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The following is excerpted from the Deseret News. To read the full article, click here.
A Colorado woman suing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because she claims it covered up her alleged 1984 rape by a former Missionary Training Center president, stood up Sunday during a fast-and-testimony church meeting in Chandler, Arizona, to record and publicly restate her allegation against the man in his home congregation.
The church responded Tuesday, expressing disappointment that McKenna Denson had disrupted the worship service.
“Once each month, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participate in a worship service that includes an opportunity for members to share their testimonies of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and his gospel,” spokesman Eric Hawkins said. “It is disappointing that anyone would interrupt such a worship service to bring attention to their own personal cause.
“Recording and posting of these disruptions on social media to seek public attention and media coverage, sadly, shows an unfortunate lack of respect for others,” he added. “We respectfully request that those with personal grievances find other means to communicate their messages than disrupting the sanctity of a worship service.”
Denson’s statement was videotaped by her supporters and fellow critics of the church and posted on YouTube.
Reached by phone on Tuesday, Denson declined an interview request made by the Deseret News.
To read the full article, click here.
Dennis WorkmanSeptember 11, 2018
I'm an old guy and my question is what are you trying to accomplish by making these events of 30 plus years ago public in a Church meeting?There were people in there who may not have been born then, to those who were your closest friends. To those in between struggling with the hard problems we all faced. We all have the right to deal with our problems with the Church as we see fit. But to bring this incident to a group of people seeking spiritual guidance, dumping it on their lives and familes shows more vengeance and retaliation in your heart than pain.
Maryann TaylorSeptember 8, 2018
This is a good lesson for us all to remember the purpose of our fast & Testimony meetings. The focus should always be on the Savior and our testimony of Him and His gospel. I have been frustrated to see the meeting misused in many ways. I often hear others declare their love to their spouse from the pulpit, or make comments about how amazing they are. The comments should be made to the person themselves, not from the pulpit. They draw attention away from the Savior. I remember reading in The Ensign one time that parents need to teach their children that saying "I love my Mommy," is not a testimony. We would do well to follow that counsel as adults.