LDS Church Faces Lawsuits Over Alleged Systemic Concealment of Sexual Abuse

Survivors who were sexually abused by trusted members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) have filed lawsuits alleging that the church was aware of the abuse and actively concealed it. These lawsuits claim that church leaders and members sexually abused other members, most of whom were minors, and that the church implemented policies to hide these abuses. The allegations suggest that this was not merely a series of isolated incidents but rather indicative of a systemic issue within the church, not the fault of the victims. These abuses reportedly spanned several decades, with lawsuits focusing on incidents from the 1960s to the early 2020s.

The lawsuits further allege that the church not only failed to stop the abuse but had mechanisms in place to actively conceal it. Church-wide policies are said to have been designed to silence victims, protect abusers, and facilitate ongoing abuse by transferring abusers across the country when they were reported. One method of concealment involved setting up an internal help line for reporting sexual abuse, with reports accessible only to church leaders. Instead of reporting these incidents to authorities, the church reportedly destroyed these records.

Due to the private nature of these lawsuits, it is unclear how many people have filed claims. However, some law firms have uncovered thousands of reports of sexual abuse within the LDS church, along with hundreds more reports of efforts to conceal such abuse. In 2025, the church settled more than 100 child sex abuse cases in California during private mediation, though the terms of the settlement remain undisclosed.

The lawsuits accuse the church of concealing abuse, allowing registered sex offenders to hold positions within the church, failing to warn minors and their parents about the abuse, and causing emotional harm and distress to survivors. Many of the survivors who filed lawsuits were children or young adults at the time of the abuse, often involved in youth programs, missions, or as congregants and children of church members.

Abusers reportedly came from various positions within the church, including bishops, missionaries, youth leaders, home teachers, and other members who exploited their authority to gain access to minors. The abuse often took place in church buildings, camps, mission housing, church events, and private homes where relationships were established through the church. For instance, several survivors accused church member Michael Jensen of abusing them on multiple occasions, alleging that the church failed to protect them throughout the 2000s. Jensen was sentenced to 35-75 years in prison in 2013.

In the spirit of Micah 6:8, which calls for justice, mercy, and walking humbly with God, the pursuit of truth and justice remains paramount. As Proverbs 11:1 reminds us, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are overthrown by their duplicity,” underscoring the importance of accountability and transparency in such matters.

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