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.

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?

Carol Lynn Pearson | Loving My Gay Husband

Nov 8, 2022 | Carol Lynn Pearson is a Mormon icon. In the early 1960’s two monumental experiences happened in her life: she married Gerald, a gay man—and she published her first book.

From that first publishing—and her relationship with her gay husband—Carol Lynn Pearson forged a path forward for Latter-day Saints to better understand the LGBTQ experience. Her life has been a lesson of love, compassion, understanding and advocacy.

Escaping the gazing eyes of Utah Mormons, the Pearsons left Salt Lake City and settled in California to allow their little family the opportunity to embrace the unknown and to grow in uncertainty.

Through her best-selling book, “Goodbye, I Love You”, Carol Lynn allowed the world too peer into the Pearson family story. For the first time a well known Latter-day Saint family was openly talking about homosexuality, mixed orientation marriage, kindness, advocacy, harmful doctrine and more.

In this episode Carol Lynn sits down with Kyle to dive deeper into that journey, discuss the impact it had on Mormonism, and how marrying a gay man changed her life.

Kyle and Reece | Life, Dating, Marriage and Our Love!

Kyle and Reece Jacobsen join the Latter Gay Stories podcast to share their journey and stories! The married couple share their experiences growing up closeted, serving missions, exploring their sexuality, and life after coming out.

Kyle discusses his experience with the Journey into Manhood reparative therapy program, he gives advice to young men and church leaders, what authenticity feels like and how he’s found happiness.

Reece shares stories about his mission, trying to find his place in life as a closeted teen, dating—and swiping right on Tinder—an experience that would change his life forever.

The Jacobsens are married, they are the happy dads of a cute dog, and their life is likely as normal as yours.


A note to my visitors and followers: I should like to inform you all that I have no connection with the Mormon Church. Because I frequently put videos up about gay ex-Mormons, you might think that I do, or have been associated with the Church at some time in my life. I do not and have not; I have never been associated with the Church. I was, and I suppose technically I still am, a member of the Anglican Church. (For me, living in Wales, the Church in Wales.) Though I must admit that I rarely attend church these days, despite being a choirboy and a stalwart attendee and communicant earlier in my life. I even used to read lessons from the lectern in church from time to time. Imagine that!

I often put up these Mormon videos up because Kyle, the host of the shows, does such a great job of interviewing his guests. Moreover, I find so many of his episodes truly fascinating. I hope and trust that you do too. It’s an excellent series. – Mark

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.

Bryce Cook | Understanding the History: Homosexuality and the LDS Church

Jul 10, 2019 • If you’re a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and navigating a journey to understand the intersection of religion and sexual orientation, we invite you to join us for this Latter Gay Stories episode.

Bryce Cook is an active Latter-day Saint, father of two gay sons and the author of “What Do We Know of God’s Will For His LGBT Children? An Examination of the LDS Church’s Position on Homosexuality.”

In this episode, Bryce Cook and Kyle Ashworth fairly and candidly breakdown the history of LGBT discussion within the Church, changes within the policies and doctrines, social impacts and what the future might look like for the LDS and LGBT communities.




I have absolutely no connection with the Mormon Church, but I must commend Kyle Ashworth on his series of discussions on LGBT issues in the LDS Church, because he always takes a deep dive into the topic being discussed and makes the discussions so very interesting. Further, through listening to many of these discussions, I have learnt more about the Church of Latter-day Saints than I ever knew before. Kudos! – © Mark

BYU Electroshock Documentary | Gay Conversion Therapy Program

Mar 26, 2020 • Originally produced by Gentile Pictures in 1996, this documentary, titled: Legacies, features the personal stories of four men who were subjected to vomit, electrocution, and visual therapies at Brigham Young University.

Under the direction of BYU President, Dallin H. Oaks and other BYU administrators, the therapies were designed to rid BYU students of their homosexuality.

To date there is no evidence or personal accounts that acknowledge the conversion therapy programs were successful. Contrarily, victims of this abuse have experienced physical and emotional damage. Some even took their lives as a result of the therapy.


How barbaric! How unenlightened! How ignorant! How backward! How dangerous! How cruel! One can only pity these poor men who had to suffer through such demeaning and dangerous treatment. – © Mark

Judith Mehr : I Painted Some of Mormonism’s Most Iconic Art—and I Was Closeted

Oct 24, 2019 • Judith Mehr is arguably one of the most well-known artists commissioned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has painted prophets, apostles, murals, and some of the most iconic gospel art used within the LDS Church. Behind that talent and her paintbrushes lived a secret. Judith was gay—and feared coming out.

This is her story.

Judy shares her experience growing up closeted, college life at BYU (where she was tasked to spy on women in her dorm to determine if they were lesbians), finding (and hiding) a partner, coming out and finding her authentic self.

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

Miles and Jim | Giving Ourselves the Permission to Thrive

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.

Recently, I stumbled upon this great series on gays in the Mormon Church. I have already posted a few of these episodes here on this blog for you. I have posted them not because I have any connection to the Mormon Church; I don’t. But the quality of these discussions is excellent and commendable. These are also quality people: sincere, good-living people who simply have come to terms with same-sex attraction.

Further, there is much to be learnt from these discussions, there is much that crosses religious divides. I find that the people that are interviewed are very fascinating and very much to be respected. They are sincere people who have had great difficulty coming to terms with their sexuality. I therefore hope that you enjoy these discussions every bit as as much as I do. Please remember that this blog is open to people of all faiths and none. Hopefully, you will enjoy this discussion as much as I have. – © Mark

Despite Mormon Upbringing, Gay Man Learns to Accept His Truth. “Huge Relief to Finally Be Who I Am.”

Nov 27, 2019 • Growing up in a conservative Mormon environment, Brenton Erickson knew he was gay from a young age. He was faced with three options: be celibate for life, marry a woman, or live his truth. While he knew the risks of coming out, he also knew the reality of living life in the closet - which made the answer crystal clear.

Ryan Oldroyd (I'm From Glenwood, UT) - True Gay Stories

A young Mormon is excommunicated then outed to his parents after he comes out to his Mission President.

A Gay Mormon Love Story: Elder | Op-Docs | The New York Times

This short documentary tells the story of a gay Mormon’s love affair while he served on a mission in Italy. Produced by: Genéa Gaudet

Read the story HERE »

Rare Look Inside Secretive Mormon Temple (2012)

CNN's Brian Todd reports on a Mormon temple and interviews a church elder on posthumous baptisms.

Mitt Romney On Gay Rights, Mormonism & Homosexuality