May 18, 2000

A new book offering a frank and open discussion of sexuality among LDS couples is becoming a best seller in Utah.

The authors claim it's selling well partly because it deals with heretofore subdued subject matter. News Specialist Reed Cowan has more.

The book is quite popular at Deseret Book and at Seagull Book and Tape. Written by a BYU educator and a Salt Lake City Gynecologist, it boldly goes forward talking about subjects that haven't been openly talked about.

"It's very up front. I don't know, you could call it cutting edge.")

"It is about sex. It is about intimacy."

And now it's about breaking records. The first of its kind, this Covenant book clears up issues of sex by confronting sexual intimacy act for act--no photos.

"No pictures, no."

Just bottom line discussion about anatomy and sex. For sales, it's already rivaling another hot LDS seller.

Elizabeth Tweet/Seagull Book & Tape: "It doesn't quite beat the Hinckley book, but it's up there."

Reed Cowan/Eyewitness News: "It's called 'Between Husband and Wife' and it has become a bit of a phenomenon in the LDS publishing world, already selling nearly 1,500 book on tape copies and nearly 6,000 book copies since March. Inside the book, some pretty weighty sexual matters."

Jenny and Tyson Downs say they wish they'd read the book before getting married. They say the frank descriptions of sexual intercourse would have saved them a lot of heartache.

JENNY: "It's probably been the main part of our disagreements."

TYSON: "You go into marriage and you don't really know a lot about intimacy."

The Downs' say in a culture that sometimes sweeps sex issues under the rug, the book has already helped their marriage by achieving the goals of the book's authors, who wrote the book after years of hearing the complaints of Mormon couples frustrated with sex.

Stephen Lamb, M.D./Co-Author: "There are many LDS couples who believe sex is for one purpose only--that is to have children."

That's just one of many myths the authors hope to dispell. And they feel the best way to do that is honest, open dialogue about the subject many of us avoid.

Deseret Book Web Site