Being a victim of sexual assault often leads to confusion, hopelessness, and guilt. Yet the versatility of Christ’s Atonement can still be a comfort for guiltless victims.
There are few things more devastating than being sexually abused. The aftermath of one’s agency being ignored is often full of regret, anxiety, and, most commonly, guilt.
In his 2018 BYU devotional “Agency, Accountability, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ: Application to Sexual Assault,” Brother Benjamin M. Ogles tries to bring peace to victims by resolving this guilt. Brother Ogles reminds us that “individuals who force or coerce sexual contact engage in one of the most personal and invasive forms of aggression.” The key terms force and coerce are important to remember; victims can’t be held accountable for events beyond their control. Because of this, sexual assault (SA) victims are blameless in the eyes of God, as their sacred agency has been stolen from them.
SA victims may understand this concept logically, but trying to heal can be difficult when feelings of guilt still linger. While the Atonement of Jesus Christ is most commonly used in the context of redeeming us from sin, it’s also important to remember Christ’s enabling power to heal us when we are sinless. Brother Ogles emphasizes this when he teaches, “The Savior’s atoning sacrifice can heal us from the hurt and abuse of others.” Christ took upon himself our pain so he would be able to empathize with and comfort us, and turning to someone who perfectly knows our pain can be freeing in times of guilt or loneliness (see Alma 7:11–12). Complete healing may take a long time, if it happens at all. Yet through the recovery process, it is important to know that there is a Savior who loves us unconditionally and is there to help us walk every brutal step.
For some, Christ’s perfect knowledge and empathy are enough support. For many other SA victims, they may also need the ready physical support of family, close friends, trained professionals, and trusted Church members. As members who strive to be Christlike, we must be prepared to warmly open our arms to those who trust us with these burdens. We must assure them of their worth, innocence, and validity as we actively “mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort” (Mosiah 18:9).
To learn more about navigating sexual abuse in the church, read the full devotional, “Agency, Accountability, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ: Application to Sexual Assault,” by Brother Benjamin M. Ogles.
Source: BYU Speeches
—Laura Vance, Latter-day Saint Insights
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Find more insights
To read more about how the plan of salvation shapes how we view sexual assault, read William Adams’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “The Gospel and Sexual Assault.”
Read President Gordon B. Hinckley’s reprimand of sexual abusers in his 1994 general conference address “Save the Children.”