LDS / Mormon Church Abuse

● CAMPAIGN OPEN ACTIVE LITIGATION 4 signals
Sexual Abuse (minors and adults)  ·  LDS Church Institutional Structure
DEFENDANT
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
MDL / DOCKET
State coordinated
Various
JUDGE
Various
PLAINTIFFS
Hundreds+
BELLWETHER / TRIAL
Ongoing
SETTLEMENT STATUS
Pending
📋 Case Overview

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints faces sexual abuse claims alleging that local bishops, youth leaders, and other church officials abused children and adults while the church knowingly concealed reports and protected perpetrators. The LDS Church used a confidential "help line" connecting accused bishops to church lawyers rather than law enforcement — a cover-up mechanism similar to the Catholic Church. State lookback windows are the key legal mechanism.

⚗ CAUSATION SUMMARY

Direct sexual abuse by LDS leaders; institutional negligence in supervision, failure to report to law enforcement, and active concealment. The church's "bishop helpline" routed abuse reports to Kirton McConkie law firm rather than authorities — establishing knowledge and cover-up.

⚖️ Litigation Status GROWING
MDL / Court
No MDL — state court actions
Active Plaintiffs
Growing

LDS Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) sexual abuse litigation follows the Catholic Church model. Bishop's storehouse confession system allegedly enabled cover-up of abuse. Multiple state court actions active.

Key Verdicts & Settlements
⚖️
Significant state court verdicts
Multiple plaintiff wins in Utah and other states. Institutional liability theory established.
⚠️
Church counselor confession privilege litigation
Key legal issue — whether clergy-penitent privilege covers known abuse cover-up.
📈
Filing trend: Growing. Strong institutional liability theory. Document discovery showing church knowledge of abuse is the key litigation asset. Lookback window states most active.
📍 Geographic Exposure
Nationwide — LDS congregations (wards) in all 50 states
Highest LDS population: Utah, Idaho, Arizona, California, Nevada
International claims also developing
🏢 Key Defendants
DEFENDANT
ROLE
INTEL NOTE
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Corp.)
Institutional defendant
Primary defendant; bishop helpline cover-up mechanism documented
Kirton McConkie
Church law firm
Allegedly advised suppression of abuse reports; named in some suits
Individual bishops/leaders
Direct abusers
Named in individual claims
✅ Campaign Eligibility Criteria
Sexually abused by LDS bishop, youth leader, or church official
Abuse occurred in connection with church activities or church access to victim
Minor at time of abuse (strongest cases) OR adult abused by clergy in pastoral context
State lookback window must be open or tolling applies
These criteria reflect general case strength indicators and are not legal advice. Contact CloudIntake to screen individual claimants.
📅 Litigation Timeline
1980s–present
LDS bishop helpline routes abuse reports to church lawyers rather than police
2019
AP investigation exposes bishop helpline as abuse cover-up mechanism
2022
State lookback windows open in CA, NY, NJ; first major LDS abuse filings
2023
Plaintiff count growing; national coordination developing
2024
Active state court proceedings; MDL petition under consideration
LDS / Mormon Church Abuse — Intelligence Feed LIVE
📰 NEWS
Vance holds first meeting of a new anti-fraud task force targeting benefit programs
Mar 27, 2026 Courthouse News Read Source →
📰 NEWS
LDS Church faces lawsuit claiming convicted pedophile was permitted access to children
Mar 13, 2026 ABC4 Utah Read Source →
📰 NEWS
Woman sues LDS church claiming years of sexual abuse by high priest
Mar 13, 2026 The Independent Read Source →
📰 NEWS
Woman sues LDS church, alleging years of sexual abuse by priest
Mar 13, 2026 MSN Read Source →
Feed All Torts
MASS TORT AD AGENCY
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JACOB SCORE™
LDS / Mormon Church Abuse
42 / 100
ScienceDeveloping
MomentumDeveloping
CampaignDeveloping
TimelineDeveloping
VerdictsDeveloping
INSTITUTIONAL · SOME SETTLEMENTS
Jacob Score™ — Methodology & Legal Disclaimers
The Jacob Score is a composite 1–100 litigation opportunity index for mass torts, produced by the TortIntel editorial team at Mass Tort Ad Agency. It is updated periodically as litigation conditions change.

Score Dimensions (each rated 1–5)

Science — Peer-reviewed study quality and quantity, relative risk magnitude, replication across independent research groups, FDA or regulatory action taken, and estimated Daubert survivability based on published expert testimony and prior rulings.

Momentum — MDL formation and phase, plaintiff count trajectory, case consolidation activity, and overall litigation velocity.

Campaign — Current filing window status, case saturation, defendant solvency, estimated qualifying population size, and co-defendant dynamics.

Timeline — Proximity to first expected resolution or bellwether trial, current discovery or Daubert phase, and estimated time-to-value for a signed plaintiff.

Verdicts — Confirmed plaintiff jury verdicts, bellwether trial win/loss record, and size or certainty of any established settlement fund. 1 = pre-trial · 2 = mixed early results · 3 = partial settlements or initial wins · 4 = confirmed large verdicts or funded settlement · 5 = landmark verdicts with formal settlement program.

LEGAL DISCLAIMERS

The Jacob Score and all associated content on TortIntel.ai is provided solely for mass tort business intelligence and law firm marketing decision-making purposes. It does not constitute legal advice, litigation strategy advice, or a recommendation to file or refrain from filing any lawsuit.

The Jacob Score is an editorial opinion based on publicly available data including court filings, published scientific literature, regulatory actions, and reported settlement information. It is not a guarantee of future litigation outcomes. Past verdicts and settlements are not predictive of future results in any specific case.

TortIntel.ai and Mass Tort Ad Agency make no representation that any score is complete, accurate, or current. Litigation conditions change rapidly. Attorneys must conduct independent due diligence and consult qualified co-counsel before making any case acquisition or litigation funding decisions based on this or any other intelligence tool.

This score must not be used to evaluate, accept, or reject any individual plaintiff’s case. Case-specific merit depends on individual facts, applicable state law, expert medical and scientific analysis, and jurisdiction-specific statutes of limitations — all of which are beyond the scope of this tool.

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