NEWS REPORT: “Utah has a child abuse problem. At a conference about preventing child abuse, it was reported that Utah ranks eighth in child abuse and first in sex abuse rates of children.” –KUTV news report, “Utah has high rates of child abuse, sex abuse of children,” 2 November 2015. [source]
STATISTICS: “Utah’s rate of rape has been significantly higher than the U.S. rate since 2000. In 2014, Utah’s reported rape rate was significantly higher than the U.S. rate (67.7 and 51.9 per 100,000 females).” –Utah Department of Health. [source]
SCRIPTURE: “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” -Matthew 7:20. [source]
COMMENTARY: I always try to be careful to separate the actions of individuals from the teachings of the church. People are imperfect. The gospel is perfect. That’s why the place that has the highest concentration in the world of people trying to follow the gospel are, as a group, more likely to live in ways that reflect that perfect gospel. At least, that’s what a lot of people tell me, and that’s what I hear from Mormons when reports come out about how Utah is happier or people live longer there, etc. When Utah has the highest rate in the nation for child sexual abuse, and when they significantly exceed the national rate for sexual assault, it doesn’t mean the church isn’t true. But it should give you pause to question why, in matters of something that is this quintessentially representative of morality, the place with the perfect gospel does worse than places where people live entirely without that perfect gospel. Maybe you can come up with some explanation that helps you shrug this off, but on a subject this reprehensibly evil, I’m no longer willing to engage in the mental gymnastics required to hold the church or the gospel blameless. But what do I know? I’m just another apostate.
