THANK YOU!!
We’ve completed the first phase of fundraising for this documentary that we believe will legitimately contribute to the conversation about the experience of being homosexual and Mormon. It was extremely heartening to see the large number of people who believe in this project enough to invest their hard earned money! We can not thank you …
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Lee Beckstead part 1 of 5. . .
Dr. Lee Beckstead, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with a private therapy practice in Salt Lake City. Over the years, he has conducted extensive research into understanding how to resolve sexual, social, and religious conflicts. As a part of an APA task force, he helped evaluate interventions aimed at changing …
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Jacob…
Growing up in the LDS church has given Jacob a real and deep-seated faith. But after finishing grad school, Jacob could no longer avoid the same-sex attraction he’s felt since childhood. Afraid of being told by ecclesiastical leaders that his faith simply wasn’t “strong enough” to eliminate feelings of homosexuality, …
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Ty & Danielle Mansfield……… part 4 of 5
Proud parents of one son, Ty and Danielle married in 2010 and currently live in Lubbock, Texas, where Ty is studying to become a marriage and family therapist. In 2004, Ty coauthored In Quiet Desperation: Understanding the Challenge of Same-Gender Attraction and later in 2011, compiled the anthology Voices of Hope: Latter-day Perspectives on Same Gender Attraction. …
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Shawna. . .
Shawna is “on the edge.” As an active celibate member of the LDS church Shawna describes the happiness church activity has brought over the years. She also feels the deep burden of alienation and heartache as she strives to maintain her activity while watching other members of the church have …
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Candice. . .
Candice joined the LDS church with her family when she was 8 years old. In her early teens, she began to understand that her female gender identity didn’t fit her male physical body. The following years were hard for her, and after several suicide attempts, she realized she needed to change the course …
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Andrea…
Growing up, Andrea was her younger brother’s biggest advocate. Watching her brother come to terms with his homosexuality and learning to openly express his feelings prepared Andrea to better support her son during his coming out process years later. Although Andrea struggled with her son’s homosexuality at first, she invested …
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Josh and Lolly Weed…………. part 4 of 5
Josh and Lolly have been married since 2002 and are the parents of three daughters. Josh recently came out to the world as a Mormon homosexual married to a woman in the blog post that went viral, “Club Unicorn: In which I come out of the closet on our ten year anniversary.” Josh …
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Mandi & Mikeal Jensen……… part 2 of 3
Sixteen years into their marriage, Mikeal and Mandi Jensen have a keen awareness of what exactly it means to be in a “mixed-orientation marriage” and they do not hold back in sharing how they feel about it. When they first married, though they were both aware of Mikeal’s homosexuality, they …
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Josh & Lolly Weed…………. part 2 of 5
Josh and Lolly have been married since 2002 and are the parents of three daughters. Josh recently came out to the world as a Mormon homosexual married to a woman in the blog post that went viral, “Club Unicorn: In which I come out of the closet on our ten year anniversary.” Josh …
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Ty & Danielle Mansfield……… part 2 of 5
Proud parents of one son, Ty and Danielle married in 2010 and currently live in Lubbock, Texas, where Ty is studying to become a marriage and family therapist. In 2004, Ty coauthored In Quiet Desperation: Understanding the Challenge of Same-Gender Attraction and later in 2011, compiled the anthology Voices of Hope: Latter-day Perspectives on Same Gender Attraction. …
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Ty & Danielle Mansfield……… part 1 of 5
Proud parents of one son, Ty and Danielle married in 2010 and currently live in Lubbock, Texas, where Ty is studying to become a marriage and family therapist. In 2004, Ty coauthored In Quiet Desperation: Understanding the Challenge of Same-Gender Attraction and later in 2011, compiled the anthology Voices of Hope: Latter-day Perspectives on Same Gender Attraction. …
Watch Video...
Josh and Lolly Weed………… part 1 of 5
Josh and Lolly have been married since 2002 and are the parents of three daughters. Josh recently came out to the world as a Mormon homosexual married to a woman in the blog post that went viral, “Club Unicorn: In which I come out of the closet on our ten …
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Mandi & Mikeal Jensen……… part 1 of 3
Sixteen years into their marriage, Mikeal and Mandi Jensen have a keen awareness of what exactly it means to be in a “mixed-orientation marriage” and they do not hold back in sharing how they feel about it. When they first married, though they were both aware of Mikeal’s homosexuality, they …
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Cooper part 1 of 2
When Cooper was told, as a child, that it wasn’t OK for him to assume the role of the wife while playing house and think nothing of it, he started putting a part of himself away. After his mission, life went well for a while, and he became engaged to …
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Cooper part 2 of 2
“I think I use the word ‘bisexual’ sort of as a shield…” In the second part of his interview, Cooper clarifies that he isn’t sure what he is but is much more than a label, and he delves a bit deeper in some ways. He doesn’t know whether he’ll leave …
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Bob Rees part 3 of 5. . .
