Listen, Learn & Love Hosted By Richard Ostler

My friend Brandon Kellogg joins us to talk about his new book “Honorably Excused” (available at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09P8LY87Y/). Brandon talks about his own journey to serve a mission (check out Episode 266 for more of his story) and how we should create more support and understanding for Latter-day Saints who feel their path is to not serve a mission. I encourage everyone to check out this episode and Brandon’s book. Thank you Brandon for being on the podcast and your insights to improve our culture so more feel welcome, a feeling of belonging and needed.

My friend Justice Burt shares his story of coming out as gay in middle school (which was a generally positive experience), being atheist/agnostic during middle/school early high school, and then his journey to join the Church. It is a unique and remarkable story. Justice talks about being gay and how he originally felt that was not compatible to being in a Christian religion. Justice talks about his friends and their love and support that gradually created a shift in Justice to be open to learning more. That eventually led to Justice’s baptism in December 2019. It is a powerful conversation story. Justice also shares, during the isolation of COVID, the experience of falling back into bad habits and coming close to leaving the Church altogether. Despite that, Justice talks about how he was always able to feel the Spirit and how he has been able to return to full activity in the Church. Justice closes with his “queer testimony”. Thank you Justice for being on the podcast. You are a great man with tr

My friend Taylor Kerby (active LDS, Two Masters Degrees, PhD candidate) talks about his new book called “Scrupulous: My Obsessive Compulsion for God” which is at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Scrupulous-My-Obsessive-Compulsion-God-ebook/dp/B09NFLLPMD). In the podcast Taylor bravely talks about his own journey with Scrupulosity discussing what it is, how it put him in a difficult place, and what he did to overcome it. Taylor, who has a Masters Degree in Religion from Clairmont, goes further to talk about what we can do to help more Latter-days Saints feel at home, create Zions, and feel good enough in our congregations—and what we can do to better create Zions. I was deeply moved by Taylor’s insights into our restored doctrine and Christ’s teachings—and how to apply those in our own lives and the loves of others to bring hope and healing. I encourage everyone to listen to the podcast and read Taylor’s book. Taylor has wonderful and helping insights. I learned much listening to him.

Episode 492: Ginger Price, Resigned from Church, Positive Experience Sharing Her Journey with Stake Presidency/Bishops My friend Ginger McKnight Price (married mother of four, RM) shares her journey with serving a mission (good experience) and then the events that led her to resign from the Church in 2018. Ginger is open, vulnerable and honest. She is not asking others to leave or not believe in the Church but shares the pain of having her faith shift and losing her community and a sense of belonging. Ginger talks about a social media post of an active Latter-day Saint saying kind things about those who leave the church that led to a friendship of understanding. Ginger then moved to from Alaska to Utah and was surprised to learn she was moving into the stake boundaries of this Latter-day Saint, Ed Hegemann who is serving as Stake President and is the Utah State Institute Director. President Heggeman invited Ginger to share her experience with the entire Stake Presidency and 8 Bishops. Ginge

My friend Dr. Lacey (she/her; married mother of two) shares her story as a queer Latter-day Saint. Lacey talks about growing up as a Latter-day Saint and remaining a practicing member of the Church, following her impressions to change her career path (which includes getting a masters degree and PhD in marriage and family therapy), finding her husband Evan (who loves and supports Lacey), coming out as queer, and then opening a queer clinical practice for queer client. Dr. Lacey also shared helpful insights for Latter-day Saint parents raising LGBTQIA+ children and the role therapists (practicing ethical therapy) have in helping their children find their best path forward. If you are LGBTQIA+ or a parent of an LGBTQIA+ child, please listen to this podcast. Dr. Lacey has wonderful insights and experiences to help us all do better. You can reach Dr. Lacey at https://www.celebratetherapy.org or lacey@celebratetherapy.org. You can also find a directory of Queer Mormon Therapists online at https://www.queermorm

