My husband and I left the LDS church over the sexual abuse of my children by a former spouse (we had divorced and I had remarried by that time).

Part of my problem with my church leaders was that they let him go through the temple very quickly but denied my husband and me our request to be sealed for 3 years.

We were full tithe payers, held current TR's, paid extra fast offering, fulfilled callings, wore garmies, the whole 9 yards. I was basically told by my last bishop and SP that I had to have been lying since the man still had a recommend and still denied any abuse whatsoever. Uh, right. I pointed out that my grown children were still saying he abused them. I told them other LDS members had told me of instances where they saw this man fondle other peoples' children (or other "odd" behavior or seeing his hands in unusual places they shouldn't have been in close approximation to a child) in either ward or stake meetings.

I was not listened to at all, nor was there any weight given to the fact that there was a CPS report in existence that had a finding of "reason to believe" and that I had mailed a copy of to GBH.

During this meeting (about 2 hours long) the bishop and SP also threatened to excommunicate my minor daughter still at home if I didn't "repent" and "stop telling people your story since you are causing doubt and spreading dissention!", (lol) so we had to wait until she left home to really leave.

We left (after going "inactive" until my daughter moved out) by moving out of state and just not going back, very upset at how we had been treated but not knowing who we were without Mormonism. We felt like empty shells. Little did we know how accurate those feelings were, having been told what to think on every little subject and how to have the right "feelings" to show "righteousness". We had unplugged but didn't know how to live free of Mormonism!

It's been a strange and eventful time, but it took us another 3 years after leaving to realize the fraud of the doctrine after reading Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven". We had our names removed from the rolls of LDS Inc. in late 2005. We only consider that we "left" three years ago since we held on so tightly to the doctrine just somehow "knowing" it must have some truth and that the leaders had been corrupted. We were, at least outwardly, the true-bluest of TBMs.

What I wonder now is how can the LDS church not care about the many faithful but now questioning members over either a situation similar to mine or another, just as upsetting and traumatic, that they refuse to give spiritual guidance or real help about? They claim to care about families, children and people but when push comes to shove they don't. It's all about raking in money and covering up for perpetrators of abuse--in our case, a male P*hood holder. I was actually told by my SP, "we must protect the reputation of a Priesthood holder". I just looked at him with my jaw dropped before deciding seconds later to stop giving them my money.

It would be difficult to assess the extent to which this blatant spiritual abuse (and failure of LDS leaders to report this to the appropriate authorities once they knew about the abuse) and covering for this child molester has damaged my children because some of the damage is yet to be seen (as far as future generations are concerned and others who may be affected indirectly by decisions of LDS Inc. in our family's situation). Ironically, though I left because I could no longer support such sick posturing and enabling done behind closed doors by LDS leaders, my eldest daughter is forbidden by her own religion, if she is to be considered a "worthy member", to associate with my husband and me because of the nature of the TR questions about "associating, sympathizing or affiliating with apostates" which we are now considered.  

But life goes on. We are finding joy and happiness in our new circumstances, our new friends and the support of bulletin boards dedicated to helping us understand what happened after leaving LDS Inc. and what caused us to be susceptible to their belief system. My two youngest children are not "active" at all, the eldest is a TBM and the second eldest is a "Jack Mormon".