Bob, a former bishop, shares the experiences that helped him to better tend to the gay and lesbian members of his congregation. In this part Bob talks about the difficulty found in embracing the spiritual and emotional tensions that come from confronting the paradoxes in the LDS church and in …
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Far Between Blog: Exploring the conversation
Throughout the process of creating Far Between, it’s been apparent that the tone of conversations about the experience of being homosexual and Mormon greatly affects how people view themselves and respond to their situations. As part of Far Between’s effort to engage more constructive and helpful conversations, the Far Between …
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Adam…
While growing up in an LDS home, Adam never thought of himself as gay, though he played with My Little Ponies and wanted to be a princess for Halloween. After all, he couldn’t be LDS and gay, he thought. In high school, dating a girl felt unnatural, and when he …
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Joanna Brooks part 5 of 5. . .
Joanna Brooks, Ph.D, is a national voice on Mormon life and politics and an award-winning scholar of religion and American culture and the author of The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith. In part 5, Joanna refutes the misconception that homosexuality is one stop on the scale of moral …
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Lee Beckstead part 5 of 5. . .
Lee Beckstead, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with a private therapy practice in Salt Lake City. Over the years, he has conducted extensive research into understanding how to resolve sexual, social, and religious conflicts. As a part of an APA task force, he helped evaluate interventions aimed at changing sexual …
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Joanna part 4 of 5. . .
Joanna Brooks, Ph.D, is a national voice on Mormon life and politics and an award-winning scholar of religion and American culture and the author of The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith. In part 4, Joanna acknowledges the homophobia within Mormon culture and suggests that one way to …
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Rich Wyler part 5 of 5. . .
In part 5 of his interview, Rich Wyler, life-coach and founder of the non-profit People Can Change and “Journey Into Manhood”, explains that his philosophy isn’t about force and expresses gratitude for what he has learned from his experience with same-sex attraction. When coaching a young LDS man who was cruising …
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Lee Beckstead part 4 of 5. . .
Lee Beckstead, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with a private therapy practice in Salt Lake City. Over the years, he has conducted extensive research into understanding how to resolve sexual, social, and religious conflicts. As a part of an APA task force, he helped evaluate interventions aimed at changing sexual …
Watch Video...
Lee Beckstead part 3 of 5. . .
Lee Beckstead, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with a private therapy practice in Salt Lake City. Over the years, he has conducted extensive research into understanding how to resolve sexual, social, and religious conflicts. As a part of an APA task force, he helped evaluate interventions aimed at changing sexual …
Watch Video...
Joanna Brooks part 3 of 5. . .
Joanna Brooks, Ph.D, is a national voice on Mormon life and politics and an award-winning scholar of religion and American culture and the author of The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith. In this part Joanna shares her hope for the future and confidence in the Mormon community. She …
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Rich Wyler part 4 of 5. . .
In part 4 of his interview, Rich Wyler, life-coach and founder of the non-profit People Can Change and “Journey Into Manhood”, describes his motivations for establishing those organizations and explains his purpose and vision behind them. Through his confession, excommunication, and restoration of church membership and temple blessings, Rich found some …
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Rich Wyler part 3 of 5. . .
In part 3 of his interview, Rich Wyler, life coach and founder of People Can Change, expounds his perspective on the origins and expression of his same-sex attraction and the experience of finding that perspective. While Rich describes his father as kind, he also believes a fear of touch may …
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Joanna Brooks part 2 of 5. . .
Joanna Brooks, Ph.D, is a national voice on Mormon life and politics and an award-winning scholar of religion and American culture and the author of The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith. In Part Two, Joanna and Kendall explore Mormon Identity–what happens when one is made to feel unworthy …
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Lee Beckstead part 2 of 5. . .
Lee Beckstead, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with a private therapy practice in Salt Lake City. Over the years, he has conducted extensive research into understanding how to resolve sexual, social, and religious conflicts. As a part of an APA task force, he helped evaluate interventions aimed at changing sexual …
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Joanna Brooks part 1 of 5. . .