My friend Jackson Jensen (age 22, RM from Lubbock Texas) shares his story. Jackson starts bravely sharing his story being a survivor of sexual abuse at age 8. Jackson, with a prompting from the Spirit, at age 16 told his family about his sexual abuse and how freeing and helpful it was to finally open up about this traumatic experience. Concurrent with telling his family about this sexual abuse, Jackson is privately working to understand his sexual orientation. The journey continued during his mission in Texas. Jackson shares his conclusion that being gay is not because he was sexually abused. There are two different parts of Jackson’s story. This is consistent with other stories shared in my book (Chapter 3/False Statement 3; link below) Jackson also shares what he is learning and why is come out publicly in March 2021 (see https://www.facebook.com/jackson.jensen.12/posts/3335259683242812) and his hopes for the future. You can connect with Jackson on Instagram @jacksonterral and Facebook

n this episode, Benée and Heidi share their experience to help us better understand the resources available in Utah to help those struggling with suicide ideation. In particular, they explore resources that can help faith climates develop a culture of safety, help-seeking and hope. Research shows that talking about suicide reduces stigma and risk associated with suicide ideation. QPR Training in faith settings is a great way to help others understand their role in suicide prevention, especially how to have these crucial and needed conversations in our congregations and families. Benée and Heidi and also share practical insights for all of us to help those who are considering suicide and for those who are currently experiencing suicide ideation. If you have lost a loved one to suicide, know your not alone and hear some tips on how to cope. Please listen to this podcast. I learned so much from these two remarkable women. We need to have these conversations and be unified in our efforts to better su

My friend Spencer H. shares his journey as a gay Latter-day Saint. Spencer talks about the difficult and dark times—especially in his early twenties—trying to date women and reconcile the complexity of his life. Spencer talks about opening up to his parents and siblings and how they walked together with him on his journey. Their guidance and encouragement helped him seek personal revelation for his path forward which led to hope, a strong relationship with God, and clarity. Spencer is in a great place emotionally and spiritually and full of hope for his future—a future that includes plans to marry a man and stay close to Heavenly Father and Christ. Spencer has great insights about using gospel principles to seek personal revelation and managing the paradoxes of being gay and a Latter-day Saint. You can also check out Spencer's blog https://soyouremormonandgay.blogspot.com/2021/01/spencers-story.html) Thank you Spencer for being on the podcast. Your story will help so many. And thanks to your won

My friend Jonathan Rogers (Married father of two) joins us from his home in Georgia to share some of his story. Jonathan starts by bravely sharing working through worthiness issues in his teens which put him in a dark place feeling outside of God’s love and full of shame. Jonathan talks about the love, kindness and compassion he would give to his younger self to eliminate needless shame and self-loathing. Jonathan talks about his road to listen to LGBTQ Latter-day Saints and their often painful experiences. Jonathan talks about his love for our LGBTQ friends and what we can do to better support them. Jonathan talks about his faith-crisis and how he is navigating being an active Latter-day Saint and holding space for everyone on their respective paths. Jonathan, who is a moderator of Mormons Building Bridges, is working hard to building bridges and bring more understanding to see everyone as members of the same human family. Thank you Jonathan for being on the podcast and all your great wo

My friend bj Nelson (RM, active LDS, married with 4 children and 14 grandchildren) shares her story of over fifty years of gender dysphoria. bj shares the decision to finally come out to her wife Donna in April 2017 and her time in the closet “expired”. bj talks about the role of Encircle to provide hope and healing. bj talks about the personal revelation she is receiving from her Heavenly Father and how she believes He loves all of her—and how bj would not longer choose a different road. bj talks about her supportive wife, their love story and how they are walking this road together. bj talks about a supportive ward and being welcome in Relief Society. bj has a long view (over fifty years) of being transgender and has insights, suggestions and principles to help other transgender Latter-day Saints (and their families). If you’d like to learn more about transgender Latter-day Saints, how to be more supportive, and how to value their contributions, please listen to bj’s story. bj and her s

