Download or read book The Hero s Journey of the Gay Lesbian Mormon written by Carol Lynn Pearson and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 79 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an invitation for gay people to see their difference not as a defect, but as a calling to travel a new territory and bring a new gift to their Tribe. It is based on the journey of the hero as described by mythologist Joseph Campbell and follows the steps he outlines, from life in the "ordinary world," through the "call to adventure," reluctantly setting out on the journey, meeting the obstacles that include the "supreme ordeal" of wrestling with fear and condemnation in the "inmost cave," triumphing over "the Shadow," and finally returning with "the Elixir," the healing substance of love.

Download or read book Latter Gay Saints written by Gerald S. Argetsinger and published by Lethe Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Latter-Gay Saints brings together twenty-five exemplary short works depicting a variety of perspectives of what it means to be both Mormon and queer. Some portray characters determined to reconcile their sexuality with the Mormon faith in accordance with its constantly evolving teachings and policies. The majority present the realities of queer Mormons who have come to terms with their sexuality in a variety of alternative ways. Others are written from outside the Mormon community, commenting on often strange encounters with Mormons who are gay. These stories are also of value for the broader GLBT community revealing similarities that people of faith, regardless of which faith, face in attempting to negotiate their religious heritage with their homosexuality. Some in the GLBT community find a way, while others do not, leaving their faith or having it ripped from them. They are all individuals searching for answers to life's puzzles.

Download or read book The Confession of an Unrepentant Lesbian Ex Mormon Or Hanging Out with Gay Mormons in Salt Lake City written by Sue-Ann Post and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In June 2003 Sue-Ann Post was invited to be the keynote speaker at the annual Affirmation conference in Salt Lake City. Affirmation is a group of gay and lesbian Mormons, a group that is reviled by the mainstream church body. As a lesbian ex-Mormon she simply had to go. Her early life had been shaped by her mother's fundamentalist devotion to the church, but she forcibly rejected it all when she realised that she was a lesbian. She became aggressively atheist in her views and took to ridiculing the religion in her stage show. Visiting the epicentre of Mormonism was bound to be a major head-spin ... The Confession of an Unrepentant Lesbian Ex-Mormon is Sue-Ann's intensely personal account of her time in Salt Lake City and her inner grapplings with notions of faith, redemption, honesty and sexuality. As befits a stand-up comedian, it is frequently funny, unflinching and acerbic. It is also searching and heartfelt: a passionate interrogation of the capacity of religion to both enrich and distort our moral understandings.

Download or read book Saving Alex written by Alex Cooper and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2016-03-01 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Alex Cooper was fifteen years old, life was pretty ordinary in her sleepy suburban town and nice Mormon family. At church and at home, Alex was taught that God had a plan for everyone. But something was gnawing at her that made her feel different. These feelings exploded when she met Yvette, a girl who made Alex feel alive in a new way, and with whom Alex would quickly fall in love. Alex knew she was holding a secret that could shatter her family, her church community, and her life. Yet when this secret couldn’t be hidden any longer, she told her parents that she was gay, and the nightmare began. She was driven from her home in Southern California to Utah, where, against her will, her parents handed her over to fellow Mormons who promised to save Alex from her homosexuality. For eight harrowing months, Alex was held captive in an unlicensed “residential treatment program” modeled on the many “therapeutic” boot camps scattered across Utah. Alex was physically and verbally abused, and many days she was forced to stand facing a wall wearing a heavy backpack full of rocks. Her captors used faith to punish and terrorize her. With the help of a dedicated legal team in Salt Lake City, Alex eventually escaped and made legal history in Utah by winning the right to live under the law’s protection as an openly gay teenager. Alex is not alone; the headlines continue to splash stories about gay conversion therapy and rehabilitation centers that promise to “save” teenagers from their sexuality. Saving Alex is a courageous memoir that tells Alex’s story in the hopes that it will bring awareness and justice to this important issue. A bold, inspiring story of one girl’s fight for freedom, acceptance, and truth.

Download or read book The Miracle of Forgiveness written by Spencer W. Kimball and published by Bookcraft, Incorporated. This book was released on 1999 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The miracle of forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball gives a penetrating explanation of repentance and forgiveness and clarifies their implications for church members.

