Latter Gay Stories: Episode 140: Tanner Jones | My Life after Coming Out, Divorcing, and Leaving Mormonism

May 21, 2002 | Uprooting your life and making a course correction is never an easy experience. In this episode, Tanner Jones shares his experience coming out to himself, his family, and his new wife. He describes his experience trying to do his very best at being a good person—even if it meant divorce and leaving his lifelong faith tradition.

Tanner’s story is a candid look into the lengths many gay men will go to “do what is right” in the face of doing what is honest. He shares the fear he experienced making the decision to come out, navigating his feelings of dissonance, and ultimately taking the steps forward into a more comfortable and natural progression.

Cole and Kent | Our Real-Life Gay Mormon Love Story | Reupload

Premiered Nov 10, 2021

Latter Gay Stories: Miles and Jim | Giving Ourselves the Permission to Thrive | Reupload

Sep 4, 2020 | Miles Hunsaker and Jim White sit down with the Latter Gay Stories podcast to share their individual stories of coming out, finding inner peace and thriving as a couple.

Both Jim and Miles label themselves as "late-bloomers." They came out later in life: both were married to women, with children. They each held high callings in the LDS Church and both worked to reconcile their religious teachings with what their heart testified to them.

In this episode, Jim and Miles take a deep dive into personal experiences, what they did to navigate the rocky waters of uncertainty and what led them to each other.

Evan Smith | From Stake Presidency to LGBTQ+ Ally and Beyond | Reupload

Oct 4, 2022 | Evan Smith met the intersection of sexuality and religion while serving as an LDS Bishop and eventually in a Stake Presidency. It didn’t take long before Evan began to better understand the difficult and impossible restraints the Church’s policies and doctrines place on LGBTQ Mormons.

In the midst of these dichotomies, Evan, and his wife Cheryl, learned that their own son, Weston, was gay.

The Smiths learned that understanding and advocating for LGBTQ people takes a sharp turn when someone close to you is directly impacted by this topic. As a result, Evan and Cheryl became allies and advocates for queer Mormons, and Evan used his position in his Stake Presidency to directly discuss this topic with General Authorities and Latter-day Saint congregations.

In this episode, Evan candidly shares his discussions with Church leadership, what his family has learned having a gay son, his current membership status in the Mormon church, and what we can all do to better understand the LGBTQ experience.

Evan Smith is also the author of Gay Latter-day Saint Crossroads, a book he acknowledges was written to explain, and hopefully do something productive with the pain that comes from the church’s teachings about sexual orientation and gender identity. The book also explores whether the church’s current position on gay sexual behavior is more reflective of human prejudice than it is of divine truth. Evan also uses the book to try to make amends for any harm he caused in the past as a leader in the church.

Download the book for FREE by visiting here.

Latter Gay Stories: David Doyle | @NerdyGayMormon

Dec 28, 2022 | David Doyle is a Latter-day Saint from Florida. He is humble, reliable, lovable, nerdy, and gay. He is an active Latter-day Saint with stake leadership callings—and it is through those callings that he is able to fulfill some of his self-described “life missions”.

Many people might argue that David’s life is not sustainable—that by choosing to remain an active Latter-day Saint he must deny his sexuality. David addresses that dichotomy and shares much more about the benefits of being a queer Mormon, including his continued friendship with apostle, Elder Dale G. Renlund and his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund.

David is the person behind the very popular @NerdyGayMormon Tumblr handle, sharing positive, honest, and sometimes difficult discussions at the intersection of LGBT Avenue and LDS Street.

Latter Gay Story: Joel Jacks | I Tried to Do Everything Right

April 20, 2023 | Joel was raised in an orthodox Mormon home, where rules were king—he never met a rule he didn't follow. His upbringing was one of “exact obedience”. PBS and KBYU were the only TV shows they were allowed to watch. He knew he was different but didn’t have words to describe what that difference was.

