Truth Revealed About Bravo’s “Surviving Mormonism”
Response to Bravo’s Surviving Mormonism
Bravo’s new limited series Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay is raw, emotional, and—for many Latter-day Saints and former members—deeply personal. Heather Gay uses her platform as a reality-TV star and bestselling author to amplify stories of people who believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints failed them, especially around sexual abuse, conversion therapy, and cultural expectations for women and LGBTQ members. Bravo+1
Those stories matter. Abuse, whether in a family, a ward, a school, or any other institution, is an inexcusable violation of both God’s law and human dignity. The survivors in this series deserve to be heard with compassion, not dismissed as “disgruntled” or “too sensitive.” Independent investigations and civil lawsuits have confirmed that in some cases, local leaders and church systems—including the abuse help line—have been part of serious failures to protect children. The Associated Press+2AP News+2
At the same time, Surviving Mormonism is not a neutral documentary about a global religion; it is a three-hour reality-style docuseries shaped around the experience and perspective of one very public ex-member. It highlights genuine pain but rarely pauses to show the full picture of LDS doctrine, policy, or the vast range of members’ lived experiences.
On abuse and the help line, church policy is stronger on paper than the show suggests. The General Handbook instructs leaders to take abuse reports seriously, to help victims first, and to report abuse to civil authorities, not to discourage reporting. The Church of Jesus Christ+2The Church of Jesus Christ+2 Official statements emphasize that “any kind of abuse…is an abomination to the Lord.” KUTV+1 The confidential help line is described by the Church and its attorneys as a way to guide bishops through complex reporting laws and connect families to professional support, and they claim it leads to hundreds of reports each year. newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org+1
Yet lawsuits and investigative reporting raise credible concerns that in some cases, legal risk management and clergy-penitent privilege have taken precedence over child safety. The Associated Press+2AP News+2 Those tensions should not be papered over. They call for transparency, possible policy reform, and a survivor-first mindset that is lived as consistently in practice as it is taught in manuals and conference talks.
On conversion therapy and LGBTQ members, the series is aligned with the mainstream medical consensus: attempts to “change” sexual orientation are ineffective and harmful, especially for youth. Major professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association, have concluded that such practices increase risks of depression, anxiety, and suicidality. American Psychological Association+2American Psychological Association+2 Historically, some LDS-affiliated therapists and programs promoted these methods, and those harmed by them deserve clear acknowledgment and sincere apology.
In recent years, however, the Church has publicly stated that it opposes “conversion therapy” and that its therapists do not practice it, and it supported Utah’s 2019 rule banning conversion therapy for minors. newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org+1 That doesn’t erase past damage, but it is important context when judging what Latter-day Saint doctrine and policy teach today.
On culture and gender, Surviving Mormonism powerfully portrays the pressures some women and LGBTQ people experience in LDS settings—perfectionism, shame, and the fear of social exile for not fitting the mold. Heather Gay’s own memoirs and interviews paint a vivid picture of that world. RNS+1 At the same time, many believing women and men share these critiques from the inside and are working to build cultures of greater empathy, mental-health literacy, and space for complexity while remaining committed to their faith.
Ultimately, Surviving Mormonism tells one set of true stories—but not the whole story. It gives voice to people who feel deeply betrayed by a church they once loved, and that deserves careful listening. It does not, and cannot in its limited format, fully represent the experiences of millions of Latter-day Saints who find in the same church a source of faith, community, and meaning, and who are often just as horrified by abuse and cover-ups as the series’ guests are.
A responsible response to this show will:
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Listen to survivors without defensiveness.
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Insist on accurate facts about doctrine, policy, and law.
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Call for accountability and reform where systems have failed.
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Refuse to reduce 200 years of history and millions of diverse lives to either a glossy PR brochure or a horror-reel of “dark secrets.”
Faith communities, including the LDS Church, should be measured not by their marketing, nor by their worst headlines alone, but by their willingness to face hard truths, protect the vulnerable, and align their practice more closely with the gospel they preach.