I was 12 years old and recently found out that something I had been doing for years was called masturbation. My bishop happened to be my uncle, and I had my “biannual interview” when he asked if I had had sex, or if I masturbated. Immediately I felt ashamed of what I had done, and I said no. He said that, touching myself so it feels good (in those words) is a sin, and said he could tell I was hiding something. Then asked, did you do it in bed? In the bathroom? In the shower?
He went on to explain that sexual sin was 2nd to murder, so let that run through your head as a child, “oh you didn’t kill someone but you masturbated, so it’s basically the same.”
I commented it to a friend of mine my age and she said that they told her that having sex or anything of that sort made girls like open soda cans, and nobody wants an open soda can when you can have a clean closed one. Imagine being a child that feels like their life is ruined and they will never be loved because they did something their body naturally told them to do.
To this day as a 22 year old, I don’t feel comfortable being in an office with a bishop and haven’t told them any truths. Imagine having to lie your whole life, like I wish I didn’t have to, but then I’d be subject to shame. So let the lying continue!