Excellent reply. I know that for some women masturbation has helped them explore and get to know their bodies and how they like to be touched. This in turn can help them educate their husband so he can do the same with her. Learning about your own sexuality and experimenting with it is in no way sinful in my opinion. This shame and guilt surrounding sex and masturbation in the church is very detrimental to a person’s self esteem and can hinder a newlywed’s experience. No wonder many in the LDS church is plagued with “The Good Girl Syndrome.”

However, I will add that I’m not entirely convinced that masturbation is a sin at all regardless of what a small handful of church leaders have said. It is possible to find a lot of statements from past leaders which are now known to be false. Just read “Race and the Priesthood” if you disagree. https://www.lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng

A young married man approached his bishop and confessed that he
had a masturbation problem. I suspect that some details were provided.
Rather than reprimand the young man and demanding that he turn over his
temple recommend, the bishop encouraged the young man to attend the temple more
frequently and seek the Lord’s spirit in overcoming his weakness. Wow,
what a bishop! No guilt trip(s), no recriminations, no judgments, no
reprimands, just an effort to encourage this young man to get closer to Christ
and tap into His power.

Why, in this example, was a young married man masturbating in
the first place? Had his wife cut him off sexually; insisting that they
only have intercourse when a child is wanted? Or did his wife have an
illness that precluded their sharing intimacy? Or was he trapped into a
habit he developed in childhood? Or . . . the list goes on.

It has been medically established that babies while still in the
womb explore their genitals, and given the duration that they explore, there is
more than likely an attendant pleasurable sensation. This can, and more
often than not, does continue after the baby is born. Well meaning
parents and grandparents at the onset slap the infant’s hands away and verbally
chastise the infant for fondling themselves. This carries into early
childhood and if the child is normal, they figure out that the behavior is not
acceptable. If the child continues in the practice, and does so
clandestinely, they are set up to experience shame and guilt. The
resulting shame and guilt is usually proportionate to the zeal of particular
religion or sect.

Before I continue with the spiritual ramifications of
masturbation, it might be worth asking the question if there are any physical
implications that result from masturbation. For males, masturbation has a
high probability of making them hypersensitive to stimulation. Male
masturbators usually have to climax rapidly to avoid the possibility of being
caught. If this pattern is established prior to cohabitation, it will
more than likely result in a propensity for pre-mature ejaculation. While
I am not a woman, and may be expounding out of turn, I can only imagine that
female masturbation results in patterns that have to be duplicated for them to
experience orgasm. That is to say that they may find it more difficult to
orgasm with regular intercourse. (No, I am not a doctor, but my wife is.) If one can
believe it, the stats reveal that only 35% of women are capable of experiencing orgasm
through “regular” intercourse.

Spiritually, the issue is convoluted. If as one
masturbates he or she envisions illicit relations, they are definitely in
peril. This falls in the category of, “If a man (or a woman) looks
upon another with lust, then they have already committed adultery in their
heart.” On the other hand, it is my understanding that the church
now condones masturbation from a health perspective. The medical world,
however, is torn with regard to male masturbation; with some studies indicating
there are no links to prostate problems, and other studies indicating that
there are. As an irony here, older Mormon men (and their abstinence from
masturbation or frequency of intercourse) are used to support the view that men
who remain sexually active later in life have fewer prostate issues. That
is to say that statistically, older Mormon men have a higher incidence of
prostate problems.

If you are plagued by masturbation, I believe that you need to
sincerely pray and fast with the intent of determining if the practice has a
negative effect on you. Bottom Line, does the practice influence your
relationship with God the Father or Christ? If the answer is yes, then
you can determine a course of action. If you have a kind and loving
bishop, he may be a resource worth considering. In any event, daily
scripture study; prayer; fasting; requesting that you name be placed on the
temple prayer roll; and discussion with your spouse (if married), will be of
great benefit. And I would highly recommend that you read the book, And
They Were Not Ashamed, by Joyce Brotherson. Brotherson is a Mormon
authoress and covers dysfunction in Mormon marriages along with our challenge
to become one with our spouses and the Lord.

“Masturbation would fall into this category.”

This is one opinion. Others may feel that masturbation does not fall into the category of immorality. The current handbook of instructions does not indicate that masturbation is a sin that requires confession to a bishop; rather, to me, it seems to indicate confession is not needed.

Bishops, depending on the scenario, do require more information and would it depends on how you are using the word description, or describe in detail. Bishops require: 1) When the last time was. 2) How often, how many times (depending on the sin).

I assume though you are meaning a description of how one masturbated, and if this is the case, then a bishop doesn’t need to know these details to honor his duty before the Lord — male or female.

I don’t think a bishop would ever need specific details about anyones immorality, single word descriptions are sufficient. When I came back into the gospel I told the bishop that I could spend a couple of hours recounting my sins which are abominable in the eyes of the Lord. My bishop God bless his heart simple asked me, “are you still engaged in activities that are incompatible with God.” Of course I said no. When you view the process of repentance through the eyes of man versus God, you will always question it. Its called obedience.

I find lots of positive things in many of Gramps posts, I read them all , I do not comment on most of them but I do comment if I do not agree with a comment or thought train. God gave us intelligence and discernment to look at things rather than just accept blindly. Many LDS members I know, question lots of things while still being active in the church.