My friend Dr. Susan Madsen (married mother of four and two grandchildren) joins us to talk about her new book called “A Future Only God Can See For You: A Guide for Teen and Young Adult Women and Preparing to Lead” (https://www.amazon.com/Future-Only-God-Can-See/dp/1462140521). This is an important book for LDS women to see and act on their God given potential and mission to lead. Susan shares insights from her own journey as a Latter-day Saint women following her impressions ‘to not stay in the box’ on her path when led her to a doctorate degree, being a college professor, author, worldwide speaker, and the Founding Director of the Utah Women and Leadership Project (https://www.usu.edu/uwlp/). If you are a Latter-day Saint women and want to increase your hope and vision, please read this book. If you are male and want to better amplify the voices and use the gifts of women to build Zion, please read this book. It will help all of us do better. Thank you Susan for being on the podcast and your gr

My friend Frasier Perez, who grew up in Temecula California, shares his story of being an early release missionary from the McAllen, Texas mission. Frasier, during his first transfer, shares realizing he was experiencing something different than normal homesickness as this emotional health declined which led to thoughts of suicide. Frasier bravely opened up with those thoughts to his mission leaders, companion, and family which led to the help he needed and deserved. During his second transfer, once things didn’t improve, Frasier returned home. Frasier talks about what people in his circle did to help him feel welcome and loved and offers suggestions on what we can do to improve our culture to be more loving and accepting. Frasier has deep peace that he did all that he could do and is square with God. Frasier is now looking forward focusing on his bright future and sharing his story to give hope and more understanding. Thank you Frasier for sharing your story. It will help so many. Great

My friend Barry Donakey (BYU Senior, BYU English/Spanish Studies Major) shares his story. Barry (who graduated from Timpanogos High School in 2016) talks about “when did you know,” managing expectations for a heteronormative marriage, and coming out to family and friends (great support). Barry talks about the need to improve Church culture to talk about supporting LGBTQ members and hearing their stories in church-supported settings. Barry shares his experience with the LGBTQ+ & Allies workshop series at the Utah Valley University (UVU) LDS Institute and how this can be scaled into our local areas of influence. Barry shares insights and principles from the scriptures that give him direction and hope for his future and also how he manages the frustrations he feels at times as a gay Latter-day Saint who is also fully active in the Church. Thank you Barry for being you and for your insights to help us better create Zion. You are a good man and your voice and perspective is so needed and helpful. Thank you

My friend Jaime Clemmer, married mother of 4, joins us via Zoom from her home in Virginia to share the story their 10-year-old son Sawyer’s sudden death that started with a seizure at school. Jaime talks about her book (at Deseret Book and Amazon) called Heartbroken, But Not Broken (www.amazon.com/Heartbroken-but-Broken-Jaime-Clemmer/dp/1462140165/ or deseretbook.com/p/heartbroken-but-not-broken) Jaime writes: “We live in a culture that seldom speaks opening about grief. In some instances, we are even embarrassed to show our sorrow. Why are we ashamed to cry? Why do we feel that sharing sadness in unacceptable? How can we effectively mourn with those who mourn if no one is willing to share their heartache?” We need to improve Latter-day Saint culture about how we handle grief and trauma. Jaimie is helping us to do this so we can better love and support each other. Please listen to this podcast—I learned so much from Jaimie. Please read and share her book. You can learn more about Jaime a

My friend Gretchen Norman Evans (married mother of one, active LDS) shares the story losing her dear brother Jacob Norman to suicide while he attended BYU in May of 2019. She continues by sharing the story of losing her dear sister Alanna Norman Koons and her twin 18-month old daughters Ruby and June in a car crash in July of 2019. Gretchen and her family (a strong, open and very close family) are living with immense pain of the reality of losing so many family members. Gretchen shares thoughts on why someone becomes suicidal and what we can do to help them—along with insights to help family members when a someone completes suicide. Gretchen also has important and helpful ideas on how to grieve, how to allow others to grieve, and how to improve our Church culture to allow people to grieve, be real and help them heal. Gretchen bravely shares how she is feeling, what she is learning, what she is doing to be in a safe and sustainable place and how she is finding hope for the future. If you have lo

