Eighteen months ago, I was called to serve closely with Bishop Don Fletcher in the Bay Ward here in San Francisco, as his executive secretary. In my Mormon career, I’ve had the great blessing to have had some amazing bishops,…
A Shepherd of Israel
Category: Faith/Practice
A Gay Mormon Reads the Scriptures: The Book of Mormon
I first came to the Book of Mormon with the uncritical eyes and mind of a child. Some of my earliest encounters with the Book of Mormon include my dad reading me bedtime stories from Emma Marr Petersen’s Book of…
Cool Tolerance
My son came out to us (his parents) a little over a year ago. My wife and I, for some blessed reason, were able to rapidly traverse the landmine ridden, 180 degree, whiplash inducing evolution from Prop 8 campaigners to…
Why My Marriage to my Husband Matters: For Time and for Eternity
Our house is full of little markers, reminders of the milestones along our journey as a family. One of my most treasured is this photo of us, taken right after Göran and I held our commitment ceremony in 1995:
No More Strangers
More than twenty-five years ago when serving as Bishop of the Los Angeles Singles’ Ward I gave a talk in sacrament meeting titled, “No More Strangers and Foreigners: A Mormon-Christian Response to Homosexuality” . The substance of that address was…
Self Doubt / Self Esteem
I had a conversation with a newly found friend the other day — a man, like me, in a long-time committed partnership with a man, who has also been active for some years in the Church after a long time…
A Gay Mormon Reads the Scriptures
One of the most profound spiritual experiences I have ever had took place in January 2006, when I felt a particularly strong prompting from the Holy Spirit to pick up a tattered old copy of the Book of Mormon and…
Blind Follower Or Active Seeker Of Truth?
I asked a lot of questions about the church growing up. I would ask my parents, my seminary teacher, my young women’s leaders, etc. If my question was one of those to which we don’t have answers, or falls in…
The Catalyst
I am the father of a young gay son. I am also a lifelong member of the LDS Church, a temple recommend holder and the Elder’s Quorum President in my ward. Having been thrown into the teeth of one of…
Epiphany
“I must admit that I have gone through those moments when I was greatly disappointed with the church and what it has done in this period of social change.” —Martin Luther King, Jr., “Social Justice and the Emerging New Age…