My first bishop interview about masturbation happened when I was 14 in 1984. I did not know what that was at the time. I had 3 more interviews about masturbation between the ages of 14-17 years old. I felt uncomfortable about his interest in that subject. It was creepy. He seemed so pleased to bring up the subject and to talk about it. But I also felt very guilty about masturbation and sexual thoughts for more than the next 20 years, sometimes hoping I could just die so I would no longer be plagued by my sinful sexual thoughts.
My guilt finally went away when I read horrible accounts of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young recruiting minors to become some of their younger wives. And I saw up close how sexual abuse cases are handled in the church. They are the perverts. I am just a normal man with one wife who treats women and girls with the respect they deserve. I have taken steps to make sure none of my children have to go through this type of interview—-I am sharing my story because I hope no kids will ever have to go through my experience and to help protect kids from suffering even worse.