Family life for Joel was tenuous, to put it kindly. While serving a mission he was released early to come back to Utah for conversion therapy. His parents refused to pick him up at the airport.

Joel shares his story navigating his religion and his sexuality. He was a former member and employee of the Mormon church, held stake callings and served as an early morning seminary teacher. After doing all the “Mormon” things, like serving a mission, getting married in the temple, having kids, and serving the church, he still couldn’t reconcile an intrinsic part of who he is.

Latter Gay Stories: Jake Shepherd | I Was Unprepared to Come Out

Premiered Feb 24, 2023 | At age 10 Jake was mercilessly bullied, the kids called him “gay” a word he didn’t understand. Using the family’s dial-up internet connection Jake turned to Google to better understand the word. A life of pain ensued.

It would take Jake nearly seven years to finally say, "I am gay," out loud. And in the wake of that coming out arose a sexual assault, shame, and depression, all factors that convinced him to retreat back into the closet and further into Mormonism’s seemingly safe protection.

Jake’s story is one of healing, rising above the pain, setting religion aside, and finding strength and hope in the path ahead.

Episode 159 (Part 3): Kris and Kay Packer | Loving, Learning, and Living

Premiered Apr 7, 2022| For the Packer’s, love and connection brought them together—and it was honesty and authenticity that helped their love and connection flourish. In this fascinating story of love and transformation, Kay and Kris share their early dating experiences—and marriage as a lesbian couple. It was later in that marriage that Kris transitioned as a transgender male. As the couple loved, they learned—and as they learned, they lived.

Kay Packer | My Lesbian Mormon Love Story Episode 157 (Part 1)

Kris Packer | From Wife to Husband: A Story of My Journey: Episode 158 (Part 2)

Kris Packer | From Wife to Husband: A Story of My Journey

Premiered Mar 30, 2022 | Kris Packer has a long Mormon history. His father, Lynn is a Mormon historian, and Kris’ great-uncle is apostle Boyd K. Packer.

What happens when you come out to your family as a lesbian, but as life progresses, your journey through love and connection helps you to connect the dots and come to understand that you are also transgender?

Kris had great family support through his life and even through the learning, bumpy stages, found connection and love in even the least-likely spaces.

In this episode Kris discusses his family relationship, meeting his wife Kay, working in public education—and then gender transitioning as a school principal. How does his school and students react?

Love: From Our Perspective | Fathers of Gay Sons

Jun 22, 2021 | Three fathers, all with different backgrounds, share their candid experiences raising sons who identify as gay. They talk about the coming out process, where they made mistakes, what they learned, navigating religious issues, telling friends and family—and so much more. Let's face it: no parent expects (or can adequately prepare) for their child to come out. With few social and religious resources available to help parents navigate this journey, where do you turn when your child needs you the most? The dads discuss some difficult topics and share how they reacted to some comments like: …

Weston Smith | From Gay Mormon Missionary to Survivor

Oct 11, 2022 | Weston Smith came out as gay while his dad was serving as a bishop in the Mormon church. His parents were understanding, but navigating life a gay Mormon teen, trying to better understand your sexuality, and remain the “best” Mormon possible is often a recipe for disaster.

Weston was no stranger to the turmoil that often comes from being gay and Mormon—a situation, for Wes, that led to serious suicidal ideation.

Wes ultimately decided to serve a mission as an “out” gay Mormon, but even in the mission field the suicidal thoughts persisted. It was there, on his mission, that he resolved to leave the church and live an authentic, happy life.

After leaving his mission early and finding complete familial support, Weston has thrived. He recently published a memoir titled, ”This Body of Water”, detailing his journey and what the future looks like for him.

A copy of Weston’s book is available here.


Related episode here.

A. Todd Jones | Navigating My Marriage, Coming Out, and Helping Others Thrive!

Jul 25, 2019 | In this interview we sit down with A. Todd Jones as he shares his story of living in a mixed-orientation marriage, dating, coming out, finding authenticity and what he’s doing in his life now to help the LGBTQ community.

