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SALT LAKE CITY — Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responded Sunday afternoon to a man who has launched a hunger strike to protest church policies regarding interviews with children and youth.
Sam Young, a former LDS bishop from Houston, stopped eating Friday at 7 p.m. On Sunday morning at 9, he announced his hunger strike. He said his goal was for the church to stop one-on-one bishop's interviews with children and youth and to end the use of what he described as sexually explicit questions during those interviews.
The church specified in March that its policy is that children and youth can bring an adult of their choosing to a bishop's interview. That directive is codified in Handbook 1, the general handbook of instructions for local leaders.
In June, the church released a standardized set of questions for bishops to use in interviews with youth. None are sexually explicit.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement on Sunday afternoon, which reads:
"Children and youth are precious. We share a desire to protect them, to help them grow and develop faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ and to live good and moral lives. This includes building good relationships with ecclesiastical and youth leaders who can provide support in many settings including personal interviews."
