Sexual Abuse and Moral Authority in the LDS Church: A Christian Perspective

This isn’t just about statistics or lawsuits. This is about something much deeper—truth, accountability, and whether a church that claims to speak for God actually reflects His character.

As Christians, we don’t measure a belief system only by what it claims, but by its fruit and how it handles sin—especially when it involves the most vulnerable.

Jesus spoke very strongly about this. He said that if someone causes a child to stumble, it would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be thrown into the sea¹. That’s not mild language. That’s a warning of severe judgment. So any church that claims to follow Christ should take abuse—and how it is handled—extremely seriously.

Now to be clear, abuse is not unique to one group. It has happened in many churches and institutions. But that doesn’t excuse anything. The real question is: how is it handled when it happens?

There are documented cases of abuse within LDS congregations, including situations involving men in leadership positions². These cases stretch across years and locations. That alone should cause concern, because spiritual leaders are supposed to protect, not harm.

But what raises even more serious questions is how some of these situations were handled. There are lawsuits and reports claiming that, in certain cases, abuse was not immediately reported to authorities and was instead handled internally³. In at least one widely reported situation, leaders were told to contact a church legal help line, and legal advice played a role in whether the abuse was reported⁴.

That’s where this becomes a spiritual issue, not just a legal one.

The Bible is clear that sin—especially serious, destructive sin—should be brought into the light, not managed quietly behind closed doors⁵. Protecting people should always come before protecting an institution’s image.

Now, the LDS Church has publicly said it condemns abuse and has policies in place⁶. That’s good. But statements aren’t the same as practice. When there are repeated claims of non-reporting or legal shielding, it raises the question of whether those policies are consistently lived out.

It’s also important to be fair and not confuse the LDS Church with extremist offshoots like the FLDS, where abuses like forced underage marriage have been proven⁸. Those groups are not the same. But separating them doesn’t remove the need to honestly evaluate what is happening within the LDS Church itself.

At the end of the day, this comes down to authority.

The LDS Church claims restored authority and continuing revelation. But Jesus gave a simple test: you will know them by their fruit⁹. Not just their words, not just their structure—but what actually comes out of it.

And here’s the hard truth Christians have to hold onto:

No church is above accountability. No leader is above correction. And no institution should ever come before truth and justice.

The Bible teaches that all authority belongs to Christ alone¹⁰. That means every church, every leader, every system must be measured against Him—not defended at all costs.

So this isn’t about attacking people. It’s about asking a serious question:

Does the way abuse has been handled reflect the heart of Christ?

Because if it doesn’t, then something is wrong—and it needs to be brought into the light, not explained away.

Scripture tells us to test everything and hold on to what is good¹¹. That includes churches. That includes leadership. That includes any claim to authority.

And if something fails that test, the answer isn’t to ignore it—it’s to confront it with truth.

Works Cited

¹ The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016, Matthew 18:6.

— Jesus warns severe judgment for harming children

² “Mormon Abuse Cases.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified 2026, Accessed 16 Apr. 2026

³ “Mormon Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuits: How Widespread Are the Claims?” File Abuse Lawsuit, n.d.,  Accessed 16 Apr. 2026

⁴ Tanner, Courtney. “Mormon Sex Abuse Help Line Discouraged Police Reports.” Axios, 5 Aug. 2022,  Accessed 16 Apr. 2026

⁵ The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016, Ephesians 5:11.

— Calls believers to expose wrongdoing

⁶ “Church Provides Further Details about Arizona Abuse Case.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Newsroom, 2022, Accessed 16 Apr. 2026

⁸ “Where Is Warren Jeffs Now?” People Magazine, 2023,  Accessed 16 Apr. 2026

⁹ The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016, Matthew 7:16.

— True spiritual authority is known by its fruit.

¹⁰ The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016, Matthew 28:18.

— Christ alone holds all authority

¹¹ The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016, 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

— Test everything and hold to what is true