I am curious about Mormon presence in Jasper, Indiana. In particular, I have been told about a bishop from a few years ago who guilted women into returning to abusive spouses. He was a doctor I believe. I have a client who is suffering from her experience there and I thought some more info could provide insight. She said it was a pretty small town near Indianapolis if I understood correctly. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

I don't know anything about Mormons in Indiana, but I do know that Indiana (and Indiana culture) and I are definitely not compatible.

When I was a young adult, and was traveling on business, by automobile, from southern California to Canada and back, (I am a writer), on my return trip to California I got enormously sick, to the point where I couldn't continue until I got at least a little bit "more well." I still don't know what was actually wrong, but probably flu of some kind.

I bought survival food at a convenience store (what I REALLY wanted, very badly!, was green chile--but obviously, there was none available in Indiana ;)--and then I checked into a motel, where I told them I was stopping because I was sick, and to please take me off of the maid service schedule, and then I proceeded to get MORE sick for the next few days....

....and it was just me, and the food from the convenience store, and the television--plus: the Holiday Inn sign directly across the street from the windows in my room (the one which usually says: "Welcome American Legion!," or "Welcome Class of [high school graduation year]", which instead (for the several days I was there) insistently proclaimed to the world: AMBITION IS THE EVIL REFLECTION OF ASPIRATION.

Indiana TV programs were no different from the Holiday Inn sign, and I involuntarily absorbed a great deal of Indiana culture from the programs available (very much including the local news and weather broadcasts, plus an abundance of homilies from local Christian ministers, who were gently touting the advantages of becoming members of THEIR congregations).

When I finally became well enough to travel again, I knew to the very heart of every one of the molecules in my body that Indiana and I were NOT bashert. ("Made for each other," usually applied to romantic soulmates, but appropriate in this context as well.) I have avoided the state ever since.

I know this may be unfair to those who have been born and raised in Indiana, or who have spent significant time there as Indianans. I know there are undoubtedly many exceptions to what I discovered through my own experiences there.

Nevertheless, I was so deeply depressed by my time in Indiana, that I have no interest in trying to winnow out the unquestionable exceptions to my own, personal, "Indiana rule."

To me, it will always be the state where AMBITION IS THE EVIL REFLECTION OF ASPIRATION--a place where I, personally, definitely do not belong.

You have obviously never been to Bloomington. Try it again some time when you aren't sick.

Jasper is considered more Southern Indiana and is closer to Evansville than Indianapolis. It is also the inspiration for the fictional town of Orson in the TV show The Middle.
It was settled by German immigrants and still has a significant German influence.
There is an LDS ward in Jasper but I don't know anything about it.

Jasper is always in the top five of best places to live in Indiana. Half the town is Catholic. It is actually quite beautiful there as it is just outside of Hoosier National Forest. The crime rate is almost nil. The Mormon presence in Jasper is pretty small. Anyway, the Bishop you are talking about sounds like a normal Mormon Bishop to me. That is the way the religion rolls.