Tonight, I went to a seminar called “Being a Good Latter-day Saint & Supporting God’s LGBTQ Children” a Listen, Learn, & Love production by Richard Ostler. The seminar was a high school auditorium in Mesa Arizona full of Mormons who…
Recently, I attended my fifth Affirmation Conference. Affirmation is a support group for LGBTQIA Mormons. It is a remarkably diverse space that includes not just inactive/ex-Mormons but active queer Mormons and active allies. It bridges a wide span of both…
Recently we held a fireside at our home. There was no specific topic, speaker or agenda. We simply sent out the invitation and 20-30 people came. Many were our LGBT+ friends who live in the area and a few visitors…
Five years ago, my son was a 13-year-old deacon in our church. He came out on Super Bowl Sunday, 2012. For the year previous to that, my wife and I were very concerned as he was notably going downhill and…
I have a visceral memory from last year. I remember stumbling out of Sacrament meeting with Wendy shaking and heaving with pain and despair. Half way to our car, we just turned to each other and held each other weeping.…
Sunlight diffused through the trees over the wedding. A light breeze cooled the summer day to a perfect temperature. The wedding arch was decorated in lace and beautiful white lilies. The groom stood to the left of the wedding officiant…
It has been over four years since Wendy and I found out that Jordan was gay. Three wards, two states and a persistent search for a ward family to call home. I have documented our experience in our first ward…
Recently, I was asked to give a lesson from a Conference address in October by the new apostle Elder Renlund. The last few lessons I have taught have been a significant struggle for me to teach. My heart was devastated…
One of my Lithuanian students sent a note the night of the terrorist attack on Paris expressing appreciation for an essay I had written after 9-11 titled, “America’s War on Terrorism: One Latter-day Saint’s Perspective,” and informing me that there…
“…if truth were everywhere to be shown, a scarlet letter would blaze forth on many a bosom…” The last few weeks have been agony. On November 5th, the Church shifted its policy regarding LGBT members. Now any LGBT person who…