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When Confidentiality Becomes Silence: LDS Church Training Materials and the Reporting Dilemma

In 2023, a former LDS Seminary and Institute instructor made a striking disclosure: the Church's own emergency response guide instructed teachers never to discuss specific instances of abuse, citing the need to "protect confidentiality." For mandatory reporters, educators legally required to report suspected child abuse, this directive creates a direct collision between ecclesiastical authority and state law. The question cuts to the heart of institutional accountability: when institutional policy discourages the discussion of abuse, who protects the vulnerable?

This tension between Church silence protocols and secular reporting obligations has become a focal point in discussions about safeguarding practices within faith communities. Understanding what the Church's training materials actually say, and why they say it, matters not only for educators navigating legal and moral terrain, but for anyone seeking to understand how religious institutions balance institutional protection with individual safety.

Background: The Intersection of Institutional Policy and Legal Duty

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long emphasized confidentiality in internal disciplinary and pastoral matters. This principle reflects broader religious traditions emphasizing confession, repentance, and institutional discretion. In 1991, the Church established its Strength of Youth program and later expanded institutional protocols around sensitive matters.

However, beginning in the 1980s and accelerating through the 2000s, every U.S. state enacted mandatory reporter laws. These statutes require certain professionals, including teachers, counselors, and clergy in some jurisdictions, to report suspected child abuse to law enforcement or child protective services. The tension was inevitable: institutional confidentiality cultures would eventually conflict with legal reporting mandates.