I wondered if personal details given to church leaders, on the promise that they will remain confidential, is less likely to be honoured when one resigns.

Having heard confessions myself, I wouldn't dream of breaking that confidence even though I am no longer a member.

Of course, I don't mean it's publicly announced but a little word here and a little word there and the Mormon grapevine swings into action.

they use that information to smear your reputation.

Real churches take extreme effort to protect religious confidentiality.

LDS Inc routinely weaponizes expected confidentiality.

Yes, this.

In much the way "open door" policies at work are supposed to work... The employer wants you to feel comfortable coming to anyone in the chain of command should you have a complaint, but in reality if you step outside that chain of command and make a complaint to anyone over your boss' head, you will swiftly find out how bad an idea that really was.
I only made that mistake once in the real world. Fortunately it will never impact my current employment. After my experience with TSCC, the "open door" policy sounded excellent in theory, to keep petty tyrants from weilding a little too much power.
Yet in reality, the truth was that policies are just talk and it was still a good old boys club, despite the fact that women were in it.

Without a background like TSCC, I might have made that mistake more than once. Instead I learned that it was a policy just for show, meant to let "troublemakers" out themselves, and guess what, a genuine complaint was viewed as "troublemaking".

Smile and lie, everybody! It's a lesson I should have learned a bit earlier than it really sunk in.

It will just depend on the personality of your Bishop (or whoever you confessed to) probably.

Gossip does spread around very fast in mormonism though. It's worrying.

I recollect a 'Molly Mormon' type lady who over the years worked with one apostle and several 70's who said she would never confess anything confidential to the church.

They have a slight motivation to keep those things confidential until someone leaves. Sadly, after that it can be exaggerated and might spread like a whirlwind.

Depends on the particular leader and their personal moral code.

Earl Utley was Stake President of the Monroe, Utah Stake in the mid to late 1960's. Worked for the State on the road crews. He would routinely entertain fellow workers by pointing out members and making fun of what they had confessed to him while telling what they did.

Want to bet no fellow workers on the road crews ever confessed anything to him?

Know some Bishops who were loose lipped through the years as well as a few higher ups.

Control is one reason - but a major lack of moral honesty is the real reason scum like this will violate confidences.

I believe some would leave TSCC but fear a previous confession being leaked keeps them from leaving.

I would also suggest that sometimes, to stop others from following their example, hints of former sins are suggested as the cause of their leaving.

I never confessed anything to the bishop, though looking back, I probably should have. So, my question is this. Do bishops keep written records of confessions?

Yes, if it is a disciplinary matter. And those files move with you to any new ward. The files record details until the repentance time is deemed to be ended.

Further to copper's comment, if there is formal discipline, then a record is made, and a copy sent to SLC. Once there, it never dies. The locals may shred (and as I clerk, I did some shredding) but the copy lives forever.

During a reconvening or whatever it is called, the current leader will get copies of the original notes. They may be decades old, but they exist, and will exist forever.

Moral of the story - if you want absolute secrecy, don't talk to a mormon leader. EVER.

I never told the bishop (or anyone else in authority) fuckall, because it was none of their business, and the only bishop I ever respected (and who married us) and is a first class human being, is the second best man I've ever known after my Dad.

Ron Burr

anyone who tells the bishop anything should be gossiped about....who tells anyone else that they pull their wire or rub one out? who talks about bending the secretary over their desk?.....Mormons are the dumbest fuckers going. They deserve every thing they get for being ...well....mormon

The bishops in the mormon church are not covered by rules of confidentiality. They are unpaid laymen and proud of it. Usually they tell all the ward leaders in there weekly meetings. If it gets to any level of discipline or a referral to LDS social services then there is a paper trail. The ward clerk knows, the RS pres, primary pres, YW and YM pres, etc all know. Of course paperwork goes to salt lake so no secrets there.

I never knew they kept notes! How embarrassing! I confessed things to my bishop who I actually really adnired....I don't think he would have told anyone but now I wonder! So frustrating!