Becoming a progressive Mormon Bishop, Son Comes Out as Gay - Evan and Wes Smith Pt. 1 | Ep. 1666
October 3, 2022
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2:39:04Now PlayingBecoming a progressive Mormon Bishop, Son Comes Out as Gay - Evan and Wes Smith Pt. 1 | Ep. 1666
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as posted by the channelEvan Smith rose through the ranks of Mormon leadership becoming a bishop and later a Sake Presidency member. While serving as a Bishop, Evan struggled with the Church’s positions on LGBTQ issues and later found out that his son Weston was gay. Even after coming out, Weston decided to serve an LDS Mission as an openly gay man, leading him to high levels of depression and heartbreaking experiences during and after coming back early from his mission.
Evan became an advocate for LGBT people in the Church and his position as a Stake Counselor led him to a confrontation with a General Authority and a meeting in Church Headquarters with a Seventy where they discussed Evan’s progressive beliefs on LGBTQ matters. Join John and Gerardo as they interview Evan and his son Weston about their fascinating Mormon Story.
In Part 1 of 3, we learn of Evan’s relatively normal LDS (Mormon) upbringing in Utah, early testimony-building experiences, and troubling issues on his mission regarding difficult Church topics including the Church’s racism & homophobia. Evan attends BYU and meets his wife, Cheryl, and works through law school with three children. He becomes a Branch President (leader of a local congregation-similar to a Bishop, but over a smaller congregation) and begins learning Gospel teachings and experiences weren’t as simple as they initially seemed, culminating in his son, Weston, coming out to him as gay.
Gay LDS Crossroads
This Body of WaterSurviving Mormonism as a Queer Man
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