My friend Trevor Schoeny (RM from Lubbock Texas, returned Dec 2024, from Virgina/DC, BYU student, Age 23) joins us to share his story as a gay Latter-day Saint. Trevor starts with realizing he is gay and then coming out to his parents after his senior year (positive experience).

Trevor talks about stepping away from the Church (which helped him eventually come back to the Church) and his brave (and somewhat surprising) decision to serve a mission (and walk back into a place of trauma)—because he wanted to help others heal from pain and find love.

Trevor (who reads scriptures throughout the podcast) talks about all the things he learned and taught on his mission including:

* Fear has no place in the Gospel

* His crucible moment when he decided to stay on his mission

* No one should feel they are not celestial material

* Importance of vulnerability

* Finding our story in the scriptures

I was so moved listening to and learning from Trevor—a great man who was been through the “winepress” representing the difficult road of a queer Latter-day Saint—and his ability to help others find hope, belonging and peace. You are a man of great courage.

You are a good man, Trevor. I’m honored to have you on the podcast. Everyone in the Church needs to hear like Trevor as we build Zion. Please listen and share this episode.

Links:

Trevor on FB: https://www.facebook.com/trevorschoeny

Trevor on IG: https://www.instagram.com/trevorschoeny/

Trevor’s e-mail: [email protected]