I interviewed for a temple recommend yesterday. There is a new question on pornography.

In an excess of bureacratic indifference or political correctness, apparently the interviewer asks both men and women about it. But we all know that its a man’s problem. Probably the biggest addiction problem in the church, my interviewer told me (obviously we need to step up our efforts to convert smokers, though I didn’t mention that in the interview–I try to keep the light laughter to a minimum for tactical reasons).

The truth is, the Sexual Revolution happened and men won. Our society caters to the natural male. So men in the church are like victors who are being asked to deny themselves the spoils. Or like 1930s factory workers who are being asked to reject Communism and uphold the capitalistic system. Its no wonder that LDS men have trouble. Fast Sunday is harder when there’s food all around.

But its important to hold out regardless. Communism is bad, even for workers, and so is pornography. The decent poor are the foundation of every social system, and in nowise do LDS men reflect better on the Church than in buying into and struggling to abide by a (correct) value system that doesn’t put their selfish interests first.

This induces a further reflection, however. The reason Mormon men can side with the Church is because we are convinced that the Church isn’t taking sides against us in the gender wars. The Church is preaching, we believe, eternal truths that just happen to line up with the female ‘side’ of the Sexual Revolution. It is therefore all for the good that the Church continues to preach and take actions that appear to be on the other side of the gender wars from time to time. Things like, say, an all-male priesthood.

One other thought: the Slate article I’ve linked to at one remove argues that sexual immorality is more prevalent where there are more women. Coincidentally, BYU has a severe imbalance between the sexes–there are more women than men–and has for sometime. This embitters a number of talented LDS women and frustrates what I admit is and should be one of the true purposes of the institution, which is marrying off LDS kids. Maybe it also leads to too many visits to BYU bishops’ offices? Perhaps this is one case where admission quotas would be a truly moral imperative.