Download or read book Worthy written by Chris Davis and published by . This book was released on 2023-04-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At age thirty-two, Chris Davis had everything she was told that she wanted: a husband, two children, and a townhouse in the suburbs. The plan had been laid out for her and compliance was expected. A devout Mormon with a stellar reputation in her community, Davis spent a lifetime listening to rhetoric from church leaders that queer people were sinners and needed to repent of their wickedness. She had sworn faithfulness and obedience to God and the church but was faced with an impossible equation. How could she earn blessings from God and eternal life in heaven when she knew she was gay? She decided the only way out was a 17-year plan to raise her children and then take her own life. In Worthy: The Memoir of an Ex-Mormon Lesbian, Davis tells her story of growing up in a Mormon household in Maine. Her nostalgic and sometimes humorous childhood memories of family and friends provide life lessons that influence her during the traumatic experiences she has as a woman and as a closeted queer person in the church. It isn't until one of her children comes out that Davis is forced to choose between religion and family. She chooses love. Davis shares her brave journey from the depths of despair to hope and possibility. She shines a light on the tragedy of exclusion in our churches, in families, and in society, which takes such a toll on youth who struggle with their identities. Her inspiring account shows that it takes courage and fortitude to change one's beliefs and live an authentic life, but the rewards are immense.

Download or read book The Gate and the Garden written by Corbin Brodie and published by . This book was released on 2016-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is it really like to be a young gay Mormon missionary, sent out to a foreign country at the age of 19, to convert people to a powerful church you have been raised in which has told you all your life that what you are in your heart is very wrong? This book describes that experience in full with rich personal detail. These are the complete personal journals of a 19 year old boy who went on his Mormon mission to Japan as a sincere believer in the LDS Church, having been taught this was what he must do and hoping God would cure him of his secret homosexuality because of the sacrifice he was making. It documents in detail how his faith in Mormonism completely collapsed half way through the mission experience, how he then happily and fully accepted being gay and somehow managed to survive the full two years because he felt he had to, while struggling to keep his homosexuality and loss of belief in Mormonism concealed. The book offers a huge amount of detail and insight on daily life as a Mormon missionary in Japan a few decades ago. It documents the gradual, step by step loss of religious belief and acceptance of self. This book is a story about crossing the bridge from boyhood to manhood. It is a story about learning to think for yourself. It is a story about a creative awakening, including all the poems and short stories written on the journey. It is a story about being who you are, not who you've been told you should be.

Download or read book Why I Stay 2 written by Robert a Rees and published by . This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twenty-one women and men discuss what it is about Mormonism that keeps them part of the fold. Their deep, unique experiences make their individual travels even more compelling. Kimberly Applewhite Teitter, growing up in the South as a Black Latter-day Saint, often encountered well-meaning Latter-day Saints whose words messaged the idea that she was at some level an outsider or perhaps not as authentically Mormon as others in her congregation. Thus, she writes, "At the end of the day I'm still Black--still have felt the weight of proving that I represent the church I've fought so hard for my entire life." Yet the very episodes that could have driven her from the church became lessons on the meaning of discipleship.

Download or read book I Spoke to You with Silence written by Kerry Spencer Pray and published by . This book was released on 2022-07-29 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of narrative essays about the struggles of being LGBTQ+ and Mormon

Download or read book Gay Mormons Latter day Saint Experiences of Same Gender Attraction written by Brent Kerby and published by . This book was released on 2011-04-20 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is it like to be a Mormon who is attracted to the same gender rather than the opposite gender? How does this fit into a culture and religion centered on heterosexual marriage? In this book, thirty-seven individuals share their personal experiences, offering a window into these complex questions.The intense despair felt by gay and lesbian Mormon youth poses a significant challenge to their families, teachers, and ecclesiastical leaders who love them but who may be unaware of their difficulties or uncertain of how to help. These youth are often among the most devoted to their faith. While these issues continue to be surrounded by controversy, there is a growing need for understanding and respect for all involved. The accounts in this book offer hope and inspiration to those who wish to create a brighter future for their families and communities.The full text of this book is freely available online at http://gaymormonsbook.org.

Download or read book Gay Latter Day Saint Crossroads written by Evan Smith and published by Bookbaby. This book was released on 2021-06-03 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evan Smith believed the anti-gay messages he heard in church during his childhood, which contributed to some negative views he held toward LGBTQ people. Later, as a bishop and then a counselor in a stake presidency, his heart softened as church members came to him seeking guidance about feeling attracted to others of the same gender. Evan's investigating and study became personal when his own son came out as gay. In this topically navigable book, Evan tackles the issues with a lawyer's mind and a penetrating analysis of scriptures and church doctrine. He addresses such questions as these: "What insights apply from the end of polygamy and the race-based priesthood/temple ban?" "Why do I stay in the church?" and, most importantly, "What words are hurtful/helpful to LGBTQ people and their families?"