Joanna Brooks, Ph.D, is a national voice on Mormon life and politics and an award-winning scholar of religion and American culture and the author of The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith. In part one of her interview, she talks about growing up as a zealous and devoted Mormon …
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Rich Wyler part 2 of 5. . .
In part 2 of his interview, Rich Wyler, life coach and founder of People Can Change, describes how he finally found meaningful help with his sexual-religious conflict. Married, with children, he’d been to 12-step programs for sexual addiction, but he hadn’t found sustainable resolution for his homosexual feelings and his …
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Shirley. . .
Shirley grew up in a home with little religion. Throughout her life though, she has had the opportunity to study or be a part of several different religions, including Christian Science, Methodist, Catholic, and Episcopalian. She eventually came into contacted with missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, and …
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Austin. . .
Austin is still trying to figure out what it means for him to be gay and how that and his religious life fit together. When he converted to the LDS Church at the age of eleven, Austin decided he didn’t want to be gay. He was worried that it would …
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Rich Wyler part 1 of 5. . .
Rich Wyler is a life-coach and founder of the non-profit People Can Change, which is best known for “Journey Into Manhood”, a 48-hour experiential weekend for men who want to resolve unwanted homosexual attractions. Having once considered himself to be homosexual, Rich describes the short-lived peace then torment he felt …
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David. . .
David compares the spiritual experience he had that told him the church was true with an experience in the temple that prompted him to date men and prepare to adopt children. His journey explores the nature of testimony and spiritual authority as it relates to individual experience. (The …
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Craig. . .
“Not every little boy who plays with Barbie’s turns out to be gay, but. . . if while playing with Barbies you have Ken break-up with Barbie so he can spend more time with his best friend–your chances go up.” Craig points to such childhood memories, as one of many …
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It Gets Better with Mormon Family and Friends
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share their stories of love, faith, and support for their homosexual brothers and sisters. This video was produced by the Far Between team as a way for members of the church to share feelings of empathy, love, and hope. This …
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It Gets Better at BYU
This video was created by the Far Between team to show Mormon LGBT youth who may be feeling alone and afraid, that they are not alone and life can get better with hope for happiness and love in their life. It’s sponsored by USGA (Understanding Same-Gender Attraction) which is an unofficial group …
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Bob Rees part 2 of 5. . .
Bob, a former bishop, explains the experiences that helped him to better tend to the gay and lesbian members of his congregation. He articulates where the difficulties can lie for many members of the church, including parents, in truly welcoming their homosexual brothers and sisters. (The views expressed …
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Warren. . .
Warren takes a no-nonsens approaches as he explains the complexity of his sexual, emotional, mental attractions. He doesn’t shy away from speaking of experience with sexual abuse. He admits to seeing a possible connection where sexual attraction is concerned–of the other ways in which he is attracted to men he …
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Tim. . .
Tim, speaks of the difficulties of reconciling two “seemingly irreconcilable” identities–gay and Mormon. (The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of the producers of Far Between but are reflective of some aspects of what it means to be homosexual and Mormon today.)
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Bob Rees part 1 of 5…
Bob, a former bishop, begins to share the experiences that helped him to better tend to the gay and lesbian members of his congregation. (The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of the producers of Far Between but are reflective of some aspects of what it …
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Alex. . .part 1
Alex sent us this video telling us about his experience as a gay Mormon man. Please send us your video–submit it here. Watch the rest of his video’s here. (The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of the producers of Far Between but are reflective …
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Kelly & Kendall part 3 of 3. . .
Kelly and Kendall have been living together in a mixed-orientation marriage for almost 18 years. Although Kelly is a lesbian and Kendall is straight, they have a deeply caring relationship that has sustained them for several years. In this part one of their interview Kelly and Kendall discuss some reactions …
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“Ned Josephson”…
This video was sent in from a man who felt he needed to tell his truth, too, but didn’t feel comfortable revealing his true identity, yet. He hopes that maybe someday he’ll feel comfortable actually being on camera, but feels this is at least a way to get started. (The …
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Nick…
Nick describes his experience of growing up in a conservative home while coming to understand his sexuality. More description coming soon… (The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect those of the producers of Far Between but are reflective of some aspects of what it means to be homosexual and …
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Kelly and Kendall part 2 of 3…
Kelly and Kendall have been living together in a mixed-orientation marriage for almost 18 years. Although Kelly is a lesbian and Kendall is straight, they have a deeply caring relationship that has sustained them for several years. In this part one of their interview Kelly and Kendall discuss how Kelly …
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Randal…
Randal describes his process of coming to identify and understand his sexuality. More description coming soon…
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John GW part 1 of 7…
John, after doubting for years the very existence of God, or at least a loving god, has been actively attending church with a renewed testimony for several years now while remaining excommunicated due to his long-time marriage with his husband. In this first part of the conversation with him, he …
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Brian & Jessamy…
In this unique interview, Brian and his daughter Jessamy ask each other about their respective reactions to Brian having been married, coming out, divorcing, and finally living with his same-sex partner of over a decade. More description coming soon… (The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect …
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Kelly and Kendall part 1 of 3. . .
