins Mormon Happy Hour once again at the conclusion of his 23 day Hunger Strike and Spotlight with an Apostle Event in downtown SLC. I gathered questions from listeners and explored with Sam his reflections over the past 3 weeks of his evening chats and fasting. Listen to his most memorable moments, the hardest parts of the fast, the impact his actions have had, and most importantly, how he’s now feeling! Full video of this interview is available on Patreon!
Mormon Happy Hour celebrated Mormonism at the 2018 SLC Sunstone Symposium this past weekend. Colleen met many of you, and has collected over 20 interviews to share! But this first one is the most important! Please join with Colleen in supporting Sam Young and his current action to Protect LDS Children. Sam has begun a Hunger Strike outside the Church Office building in downtown SLC. He will be inviting one specific apostle to sit down with him each night of his Hunger Strike to listen to the concerns of those affected by the harm that can occur during Bishop Worthiness Interviews. Please share his current plans! Please protect LDS Children! No More One-on-One Interviews. No Sexually Explicit Questions, EVER!
Last week in Mormonism was one for the history books! Those whisperings that this conference season would be one to remember certainly did not disappoint! The Angels on Fire tackle the headlines for the past week, beginning with the Protect LDS Children March on Friday, March 30th and Crystal Legionaires, the woman who shouted “Stop Protecting Sexual Predators” during Conference. Next, Quentin Cook’s harmful creation of “non-consensual immorality.” Explosive news as MTC Rape Victim of Joseph Bishop, McKenna Denson comes out of anonymity in a press conference to announce a civil lawsuit citing both Joseph Bishop and the LDS Church. Shocking revelations are discovered as the dossier created to discredit Denson reveals extremely sensitive information, including releasing adoption records from before her mission. And finally, a predominant LDS fertility doctor is sued for the non-consensual use of his own sperm to impregnate his patients. Be sure to check out our full episode video and bonus material on Patreon.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Take a break from the heavy stuff and laugh with us! The Angels on Fire bring to you our official General Conference Pre-Game Show! We suggest a few ideas for a drinking game while you watch. Mark Pugsley guests on the show, sharing his observations of LDS, Inc reactions to many grassroots movements. Ryan Chidester joins us to swap rumors from r/exmormon about the upcoming Conference, with some history on the topic. Find the video for this episode, extended interviews with our guests and more bonus material on our Patreon page! Cheers!
The Angels on Fire have an amazing experience at PHX Southwest Sunstone Conference. Colleen and Miranda get to partake in an Epic Mormon Potluck, interview your favorite names in Post Mormonism, and some great attendees who sit down and chat with us as well! We announce the winners of two contests we run at Sunstone and give away some amazing gifts! Don’t forget to check out the video of this episode and all the interviews on our Patreon page!