40 years ago today - Sep 1, 1981

(September) Branch presidents at the Missionary Training Center receive a 21-point handout to help "both male and female" missionaries avoid masturbation. Point 19: "In very severe cases it may be necessary to tie a hand to the bed frame with a tie in order that the habit of masturbating in a semi-sleep condition can be broken. This can also be accomplished by wearing several layers of clothing which would be difficult to remove while half asleep." In a May 1995 article about masturbation, the national magazine 'Details' publishes seventeen of these recommendations and identifies Apostle Mark E. Petersen as the suthor of 'Steps in Overcoming Masturbation: A Guide To Self-Control.' In 1996, a spokesman at LDS headquarters denies that Elder Petersen authored this document and denies it was ever officially distributed.

[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]

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