Episode 1: Why Do We Confess Sexual Sins to Bishops?
Episode 1: Why Do We Confess Sexual Sins to Bishops?
The Q.More podcast aims to help navigate and start healthy conversations around tricky-to-ask questions about culture and doctrine in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The podcast interviews great minds about questions that are submitted by subscribers of the podcast. If you have a question you want answered, please send in questions via voice memo to qmore@qnoor.com.
Question discussed on this episode of Q.More-
“Ok, so my question, um, and this kind of comes from personal experience, I am wondering why we have to confess sins to the Bishop, and specifically, like, why we sometimes have to go into detail. I guess a little background–when I was little bit younger I needed to go and talk to the Bishop about something. I remember, like, preparing to go to the Bishop’s office, that was the hardest part for me. I just didn’t want to have to go into detail with a guy that I didn’t know and I didn’t have a relationship with about, ya know, things that I had never talked about with anybody else before. Things that were kind of personal to me, ya know. It was hard to get myself to go in there, and then after, ya know, the process was over, I remember I still didn’t really feel comfortable about things, and ya know, I’d talked to people afterwards, and I know a lot of people didn’t have to go into detail with their Bishop’s about things that happened, and so I think it was kind of something that was unique to me. So, since it’s just kind of been something that I’ve wondered about, ya know, why did I have to do that. So ya, that’s my question.”
-Question Submitted by a listener
On this episode of Q.More, Rosie interviews Kristin B. Hodson, a sex therapist, and Richard Ostler, a former YSA (Young Single Adult) Bishop. Rosie asks questions hoping to better understand why we confess sexual sins to Bishops. Kristin and Richard both help answer this question by discussing the need for boundaries, personal revelation, and the true nature of repentance.
When asked what she’d like her message to be on the podcast, Kristin said-
“I hope something we can talk about in this conversation is how to start to claim your own authority and learn how to navigate these really difficult situations, so that when potentially you need to go talk to your bishop you have a clear understanding of what your boundaries are and what is ok and what is not ok. So that if something goes over the line, you understand that and you know what you can do to get yourself out of that situation.”
-Kristen B. Hodson, Q.More Podcast
Kristin B. Hodson, photo courtesy of kristinbhodson.com.
Kristin B. Hodson
Kristin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. Below is more about Kristin’s background, sourced from her website-
“Kristin is involved in many practices and projects with the goal of improving sexual health in individuals, couples, families, communities and institutions. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, Kristin sees clients at her mental health clinic, The Healing Group, teaches human sexuality as an Adjunct Professor at The University of Utah in the College of Social Work, hosts the largest professional conference in the rocky mountain region, The Rocky Mountain Sex + Intimacy Summit, and works to change local legislation and policy with her Smart Kids Utah parent project. Kristin is co-author of, “Real Intimacy: A Couple’s Guide to Genuine, Healthy Sexuality” and is working on her second book, “Yes! You Can Talk To Your Kids About Sex.” Learn more about Kristin by visiting her About Page.”
You can read more about her on her website here.
“I realize we talk about worth and worthiness, but I always feel like we are worthy. We are supposed to make mistakes and learn, and we are supposed to grow.”
-Kristen B. Hodson, Q.More Podcast
Richard Ostler, photo courtesy of www.papaostler.com.
Richard Ostler
Richard served as a Young Single Adult (YSA) Bishop for many years, and through his service came to see the trials many young adults were going through. He is now an advocate for LGBTQ issues, faith crisis, and other issues facing members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You can read more about Richard at his website here.
“The test of life is really how we can handle our mistakes and what we can learn from them and how we can grow from them. And working through mistakes brings Christ-like attributes into our lives, and that makes us better people.”
-Richard Ostler
Rosemary “Rosie” Card’s introduction and reason for starting the Q.More podcast:
“But the very best thing about Q.Noor is it has become a community. It turns out people are pretty hungry for a space to just ask questions. Everything from am I the only one that’s getting really bad wedgies from the new garments? If you know, you know. To deeper questions about our culture and church doctrine. And as for having these conversations I often think of people that I know that would have great things to share, but they don’t just happen to be on that thread on Facebook at that moment. I wish everyone in the Q.Noor fam could have access to these great minds, and so I thought, “What the heck? Let’s make a podcast.”
“When it comes to true repentance we really need to focus on something so much deeper:
The Why.”
-Rosemary Card, Host of Q.More
The host of this podcast is Rosemary “Rosie” Card, founder of Q.Noor LDS Temple Dresses and Baptism Dresses and the author of “Model Mormon.” Follow Rosie on Instagram, @rosiecard, or Twitter ,@RosemaryCard.