A. Todd Jones dives deep into his coming out story—a story very relatable to the many who struggle to understand who and what they are.

Bernie Jessop | From Mormon to Polygamist: How a Gay Man Found His Path | Reupload

Apr 30, 2020 | He was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in a turn of events Bernie was excommunicated. His excommunication didn’t come because he is gay—that would come later—but because he joined a fundamentalist polygamous church. How does someone who knows he is gay, decide to enter into polygamy? Watch this episode to find out.

Skyler Wixom | My Faith. My Sexuality. My Journey Forward | Reupload

Jan 15, 2020 | Skyler Wixom, a BYU graduate and adjunct professor, shares his story of coming out and finding his path of authenticity and honesty. Skyler gives kind and sympathetic advice to Latter-Day Saints and Church leaders regarding his sexuality. He shares his story coming out for the first time to his mission president and the loving advice his mission president gave him. …

Kray Casper | BYU Changed My Life: My Gay Mormon Story

Premiered 21 hours ago • Kray was a remarkably normal Mormon. He knew he was gay, but did everything in his power to deny and hide it. If you bury it, it doesn’t exist, right? He gave everything to the Church, served a full-time mission, and then enrolled at BYU. All this to bury what he was (a normal gay man).

As he was leaving his mission, Kray’s mission president made him a promise: if you date and marry a woman, your SSA (same-sex attraction) will disappear. Kray believed him.

It was his experience at Brigham Young University (BYU), Idaho that changed Kray’s life forever. His story involves a professor, a new friend, an affair, losing his education at the University, and reassembling the shattered pieces of a life that ‘once was’.

Kray’s story is more familiar and relatable than most want to admit. It is raw and candid.

Skyler Wixom | My Faith. My Sexuality. My Journey Forward.

Jan 15, 2020 • Skyler Wixom, a BYU graduate and adjunct professor, shares his story of coming out and finding his path of authenticity and honesty. Skyler gives kind and sympathetic advice to Latter-Day Saints and Church leaders regarding his sexuality.

He shares his story coming out for the first time to his mission president and the loving advice his mission president gave him.

Skyler discusses where is at today, including the transition of his faith and what led him from life as an active Mormon to exploring his sexuality.

Gregory Prince | A Complicated History: Mormonism and the LGBTQ Community

May 24, 2019 • Dr. Greg Prince sits down with Latter Gay Stories for a unique one-on-one discussion about the actions and unintended consequences of the LDS Church's history with LGBT people and their allies.

I am not a Mormon, but I find this series by Kyle Ashworth excellent to waatch and listen to. There is also always so much to be learnt from these discussions. So, even if you are not a Mormon, I still think that these episodes are well worth listening to: they give one food for thought. Besides, they are always so very interesting. _ © Mark

Latter Gay Stories: Duane Jennings | Balancing Science and Spirituality

Jan 27, 2022 • From an early age, Duane Jennings felt drawn to better understanding life from two perspectives: science and spirituality. His desire for knowledge and the human understanding led him to better understand empathy and opportunity.

Shortly after returning home from his Mormon mission to South Africa, Duane realized that his life was best lived in authenticity and honesty. The author of Stumbling Blocks and Stepping-Stones [website] shares his personal story and how embracing his identity made all the difference.

Skyler Wixom | My Faith. My Sexuality. My Journey Forward.

Jan 15, 2020 • Skyler Wixom, a BYU graduate and adjunct professor, shares his story of coming out and finding his path of authenticity and honesty. Skyler gives kind and sympathetic advice to Latter-Day Saints and Church leaders regarding his sexuality.

He shares his story coming out for the first time to his mission president and the loving advice his mission president gave him.

Skyler discusses where he is at today, including the transition of his faith and what led him from life as an active Mormon to exploring his sexuality.

Brandon Spevak | Rearranging Everything Comfortable in My Life

Premiered Aug 11, 2021