The Not Secret Victim Blaming of Mormon Wives; Atheist Church calls on Mormon Prophet to Repent
- Joe Rawlins
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
For Immediate Release
May 27, 2025
The following was sent today to the Headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, UT. Sign this petition at change.org if you agree.
Dear President Nelson,
On behalf of The Church of Korihor, I call upon The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to repent of the shameful trend of victim-blaming survivors of domestic violence.
Background
One of those survivors is “Pastor Jennie” Gage—Second Herald of The Church of Korihor—who endured twenty-four years of abuse at the hands of her ex-husband while they were both LDS. Jennie bravely divorced her now-ex-husband to preserve her safety and that of her children. Since then, she has courageously shared online and in television interviews the painful lessons learned over two decades of suffering.
The Harmful Response
Rather than meet her testimony with Christ-like compassion, a Mormon apologist program called Ward Radio has launched a sustained attack on Jennie’s credibility. In multiple episodes they accuse her of “lying” and have invited her abuser on air to ask, “What’s it like to be married to a crazy woman?” The hosts call Jennie a “child” because she says that the Mormon Church was complicit in her abuse and they even brag about making harassing comments on YouTube videos where she had announced that she was taking a break from social media in response to hurtful comments on her videos.
I was alarmed to see that immediately after attacking Jennie, a representative of your Church even appeared on Ward Radio’s program. Frankly, your Church’s silence about Mormons’ online harassment of survivors of violence is suspicious.
Why This Matters
As podcaster Beth Magnetic observes, Christian nationalism within the Mormon community is fostering a culture of cruelty:
“it is volatile, dangerous, and shows the world how a casserole-bearing neighbor can become a violent criminal. Celebrating those who rile up hostility while also excommunicating questioners only proves our worst fear of propping up the next Jodi Hildebrant or Chad Daybell.”
President Nelson, shall this kind of disregard for the physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of women mar your legacy in this chapter of the Restoration?
A Way Forward
The time has come for Latter-Day Saints to come to Jesus about the tacit and/or explicit endorsement of violence against women.
President Nelson, with global attention fixed on Mormon culture, this is your time to lead. I challenge you to:
Publicly acknowledge the pain inflicted by Latter-Day Saints’ questioning of survivors’ character simply to protect the Church’s reputation.
Call Members to repent specifically of un-Christlike language meant to shame and silence victims.
Launch an anti-victim-blaming initiative—publicly, churchwide, and with training for leaders and for members.
If The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will lead on this, you will not only protect survivors like Jennie, but also rebuild the moral authority that members expect their Church to stand for. Should you wish to collaborate, I remain at your service on part of Korihors worldwide.
Respectfully,
Joseph Rawlins
First Herald, The Church of Korihor