Rich Cropper

TW: childhood abuse.

Rich’s childhood was hard, almost unimaginable. There’s no getting around that. But what is so hopeful is that, with the help of Jesus and putting the work in through therapy, he was able to overcome his past and experience joy.

Here is Rich’s story of Change. 

Rich Cropper-web

Read Rich's Story

My story involves pain, suffering, grief, and joy. I lived in a very, very religious family. We would go to church often. We would do service, but unfortunately it was for the wrong reasons. Growing up, my father and others lived a double life. We were Mormon. In addition to being Mormon, my dad was a Satanist. I, as a young child was satanically ritually abused at the hands of my dad. My mom also, unfortunately, I’ll say the word went off the deep end. Her coping mechanism was to say everyone is evil.

When people ask why a child goes through horrific trauma of physical abuse, sexual abuse, you name it, even witnessing murder, things that are just so horrific, there is something innate in every human, every creature that says and pleads why, God? Why is this pain and suffering happening to me? I had to do that. Everyone experiences pain, and either pain will break you and keep you broken or pain will break you and mold you into what God wants you to be.

We left four years ago. This is in California. We left Mormonism and the week later, my wife and I were like, let’s go look, let’s go find out what else is out there. We started searching and we found a local Christian church. A year later, my wife and I got baptized and we publicly proclaimed that Jesus is all. But is that the stopping point? No, it still goes on. It still continues in regards to knowing Jesus more. It’s a lifelong pursuit because the more we love Him the more we realize that He loves us.

I’m not here to bash Mormonism. I’m not here to bash any religion. For those who are Mormon, I’m going to speak to you plainly, because I used to be a Mormon; God loves you. He loves everyone. You are not bigger; your works are not bigger than Jesus. The true God experienced life for us. He experienced pain for us. That God knows your pain and He even knows more than because

He took the sins away from you and me. So He is the way, the truth and the life.