"The Church is good at producing fiction"

The Church is Good at Producing Fiction: Examining Narrative Discrepancies in LDS Institutional Accounts

When survivors of institutional abuse share their stories, they often encounter a troubling phenomenon: the official narrative presented by powerful institutions frequently diverges from the lived experiences documented by those who were directly involved. This tension between institutional memory and individual testimony has become increasingly visible in conversations about how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints handles sensitive matters, particularly cases involving abuse reporting and mandatory social worker involvement. The question at the heart of this issue isn't whether the Church intends to deceive, but rather whether institutional accounts sometimes prioritize a preferred narrative over documented reality.

According to testimony shared on the Mormon Stories Podcast, this discrepancy has taken on concrete dimensions in real cases. When survivors describe their experiences with Church protocols around abuse reporting, a troubling pattern emerges: institutional representatives sometimes claim procedures were followed that survivors insist never occurred. This raises an uncomfortable question for both members and researchers: how do we reconcile these contradictory accounts, and what does it reveal about institutional storytelling?

Background: The Church's Approach to Institutional Accountability

The LDS Church has faced increasing scrutiny over the past two decades regarding how it handles abuse allegations and reports to civil authorities. In response to lawsuits and public pressure, the Church has implemented policies that include protocols for bishops and other leaders to consult with Church legal counsel and, in some cases, social workers when abuse is reported.

However, the gap between policy as written and policy as practiced has been documented by researchers and survivors alike. Church statements frequently emphasize adherence to mandatory reporting laws and the involvement of professional social workers in sensitive cases. Yet individual accounts sometimes paint a different picture, one where these safeguards were either absent or inconsistently applied.