Heaven's Helpline is a six-part investigation from the NZ Herald into how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints handled abuse allegations in New Zealand. Journalist Murray Jones began by looking into the church's finances but was led to a darker scandal involving systems that protected wealth and reputation. The series examines how those systems allegedly shielded sexual predators from the law. It is funded by NZ on Air.
Episodes
NZH Presents - Rainbow Warrior: A Forgotten History
40 years ago, two bombs went off in Auckland's harbour when French agents targeted a Greenpeace ship. It was meant to be a warning against anti-nuclear protests, but the death of a photographer on board sparked a major police and political response. From the NZ Herald and Bird of Paradise Productions, this six-part series re-examines the bombing, the events leading up to it, the investigatio
Episode 6: Breaking the Shelf
Can the Mormon church be reformed? Murray meets campaigners inside and outside of the church who are pushing to change the way it handles sexual abusers. He asks: should the law be changed in New Zealand to force the church to do the right thing? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 5: Another Helpline
Murray calls New Zealand’s Mormon Abuse Helpline – and guess who picks up? He then heads to Northland to meet a Mormon couple who made a very different kind of call. They blew the whistle on a prolific sex abuser in their midst – only to find that others in their congregation would prefer to keep on protecting him. Sexual assault support services:If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse
Episode 4: The Helpline
Warning: This episode contains content related to child sex abuse. Listen with care. The seizure of a video from a New Zealand paedophile sparks a dizzying chain of events in faraway Arizona: an arrest, a suicide – and revelations that a serial child rapist had confessed to his Mormon bishop, and the church had used its “Abuse Helpline” to cover it up. Family violence: If you’re in danger now pho
Episode 3: The Bishop's Tale
Murray hears tale after tale of abuse within Mormon congregations and at the centre of every story, there’s a “bishop”. Who are these men? Why are they so involved in members’ lives? And do their actions help the church keep crimes secret? Family violence: If you’re in danger now phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you. Where to go for help or more information: Shine,
Episode 2: This Changes Everything
A fanatical “priesthood holder” pressures young Mormon Caroline into marriage and motherhood. When the relationship descends into extreme abuse, Caroline is rescued by a church leader, but others up the ranks are not so supportive. Whose side are they really on?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Explainer: A Brief History of Mormons in Aotearoa
What do Mormons actually believe? And how did this mega-wealthy American church gain such a foothold in New Zealand? (Please note: this is an optional episode for history lovers, so you can safely skip it without losing the thread.) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 1: The Business of Saving Souls
When journalist Murray Jones investigates the vast wealth of the Mormon church in New Zealand, an intriguing Facebook post alerts him to a scandal that’s much bigger, and much, much darker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trailer - Coming soon
Heaven's Helpline begins on October 17th wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
