The Role Of Emotional Abuse In The Mormon Church

I had been pondering this question for a while “how will my parents react when I tell them that I have decided to join the LDS church? The worst part of it all is that I didn’t ask permission to start speaking with the missionaries in the first place.” I was literally weighed down by fear as I crossed the threshold of my parent’s front door that evening. “I made this decision and I am willing to deal with the consequences,” I thought to myself. Somehow the brightly colored walls of the living room seemed dull. I walked toward my mom; as she turned around I felt her sharp eyes focus on mine. “I’m getting baptized in the Mormon Church,” I said timidly. I will never forget those words that came next. She looked at me with steely eyes and said, “you are, are you?” This woman, who had once been my mother, now looked like a stranger as she explained to me that if I went through with this choice, I would no longer be a part of her family. I told her that I had made up my mind. “Give me your keys and your phone,” she gasped with an acidic tone in her voice. I jumped in my car and hardly have heard from any of my family members in the last four years. I remember thinking …show more content…
According to Cohn this type of abuse is a type of behavior that is at odds with a child’s emotional development and identity of themselves. What could also be included is intense specific demands or expectations on a child beyond his or her capacity. These actions stunt personal growth and development a lot. Ganzarain & Buchele, two doctors in psychology exclaimed it can also leave victims to be ill-equipped to deal with the legitimate emotional reactions of others. Many people exposed to this horrendous type of abuse have also experienced uncontrollable mood swings, like going from a feeling of fierce terror, to a sense of extreme helplessness as cited in (Smullens,2010,