EP 568 – How Should Local Leaders Counsel LGBTQ+ Members? | An Interview with Tyler Lefevor and Sam Skidmore

The way local Latter-day Saint leaders counsel LGBTQ+ members of their congregation can have an enormous impact on how those members choose to be involved with the Church going forward. Some leaders are accepting and loving. Some offer neutral advice to read scriptures and pray. Some tell LGBTQ+ members to suppress their orientation or identity and restrict who they are.

Tyler Lefevor, a previous guest of the show with this 4 Options Survey, and Sam Skidmore, a post-graduate student studying clinical counseling and psychology, have interviewed 25 LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints—some active, some not—about their experiences with local leaders. With their research, they hope to help bishops and stake presidents learn how to be more effective in counseling these members to be more emotionally and spiritually healthy.

Questions discussed:

* What drove you to focus on bishops and stake presidents?

* How can LDS leaders balance the demands of protecting the Church and teaching correct doctrine with being open and loving toward LGBTQ+ members

* What are the top reasons LGBTQ+ members talk with a Church leader about gender or sexuality?

* What did LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints find most helpful from these interactions with leaders?

* What did LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints find least helpful from these interactions with leaders?

* What are the common impacts of talking with a Church leader?

* How do you recommend LGBTQ+ Church members interact with their leaders?

* Do you feel like the Church has progressed as it pertains to LGBTQ+ relations?

* Can LGBTQ+ members fully belong in their congregations and the Church at large?

* How can leaders get in touch with you about sharing their experiences from their side of the desk?

Tyler Lefevor, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychology at Utah State University. Raised as a queer man in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tyler’s research focuses on building bridges between LGBTQ+ and LDS communities. Tyler also operates a small, private therapy practice.

Sam Skidmore, M.S., is a third-year doctoral student of clinical/counseling psychology at Utah State University. Sam’s research and clinical focuses include understanding the experiences of religious LGBTQ+ people and ways in which LGBTQ+ mental health can be improved.

Visit:

* www.4optionssurvey.com

* www.lgbtqmormonresearch.com

* If you want Tyler and Sam to speak with your local leader: https://usu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0wZctI2sKCGVhhs

http://www.thisweekinmormons.com/2021/03/episode-518-the-impact-of-parents-religious-rigidity-on-young-adults-leaving-the-church-an-interview-w-liz-brown-macdonald/

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Transcript

00:00.00

Geoff Openshaw

Everybody how you doing welcome to this weekend mormons very excited to bring you the show this week because we've got some interview action happening. We've actually had a bit of a lull kind of going through the fall and getting through the holidays we've been straight news for a while and I'm really excited to get into that. But. We do though, just want to remind all of you to visit us at this we...