After a two-year legal battle with the BYU Police Department, Radio Free Mormon has finally succeeded in obtaining copies of audio recordings related to their investigation of former MTC President Joseph Bishop for allegedly raping a sister missionary in 1984. These recordings will be released in three parts. In Part 3, we release three separate recordings of conversations conducted after the BYUPD interview with Joseph Bishop: (1) A phone call between BYUPD and McKenna Denson asking follow up questions; (2) A phone message from McKenna Denson to BYUPD thanking them for their courtesy and professionalism; and, (3) a phone call to BYUPD in which Joseph Bishop supplies more information in addition to what he disclosed during the interview.
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A very interesting tragedy of errors told by two people who have only a loose relationship with the truth. The church needs to change its hierarchical structure in which women must submit to men. Why did Denson’s Spanish teacher at the MTC not call the mission president on his private meetings with a young female missionary? This was strictly against mission rules. A woman challenge a man? Not happening. The structure of the LDS church is inherently evil and rife with opportunities for opportunists. Why Mormon women put up with this still, after the long sad history of oppression and abuse, is beyond me. Joseph Bishop observes that it seems popular these days for women to call men on their bad behavior. This is true, possibly because it has been popular, since the inception of the Mormon church for too many men to be allowed, and sometimes even encouraged, to overstep the boundaries of human decency. I’m sorry for both Bishop and Denson here, but I’m pissed as all get out at the Mormon church for defending their scripture and current structure that engenders the abuse of women. But Mormon women will only get the power they deserve by fighting for it, and that I don’t see on the horizon. RFM, I’m sending you another donation.
It’s interesting that it didn’t seem to occur to the BYUPD that charges arising from 34-year-old events might be time-barred. The officers describe pretty much all other aspects of basic criminal procedure, but do not consider one glaring reason why a DA would not bother filing charges.
When so many members are disciplined for much less than Bishop admits to doing with multiple women it boggles the mind that this man in multiple positions of authority over decades kept confessing to his bishops and at least one 1Q70 and kept being promoted with no negative repercussions on his church career.
Two words: Second Annointing
I wonder if, in all Bishop’s confessions to people in authority over him, he explained just how Denson ended up in his preparation room. He vaguely surmises that she might have “followed” him there. That could not have happened. He was retracing the footsteps of the master manipulator Joseph Smith, the man who excelled at luring young women into a trap. Maybe that’s what earned him a promotion.
Steve, I was suspected the same thing. Bishop having his second anointing is the only thing I can imagine that would let him get past his “indiscretions,” if he even confessed them at all.