Kelly and Kendall have been living together in a mixed-orientation marriage for almost 18 years. Although Kelly is a lesbian and Kendall is straight, they have a deeply caring relationship that has sustained them for several years. In this part one of their interview Kelly and Kendall discuss how Kelly …
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Steven. . .
Steven was a teenager when he first began to realize that he might be gay. His friends would share their feelings about girls, and he realized those feelings weren’t something that he experienced. He initially resisted the thought that he might be gay because it was contrary to what he …
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Jason. . .
For Jason, much of his early life was fragmented. By placing his sexuality in one compartment and his. Mormonism in another, he was able to make sense of the world and live with himself while remaining active in the church. This segmentation allowed him to date both men and women …
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Davey. . .
Davey shares the experience of coming out to his family for the first time. When approached by his mother about his decreasing Church attendance and his relationship with women as a single, 30 year-old male, Davey felt he had no choice but to come out as a gay man. What followed …
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Wilum…part 2
Wilum, 60, is a self-described punk rock, exhibitionist, gay Mormon. After serving a full-time mission, Wilum came out to his family then attended therapy to “become heterosexual.” Wilum was ultimately excommunicated and later returned to the church but not without butting heads with local church leadership. In part two of his …
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Lindsey. . .
Lindsey was married, did girly things, and wore make-up, but relationships with men felt incomplete in a way she couldn’t put her finger on until she had feelings for another woman. Her family has struggled with her homosexuality, and her therapist didn’t seem understanding, so she turns to God in …
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Eric…
Eric shares his story of reconciling his same-sex attraction and membership in the LDS Church which eventually led him to decide to marry a woman and remain an active member of the Church. Eric realized he was gay as a teenager and spent several years trying to hide it. He …
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Heather…
For Heather, happiness means following her values, and since church activity reminds her of those, she hopes to have constructive conversations in her future wards. When Heather found out, at 11 or 12, what her thoughts and attractions were called and how the church feels about them, she believed she …
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Ryan…
When he first came out, Ryan thought that the only way he could experience being gay was if he left the church. Though he tried that for a time, his faith eventually led him back. His journey taught him to be more accepting of others, since one can’t know what …
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Nick…
“…the only thing I ever felt from Him was just, ‘Nick I love you.’” When diagnosed with a malignant tumor, Nick felt not only abandoned and deprived of the change he’d earnestly hoped for since admitting his homosexuality but also betrayed by God with illness despite his faith. But his subsequent determination …
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Allen…
Allen knows two things for certain: He is gay and God loves him. A devoted father of 5, a former bishop, and beloved community leader, Allen has found tremendous peace in coming to terms with his homosexuality. As a young boy Allen struggled with what seemed to be an unacceptable …
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Meagan…
Honesty is the best policy for Meagan, and fear has no place in her life as she lives what she believes. Meagan remembers feeling attracted to girls since kindergarten. At the time she immediately understood that her feelings were “not what you do,” so she kept the truth hidden. As Meagan …
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Wilum…part 1
Wilum, 60, is a self-described punk rock, exhibitionist, gay Mormon. After serving a full-time mission, Wilum came out to his family then attended therapy to “become heterosexual.” Wilum was ultimately excommunicated, but he found comfort and acceptance in the world of exhibitionism and punk rock where he felt free and …
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Lori…
Lori saw a bleak path in front of her until she was able to truly accept herself. When Lori first admitted to herself as a teen that she had homosexual feelings, she felt “dirty” and “damned” and even considered suicide. Denial became a self-preserving way of life until she was …
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Andrew…
Resistant to the belief that one must choose between being gay or being Mormon, Andrew has committed his life to honoring both his spiritual and sexual identity. Andrew and his husband now live in Provo, Utah and are active participants in their ward community. Andrew came to terms with his …
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Michael…
Raised in a loving, devout Mormon family, Michael was determined to reconstruct his sexuality to fit the standards of his family and church communities. After nearly a decade of seeking cures for his attraction to men, Michael ultimately learned to trust the Divine within. Michael grew up in a traditional …
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Seth…
Seth hails from a long line of devout Mormons including pioneers who farmed the desert lands of Utah and musicians who contributed masterworks to the Mormon hymnal. As a gay man and devoted Latter Day Saint, Seth soon realized that he would have to navigate uncharted spiritual territory just as …
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Charles…
