[draft notes]

Researchers compile scripts for various kinds of crime (introduced by Cornish in 1994), and researchers have compiled scripts for sexual abuse (e.g., Leclerc and Cale in 2015). The recent analysis of how Coaches perpetrated sex offenses by St-Pierre et al. in 2022) provides a scaffold of frequent script components:

  1. Targeting a potential victim (i.e., targeting those who were vulnerable)
  2. Gaining trust (e.g., befriending an athlete, complimenting them, etc)
  3. Developing dependency and exerting control (e.g., telling the athlete that he/she needs them to succeed)
  4. Isolating the athlete (inviting the athlete to their home)
  5. Gaining cooperation (offering or promising benefits in exchange for sexual favors)
  6. Maintaining silence

The list

[Do we want to highlight this list or create my own?]

In 2016, an unnamed blogger at 116pages argued that that Joseph Smith was a sexual predator. Their self-proclaimed expertise on the topic was that they “often give presentations to the students about the dangers they face from online sexual predators” and that they “go through the patterns that predators use to entice young girls and boys and the precautions students need to take in order to stay safe.”

[Ideally, interspersed with Hales’s response and curious mormon’s response to Hales (and/or my response to Hales)]

  1. Joseph Smith told his victims that HER FAMILY’S salvation was dependent on giving into his wishes.
  2. Joseph Smith told his victims to keep his actions secret from family and friends.
  3. Joseph told his victims that HE would be killed if THEY didn’t comply.
  4. Joseph Smith promised his victims salvation if they complied with his requests.
  5. Joseph’s role as “Prophet of God” gave him a position of trust and authority over his victims.
  6. Smith married sisters living in the same house and did not allow them to tell each other.
  7. Joseph Smith told women to pray about his advances while at the same time telling them as their Prophet the answer to expect.
  8. Joseph told his victims that once they had given into him once, if they were to leave, they would be “destroyed”.
  9. Joseph told his victims that the way to glorify God was through their consent.
  10. Joseph’s victims thought of Joseph like a father figure.
  11. Joseph made his victim’s consent a test of their faith.
  12. Joseph would prey on the vulnerable and orphans
  13. Joseph taught his victims that even though their actions might feel wrong in their heart that it was still commanded by God.
  14. Joseph told his victims to hide their actions from his wife Emma.
  15. Joseph told his victims that they were promised to him by God.
  16. He threatened victims with destruction for their refusal.
  17. Joseph Smith used his authority to send husbands of his victims out of the country.
  18. Joseph knew and associated with many of his victims and their families since they were small children.
  19. Joseph held power of salvation, position and authority over most of his victim’s fathers.
  20. Joseph took extreme measures to have his victims live in his own house.
  21. He publicly shamed those women and girls who refused him.
  22. Joseph Smith ask his victims to do something that was specifically taught in the scriptures they held to be true.