Download or read book Real Queer America written by Samantha Allen and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2019-03-05 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST A transgender reporter's "powerful, profoundly moving" narrative tour through the surprisingly vibrant queer communities sprouting up in red states (New York Times Book Review), offering a vision of a stronger, more humane America. Ten years ago, Samantha Allen was a suit-and-tie-wearing Mormon missionary. Now she's a GLAAD Award-winning journalist happily married to another woman. A lot in her life has changed, but what hasn't changed is her deep love of Red State America, and of queer people who stay in so-called "flyover country" rather than moving to the liberal coasts. In Real Queer America, Allen takes us on a cross-country road-trip stretching all the way from Provo, Utah to the Rio Grande Valley to the Bible Belt to the Deep South. Her motto for the trip: "Something gay every day." Making pit stops at drag shows, political rallies, and hubs of queer life across the heartland, she introduces us to scores of extraordinary LGBT people working for change, from the first openly transgender mayor in Texas history to the manager of the only queer night club in Bloomington, Indiana, and many more. Capturing profound cultural shifts underway in unexpected places and revealing a national network of chosen family fighting for a better world, Real Queer America is a treasure trove of uplifting stories and a much-needed source of hope and inspiration in these divided times.

Download or read book Fit to Serve written by James C. Hormel and published by Skyhorse. This book was released on 2011-10-11 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the memoir of James C. Hormel—a man who grew up feeling different not only because his family owned the Hormel “empire” and lived in a twenty-six-bedroom house in a small Midwest town, but because he was gay at a time when homosexuality was not discussed or accepted. Outwardly he tried to live up to the life his father wanted for him—he was a successful professional, had married a lovely woman, and had children—but as vola-tile changes in the late 1960s impeded on the American psyche, Hormel realized that he could not hide his true self forever. Hormel moved to New York City, became an antiwar activist, battled homophobia, lost dear friends to AIDS, and set out to become America’s first openly gay ambassador, a position he finally won during the Clinton administration. Today, Hormel continues to fight for LGBT equality and gay marriage rights. This is a passionate and inspiring true story of the determination for human equality and for attaining your own version of the American Dream—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without exception.

Download or read book Mormon Convert Mormon Defector written by Polly Aird and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Peter McAuslan heeded Mormon missionaries spreading the faith in his native Scotland in the mid-1840s. The uncertainty his family faced in a rapidly industrializing economy, the political turmoil erupting across Europe, the welter of competing religions--all were signs of the imminent end of time, the missionaries warned. Drawing on McAuslan's writings and other archival sources, Polly Aird offers a rare interior portrait of a man in whom religious fervor warred with indignation at absolutist religious authorities and fear for the consequences of dissension. In so doing, she brings to life a dramatic but little-known period of American history.

Download or read book No More Goodbyes written by Carol Lynn Pearson and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of anecdotes and letters from current and former gay and lesbian Mormons and their families explores the effects of their ostracization from Mormon faith communities, discusses Mormon attitudes about homosexuality, and argues for increased acceptance and sensitivity for gay members.

Download or read book The Leader in Me written by Stephen R. Covey and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-12-11 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children in today's world are inundated with information about who to be, what to do and how to live. But what if there was a way to teach children how to manage priorities, focus on goals and be a positive influence on the world around them? The Leader in Meis that programme. It's based on a hugely successful initiative carried out at the A.B. Combs Elementary School in North Carolina. To hear the parents of A. B Combs talk about the school is to be amazed. In 1999, the school debuted a programme that taught The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleto a pilot group of students. The parents reported an incredible change in their children, who blossomed under the programme. By the end of the following year the average end-of-grade scores had leapt from 84 to 94. This book will launch the message onto a much larger platform. Stephen R. Covey takes the 7 Habits, that have already changed the lives of millions of people, and shows how children can use them as they develop. Those habits -- be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand and then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw -- are critical skills to learn at a young age and bring incredible results, proving that it's never too early to teach someone how to live well.

Download or read book That We May be One written by Tom Christofferson and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: