**EPISODE CONTENT - messages of shame and worthlessness that LGBTQ people hear, drug use, mentions of suicide and dying by suicide.**

In this fourth episode of the 6-part Declaration of Divinity series (ep 79), hosts Allison Dayton and Jenie Hunter discuss difficult topics, including the shame and pain that can be caused by messages heard at home, in the community, and even at church, and how these messages have impacted the lives of their own loved ones. 

 "As mothers, we assert that any message taught to our children should reassure them that they are beloved children of God and so entitled to all the blessings promised to his faithful children."

Learn more about the 4th annual Gather Conference and get your early bird registration discount code on our website www.liftandlove.org/gather. Early bird registration discount codes valid through August 15th, 2026

**EPISODE CONTENT** - Allison and Jenie discuss temple covenants and temple attendance as a way to gain perspective and revelation about parenting an LGBTQ child

In this third episode of the 6-part Declaration of Divinity series (episode 78), hosts Allison Dayton and Jenie Hunter In this third episode, Allison and Jenie share perspectives on how temple worship can bring inspiration for parents, and they introduce their third declaration of divinity, a statement to help parents build confidence in their parenting and realize the importance of each individual in God's plan and within each unique family. 

Learn more about Lift+Love on our website www.liftandlove.org

 Welcome back to the Lift+Love podcast, where we're featuring a six-part series of classic episodes called Declaration of Divinity. Each episode of the series is part of the larger discussion but also stands alone. If you missed the first episode, "Our Mothers Knew It," episode 76, you can go back and listen to it anytime.

**EPISODE CONTENT WARNING** - brief mention of suicide and/or wanting to end one's own life

In this second episode of the series (episode 77), Allison and Jenie discuss the importance of understanding the eternal nature and worth of LGBTQ+ folks, and are joined by special guest therapist TJ Thomas of Draper, Utah. TJ lives with his husband of 2 years and runs a private practice therapy where he works with individuals at the cross-section of LGBTQ+ and LDS communities. 

More about TJ Thomas: Therapist TJ Thomas currently has openings for new clients. People can find out more or reach him for free consultation calls at tjcounseling.com

Learn more about Lift+Love on our website www.liftandlove.org

"Our Mothers Knew It - Declaration of Divinity Part 1 " Episode 76 of the Lift+Love Podcast

We're revisiting a series that means a lot to us: "Declaration of Divinity." It’s a six-part series, hosted by Allison Dayton and Jenie Hunter, that was originally recorded back in 2021, but we’ve felt inspired to reintroduce it now, because it’s more relevant today than ever before.

In this first episode, Allison and Jenie open up about the sacred, but sometimes painful certainty so many mothers carry about their LGBTQ children, in a world where those children are often misunderstood, excluded, and devalued. After speaking with many hundreds of moms, Allison and Jenie put together a statement that they lovingly refer to as the “mama manifesto”- a statement born out of many hundreds of conversations with mothers of LGBTQ kids, who have all asked God for answers and received the same answer -  that their children are not just okay, they are divine and God has a purpose for them.

 The remaining episodes of this series will be released weekly (see schedule below):

Learn more about Lift+Love on the Lift+Love website www.liftandlove.org

Father's Day Special Episode: "I Don't See the Path - One Dad's Journey From Fix It to Feel It" with Josh Rollins - "Dad Lag", "Translating" Church Messages, and Finding Support for Latter-day Saint Dads of LGBTQ+ Kids - Episode 74 of the Lift+Love Podcast

In this Father's Day episode, episode hosts Allison Dayton and Darice Auston sit down with Josh Rollins — a former Bishop and father of 5 who leads Lift+Love's monthly dads support group. This is one of the most tender conversations the podcast has hosted.

Josh and his wife Jen have been married 28 years and have five kids: Jace, who is trans; Chelsea, who is bisexual; Aiden, who is gay; and two younger kids still at home. What makes Josh's story particularly layered is that he was serving as bishop when his kids began coming out — convinced his family was on track for the celestial kingdom, only to find himself suddenly without a map.

Josh talks through what it meant to watch Aiden — deacons quorum president, Eagle Scout — hit a wall that no amount of translating could get past. You can translate "find your special someone." You can't translate "get married in the temple." That's where the pain began.

He shares Jace's mission experience: leaving as a sister missionary, writing home to say "I have same-sex attraction happening," staying 15 months before Jen felt prompted to bring him home — and only then learning how dark things had really gotten.

The conversation moves into the concept of "dad lag" — why moms tend to adjust sooner — and Darice offers a reframe worth sitting with: women are already practiced at translating a male-centered church into their own experience, so the step toward empathizing with a queer kid's translation struggle is a shorter one. For dads wired to fix things, the journey from "fix it" to "feel it" takes longer.

Josh also shares the moment that finally allowed him to surrender: the quiet answer he received while wrestling with where his family fit in the plan. "They were my kids way before they were yours — and I've got 'em."

He closes with an open-door invitation to the dads group — a confidential, global space he didn't even know existed before Allison asked him to lead it. A place where dads show up running on empty and leave having said the things they can't say to their queer kids, so their kids don't carry the weight of their fathers' struggles.

The dads support group meets the third Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM mtn. It's free, confidential, and they meet live on Zoom (so you can join from wherever you live). Sign up at liftandlove.org/support and click on the "dads support group" button to receive the link and email reminders.

Learn more about all the free resources that Lift+Love offers at www.liftandlove.org

 We're pleased to reintroduce a classic episode of the Lift+Love podcast, featuring Patrick Mason and J. David Pulsipher. We think you're going to love it!

In 2021, episode hosts Allison Dayton and Jenie Hunter interviewed Patrick Mason and J. David Pulsipher about their book Proclaim Peace - The Restoration's Answer to an Age of Conflict. This book is a spiritual journey by two believing scholars of peace. In a world plagued by violence, Mason and Pulsipher believe, with President Russell M. Nelson, that “peace is possible” and that the “descendants of Abraham . . . are in a pivotal position to emerge as peacemakers” (“Blessed Are the Peacemakers,” Ensign, Nov. 2002). This book is an effort to lift up the Restoration’s distinctive principles that invite us to renounce violence and proclaim Christ’s good news of love and peace to a world that desperately needs it. Proclaim Peace seeks not to promote any particular ideology, but to invite readers, especially the rising generation, to reflect on the interpersonal, ethical, and social dimensions of Christian discipleship. You can find the book Proclaim Peace - The Restoration's Answer to an Age of Conflict on Amazon here

Find the audio version of this episode here and the video version of this episode on our Lift+Love YouTube channel here

Find resources, support meetings, events, and community — including 13 different types of free online support meetings for LGBTQ+ individuals and those who love them — on the Lift+Love website here

Joy in Dissonance: Parenting Adult Children (with Lisa Valentine Clark) — Episode 71

In this episode, episode hots Allison Dayton and Jenie Hunter welcome back Lisa Valentine Clark- comedian, actress, host of The Lisa Show, and one of the original "OG" Lift+Love moms. 

Lisa shares how she stays anchored amid dissonance: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, love for her family, and a commitment to truth — even when truth means sitting with uncertainty. She talks about what it looks like to practice her religion largely on her own after losing her husband, finding unexpected joy in the temple and in serving as a Primary chorister.

On parenting her 5 adult children, Lisa reflects with openness and grace: she wishes she had held less tightly to a prescribed "covenant path," and describes what showing up for her adult children actually looks like — reciprocal respect, genuine relationship without agenda, prayer, naming their spiritual gifts, and loving boldly even when it feels awkward or invites judgment from others.

This episode is for every parent who wants to love their LGBTQ child well and still hold onto their personal faith — and may relate to Lisa’s experience with letting go of the script.

In this episode:

About Lisa Valentine Clark: Lisa Valentine Clark is a comedian, actor, and host of The Lisa Show, a nationally-syndicated, award-winning family and lifestyle podcast (a BYU Radio production) available on all streaming platforms. She has been a host for BYU-TV's Random Acts, co-creator of the award-winning web series Pretty Darn Funny, and appeared in the films Once I Was a Beehive (2015) and Once I Was Engaged (2021). Lisa is the mother of five children, three of whom are LGBTQ. She spoke at the inaugural Gather Conference in 2023 and served as a mainstage host at Gather Conference 2024.

Learn more about Lisa and The Lisa Show at  https://www.byuradio.org/the-lisa-show

Find the audio version of this episode here and the video version of this episode on our Lift+Love YouTube channel here

Find resources, support meetings, events, and community — including 13 different types of free online support meetings for LGBTQ+ individuals and those who love them — on the Lift+Love website here

"Why People Are Leaving the Church—and What We Can Learn" (with Jeff Strong) Episode 70

Allison Dayton and Darice Auston interview Jeff Strong (former senior executive at P&G and Johnson & Johnson and former leader of a service-oriented LDS mission with his wife Sarah) about his book "Torn: Why People We Love Are Leaving the Church and What We Can Learn From Them", based on surveys of over 15,000 Church members. Strong emphasizes that stepping away is deeply personal and often involves long, sincere wrestling, then outlines four primary reasons: lifestyle (6%), church history/truth claims (42%), social positions and moral conflict (33%), and church experience (18%). He argues a “fifth wave”—church culture—can relieve or worsen these tensions, using a “soil” metaphor balancing protection/stability with nourishment, and notes unhealthy correction/containment increases the likelihood of leaving. He shares stories highlighting LGBTQ+ pain and belonging, estimates about 40% of formerly active members have stepped away over 25 years, and describes the need to openly discuss these conflicts.

Learn more about Jeff Strong: https://www.tornbyjeffstrong.com/about

Find his book "Torn - Why People We Love Are Leaving the Church and What We Can Learn From Them" here

Find the video version of this episode of the Lift+Love podcast here 

Find resources, support meetings, events, and community (including free 13 different types of online support meetings for LGBTQ+ and those who love them) on the Lift+Love website here