The Wade Christofferson Scandal: What Did Mormon Leaders Know?

How did a man with a known history of child sexual abuse continue to hold positions within the LDS Church and maintain access to children? Who knew about his history, when did they know, and why weren’t more people warned? In this episode of Mormon Discussion, Bill Reel sits down with Robert Herguth, veteran investigative journalist with the Chicago Sun-Times, to examine his reporting on Wade Christofferson, the brother of prominent LDS Apostle D. Todd Christofferson. Herguth has spent decades investigating institutional misconduct, including sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic Church. Now his reporting raises troubling questions about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints handled allegations against Wade Christofferson over several decades.

Among the questions we explore: When did LDS leaders first become aware of allegations against Wade Christofferson? What did Apostle D. Todd Christofferson know, and when did he know it? Why was Wade permitted to continue serving in church callings after earlier allegations? What happened to the warning annotation reportedly placed on his membership record, and who authorized its removal? Why weren’t extended family members and other parents warned about the potential danger to their children? What happened when survivor Michele Boehmke reported abuse she says occurred at the Crystal Lake, Illinois, LDS church? Why did church officials reportedly fail to notify law enforcement about certain allegations? What similarities exist between the LDS Church’s handling of abuse and the Catholic Church’s decades-long abuse scandals? Why have significant questions about institutional accountability remained unanswered?

Robert also discusses the challenges of investigative journalism, the LDS Church’s responses to his reporting, and why institutional transparency matters when children’s safety is at stake. This conversation isn’t simply about one perpetrator. It’s about the systems that are supposed to protect children, the decisions that may have allowed abuse to continue, and the responsibility religious institutions have to place human safety above institutional reputation. Some allegations and questions discussed remain unresolved. We distinguish documented findings, survivor accounts, and unanswered questions throughout the interview.

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The post The Wade Christofferson Scandal: What Did Mormon Leaders Know? appeared first on Mormon Discussion by Bill Reel.