Masturbation: A Candid Call-Out
Over the last 10 years of my recovery I have been asked numerous times if the church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) believes masturbation is a sin. "Of course it does," I reply! Yet, my digging to find an official church source where it specifically declares 'masturbation' a sin has produced very little (nothing from 'official' church resources): I found a few references to it in old conference talks, one of which was by Bishop Vaughn J. Featherstone , who said: "We shouldn’t have a problem with masturbation" and "If you never masturbate, the time will come in your life when you will be able to sit in front of your bishop . . . and say to him, ‘I have never done that in my life.’" Neither statement is hopeful for anyone trapped in it. Masturbation is listed as a sin in The Miracle of Forgiveness, which is a widely published book, but as far as I know it's not considered an official church resource. For the Strengt...
