I remember the first time I ever heard this from my young man's president. We were sitting in priesthood and this must have been one of those uncomfortable, yet needed lessons to scare horny teenage boys out of their wits: The YM president said that masturbation lead to homosexuality. I also do remember several of the guys looking down at the floor with more than an embarrassed look in their faces. A couple of years later I discovered where this principle came from: I was reading portions of the Miracle of Forgiveness and ran into this...I don't know if anyone recommends this book as a resource to anyone, but I certainly hope not!
I also remember the first time I felt so overwhelmed that I just had to ask for advice. I was away from home in a student ward and nothing was making sense to me. I asked for an appointment with the bishop; I honestly could not piece anything in my life together and it was time to find some guidance. I'm sure it was a standard question for him and I had only been asked this once from my mission president and never again: He asked if I masturbated, but I figured as long as I was sharing confessions I would tell him of 'my problem': I told him that I felt attracted to guys. This must have taken every ounce of dignity out of me, because I sat there and bawled. Again, I'm pretty sure he had heard this before and must have had canned answers ready for every problem, because after a minute or so and without any other explanation told me that this would stop when I got married. I never went back to that ward again, I just couldn't bring myself to do it and found a family ward to attend and never ever brought it up with anyone at church again.
This was 1991...I really hope none of this non-sense is being taught in the church anymore. Now in retrospect, I still made my choices, I am really not trying to put blame on anyone here, I believe everyone probably did/does and gives the best possible advise advise when asked...
PL, As far as I know, it is still being taught the same way. I'm going to post a bit about this today, but on my mission, I masturbated (M) once. I thought I was going to be struck down on the spot. I literally feared for my life until I could make it to the mission president and confessed. As bishop, I was told by my stake president not to ask if they had problems with M, but when the last time was. It kind of upset me.
ReplyDeleteIt is a delicate subject and I have differing feelings about it. I tried to teach my boys not to be ashamed and think they are abnormal because of M, it is part of almost every male's "coming of age." I have tried to teach them why, when becoming a habit, it can become damaging to the spirit, like any unbridled passion, or compulsive behavior. In controlling it, like controlling eating habits, or thoughts, we increase the spiritual over the physical.
Not sure that makes sense to anyone else. Sometimes I have a hard time expressing my thoughts.
"Masturbation makes you Homosexual" and "Marriage makes you Heterosexual" are no longer officially taught by the Church, but some people still haven't gotten the memo, and unfortunately some of them are priesthood leaders.
ReplyDeleteAnd unfortunately The Miracle of Forgiveness is still published by the Church and considered by many to be very nearly scripture.
Things have gotten better since 1991, but we've still got a way to go before I'll feel like any of our leaders really understand what they're talking about.
Braveone: I understand what you mean, I've taken the same principle with my kids, told them that their masturbatory habits are no one's business...good job!
ReplyDeleteDichotomy: How do we get the memo to everyone? even if policy is clearly dictated, there are those that will use and abuse their powers to afflict others.
I have to clarify that when my mission president asked me if I had a problem I lied, I was no where near discussing any of my issues nor ready to deal with any of it during my mission.
When I was YM president, I had a bishop who asked me to teach from Miracle of Forgiveness to the Priests, to scare them into obedience.
ReplyDeleteI skipped over the masturbation and homosexuality chapters and concentrated on how Pres. Kimball destroys our self-worth and our hope - and then brings it back to the Savior in the end. To teach it that way, made an impact that my priests never forgot - they still talk about it today. But, to emphasize the negative and to teach false doctrine about sins relating to homosexuality are just wrong.
In order to get the memo out, we need to burn through at least another generation of priesthood leaders.
Beck:
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment and for taking that approach. I believe that by the time anyone makes it to the end of the book whatever point SWK may have made about getting close to the Savior is pretty much moot because of the fears of sin, pretty much by the very fact of one being human.
Let's get the memo out fast!!! LOL