When Charles’ son came out to him, Charles knew that he would always love his son unconditionally. What Charles didn’t know was if he could truly understand and empathize with his son. But Charles’ level of understanding and empathy has increased, and in that he feels hope. Charles would like …
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Lauren…
Lauren grew up in an active LDS family, dated frequently, and had always envisioned herself marrying in the temple. It wasn’t until she fell in love with her best girlfriend–while attending BYU–that she realized she was gay. Lauren spent one year silently coming to terms with her sexuality and considering …
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Michael B…
After acting the part of a straight person for several years, Michael feels he is finally living life as a “more genuine person”. Growing up, Michael tried hard to reconcile his faith and sexuality. He tried to follow the crowd as much as possible, including serving a mission and dating …
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Kamrin…
Kamrin desperately wanted to be the person he thought he should be, but it only led to misery and despair until he accepted who he truly was. Growing up in a Mormon family, Kamrin had clear ideas of who he should be and who he wanted to be. So at 14, …
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Clint…
Clint knew he was “different” from a young age, but he didn’t accept that he was gay until after serving an LDS mission. As he tried to date women after his mission, things became difficult enough for Clint that he sought a therapist’s aid. During this time he accepted and …
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Ken…
Ken, great great grandson of Heber C. Kimball, has deep ancestral and cultural ties to Mormonism; as a young man he would first and foremost self-identify as a Mormon. Even though he felt impressions that he was different from the other boys his age, Ken buried his homosexual feelings during …
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Jay…
Jay’s early curiosity toward other boys made him realize that he was different. In second grade, he had a crush on his friend and wondered if other boys felt the same way about their friends. In middle school, he was more interested in the football team than the cheerleaders, but …
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Bridey…
Bridey now believes she doesn’t have to choose between her faith and her sexuality, but it took years of self-hate, pain, and disappointment to understand who she was and what she wanted. When Bridey first realized that she was a lesbian, she immediately felt like a bad or evil person. …
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Jeffrey…
After finding that he wasn’t happy being traditionally Mormon or living life without spirituality, Jeffrey found a middle ground in a healthy, committed marriage with another man. Early in his life Jeffrey realized he was gay, and he struggled with his testimony and where he would fit in with the …
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Chad…
Chad joined the church when he was 24 years old and fully aware of his homosexuality. Although he struggled to accept his sexuality growing up, he found joy in the gospel and a peace that had eluded him his entire life. Chad threw himself into his church callings and devoted …
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Benjamin…
Benjamin grew up on a dairy farm in Idaho within a conservative Mormon family. Although he participated in the cultural milestones set out for young Mormon boys, Benjamin knew he was different from his peers. At 18, he decided not to serve an LDS mission and instead came out to …
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Kurt…
Kurt quickly learned, growing up in small-town Iowa, which traits and expressions were acceptable and which to keep in and put away. He served a mission, went to college, and developed relationships with women (at their instigation) all while continually putting away the aspects of himself he could not accept. …
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Blake…
Blake grew up in the LDS church and was taught that homosexuality was a sin. Still, he had known for a long time that he was attracted to men. Because of this disparity, Blake felt he had to distance himself from the church when he came out. When Blake began …
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Braiden…
A conversation in the garden was a major turning point in Braiden’s renewal of hope. When Braiden realized he was gay, he broke down at the thought of not passing the legacy and lessons he’d grown up with to children of his own. Daily stresses came, too, including such feelings …
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Joseph…
Joseph shares several defining moments in his life that have allowed him to accept his homosexuality. As a teenager, Joseph prepared himself to date women and eventually marry, but the associated feelings never came. He knew he was different than his friends, and he initially wanted to overcome these feelings. …
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Chase…
Chase lives a life he’s proud of, filled with the desire for goodness and love that Mormonism taught him, and he’s also happily married to a good man. At 15 Chase knew something “wasn’t right” about the way he felt about boys. He also knew that as a Mormon, if …
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Christopher…
Christopher appreciated and admired women, despite repulsion towards romantic or sexual intimacy with one, and figured eternal marriage would somehow work out after his mission. But when that time came and he couldn’t find the attraction or connection to a woman, he felt he was at an impasse. His anguish …
Watch Video...Messages from Mormon family and friends to Mormon youth as part of the "It Gets Better" project
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