My friend Steve Haworth, who joined the church in Sept 2020 at age 41, shares his story. Steve, who came out at age 17, has been looking for a church that provides the best path for Steve’s desire to find a home as a gay believer in Heavenly Father and Jesus. Steve shares his positive experience with his missionaries (told them he was gay early in the teaching process), why our restored doctrine resonates with him, how he is navigating being gay and LDS, and how we can better support LGBTQ Latter-day Saints. Steve has started a website at http://www.zionlgbtq.net to support LGBTQ Latter-day Saints. Thank you Steve for being on the podcast and sharing your remarkable and faith building story. You are helping us build Zion. Your story and ministry is helping many! ** Please Check Out My Book At: ** Deseret Book: www.deseretbook.com/p/listen-learn-and-love-embracing-lgbtq-latter-day-saints Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/1462135773 ** Want to develop church-supported LGBTQ activities in your local

My friend Pedro Munoz, age 35, joins us from his home in Colombia to share his remarkable story. Pedro shares knowing he was attracted to men during his teenage years, trying to date girls, and feeling broken and damaged. During this difficult years where Pedro worried if he really was gay he would be forced to live his life on the street in this life and in hell in the next life. Pedro talks about finding hope through his relationship with Heavenly Father and then finding the missionaries at age 24 where he gained a testimony of unique and hopeful doctrine that came through the restoration (especially the plan of salvation that have him purpose). A year after his baptism, Pedro served a mission in Mexico (great experience). Following his mission, Pedro shares moving to BYU-Idaho and trying to date women. That led to more feelings of being damaged and broken all while being active in the Church and attending the Temple weekly. Pedro talks about surviving a suicide attempt and then getting th

My friend and podcast host Brock Bevell (married active Latter-day Saint) shares his long journey to end his pornography and opioid addictions. Brock, a retired Mesa Arizona Police Officer, shares how pornography use and then opioid use came into his life. Brock then shares the hard work (along with Christ) to put these addictions behind him. Brock is honest, direct, candid with his story --- which is full of hope and real-life principles to help others. Brock hosts a podcast called Chase the Vase (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chase-the-vase/id1543306831) with stories of others putting addictions behind them. Brock (along with Max Hall and Blu Robinson) co-host Agents of Recovery podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-agents-of-recovery-podcast/id1550462911). Please check out these podcasts. You can connect with Brock on IG at https://www.instagram.com/brockbevell/ and on FB at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014854295625. To learn more about Brock’s approach to k

My friend Shayla Slaymaker (Lawyer, Married, Age 29) shares her story about losing both her brothers to suicide. Her younger brother Chance died by suicide at age 14 in 2013, and her older brother Travis died by suicide at age 26 in 2016. Shayla, who has been on this immensely painful road for 8 years, is sharing her story in hopes of helping others who have lost a loved one to suicide. Shayla is also sharing her story to give hope and more tools/perspective for those who are struggling and may be considering suicide. If you have lost a loved one to suicide, are suicidal, or want to help someone who has lost a loved one to suicide, please listen to this podcast. It will give you tools, perspectives and ideas to help. Thank you Shayla for your courage to share your story and be on the podcast. You are helping so many!

My friend Eli Wood shares his story for the first time publicly. Eli talks about growing up in an active Idaho LDS family and navigating his way as a gay Latter-day Saint. Eli talks about being happy but knowing he was different from other boys. Eli, who is currently a flight attendant, talks about trying to date girls and the emotional challenges of that road. Eli talks about his time at BYU-Idaho, including great experiences and very difficult experiences (hearing difficult experiences helps us do better). Here he learned part of the reason why he wasn't meant to serve a proselytizing mission and how God will use you where you are to accomplish your life mission. Eli talks about his deep, helpful and meaningful relationship with his Heavenly Parents and the personal revelation and hope he is receiving. Eli, who is planning on being a marriage and family therapist, talks about his hopes for the future and how we can better come together as the same human family. This is a powerful podcast. If you a