My friend Eliza Riggs (age 22, RM/Orem Utah, UVU Student) joins us to share her story including:

Great Parents, Queer Friendly Home

Came out first to her Heavenly Parents—positive experience

Felt lots of pressure to fit in the Church as a Bishop’s daughter, wasn’t working, difficult chapter

Joined girl’s high school wrestling team—“saved my life”

Youth conference and surprising thought to serve a mission

Mom buying her rainbow sheets before coming out to her

Being called to Orem, Utah (initial disappointment—but then powerful revelation)

Great experience coming out to her Mission President

Coming out to her parents—super positive

Her queer identity is celebrated in heaven

Thank you, Eliza, for your courage to share your story which will help so many. You are awesome. Honored to have you on the podcast. Encourage everyone to listen to and share this episode.

Links:

Eliza’s Instagram: @elizariggs31

I was invited to be on my friend Tate Arnold’s show (Over___Soul) to share my story. I’ve posted that show as Episode 864 on our platform so you could listen here. Thank you, Tate, for letting me be on your show. You are a good man doing great work!

Please check out and follow Tate on Instagram @Over___Soul

In one of our most important episodes, David joins us to talk about his new book “Devout—Losing My Faith to Find Myself”. In this episode, David talks about his journey with God to find his path forward as a queer Mormon considering suicide—a path that led David to separate himself from the Church—taking God with him—and live authentically.

David gives excellent advice to younger queer people and parents to better support queer kids. I conclude with some of my thoughts on continuing to love and support those that leave our Church (not making them the hero on day for staying in the church and the villain the next day for leaving) and thanking David for his many years of service in the Church and the countless lives he has blessed.

Thank you, David, for being on our podcast and your courage to continue to share your story. You are one of my heroes—you continue to help so many find hope in their lives. I encourage everyone to listen/share this episode and consider what we can do to better support our queer friends.

Links:

David’s New Book “Devout”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJJGJSB6

David’s Book Event in SLC on Feb 24th, 2026: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/david-archuleta-devout-tickets-1981202876135?aff=oddtdtcreator#location

David’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidarchuleta/

David’s Instagram @davidarchie

David’s TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@davidarchie

David’s Twitter: x.com/DavidArchie

David’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC75d1FNP1qR0lCY1usRKQEw

My friend Tate Arnold (married father of two, active LDS) joins us to share the following:

* Difficult chapters including his father-in-law Paul dying by suicide

* Needed a different path forward-choosing a "path of transformation"

* Positive/life changing experience with psychedelics

* Helped him "not pass down trauma to future generations"

* Remade his career to be "aligned with eternal soul"

* Life work around helping people be aligned with how they are

* Love of and support for his transgender sister and the queer community including his former companion Matt Easton

* Why he stated "Over____Soul"

It is an honor to have Tate (who is a dear family friend and missionary companion to our son Matt in Sydney Australia) on the podcast. He is an "old soul" with incredible insights into how to love and support others.

If you are looking to find more peace and hope in your life, please listen to Tate's podcast and connect with his work-work that is so needed in our community. I encourage everyone to listen to and share this podcast.

Thank you, Tate, for being on the podcast. You are a good man and give me hope for the future!

Links:

Tate's Instagram Account: @Over____Soul

Tate’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tateoversoul?si=9qq2CSPf81im35Nc

Tate on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3nskaZAhU39wHS7MHCGhM0?si=hXFVo9UbQ4-dLRAaLTMSHw

Club Officers (Douglas Williams, Madi Davis, Bohin Tenney and Brandon Pattillo) from a club at BYU (called The Un-Alone Club) join us to talk about their club's efforts to help themselves and others have better tools and support to solve porn use. In the podcast, each club officer shares their own experience with pornography usage and what has helped them to better understand their porn use and better tools/support for recovery.

If you are working to solve porn use in your own life or better tools to help others, please listen to and share this podcast. And if you are a BYU student looking for support, please check out/join their club (see show notes below).

Thank you, Doug, Madi, Bohin, and Brandon—you are some of my new heroes. Your courage to share your story and create a safe place for others is making a difference for good in so many lives.

Links:

Instagram Account: @un.alone.byu

E-mail: [email protected]

Madi Davis earlier podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-818501778/episode-622-madi-davis-byu-student-bravely-shares-her-journey-to-solve-porn-use

Madi Davis “Sisters on the Front Lines Podcast”: https://rss.com/podcasts/sistersonthefrontlines/

“7 Tips for Solving Pornography Use Liahona Article”: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/10/young-adults/7-tips-for-overcoming-pornography-use

Chapter from Richard Ostler’s Book about Solving Porn Use: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nrfb3jzluzrj2sp8ihrfo/Chapter-4-Ending-Pornography-Use.-Listen-Learn-and-Love-Improving-Latter-day-Saint-Culture.pdf?rlkey=dqxcrtvxcmu6u3ppkig3kh82p&dl=0

My friend Rev. Jamie White (Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake City, theological/pastoral education from Vanguard University and Princeton Seminary, married mother of three) joins us to share her story including:

* Being raped at age 18, becoming pregnant, keeping her child—now her eldest son/recently married

* Feeling her life was ruined. No hope. Deep anger. Could have killed her abuser

* Writing letters to her unborn son

* The support that saved her; parents and faith community, and her mom's tough advice

* Therapist jolting comment: “This tragedy must become your greatest treasure.” Initial anger at this comment—but became true.

* Hard work to find peace and forgiveness—loving your enemies.

* Finding her husband Dave—and building a life together.

* Creating space in her congregation for diversity rather than uniformity, tough work but worth it

* Acceptance and love of queer members of her congregation—including the story of a thriving transgender member.

If you are looking for hope/healing from difficult experiences (or better tools to help others), please listen and share this episode. Jamie brings a rare combination from her academic background, profession experience, love of Jesus, and her personal story of being a rape survivor to authentically help each of us overcome difficult experiences and find more hope, peace, healing and forgiveness. This is a super powerful podcast. I encourage everyone to listen and share with others.

Links:

Paster Jamie White Bio: https://www.fpcslc.org/staff

Faith Matters/One America Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yLO12ykbCU

First Presbyterian Church Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fpcslc

My friend Dr. Ben Bailey (PhD from BYU in Psychology currently working at UVU as a Mental Health Therapist) joins us to talk about things close to his heart and work as a therapist to bring more hope and understanding, reduce divisiveness, and bring us together as the same human family including:

* Nonviolent Communication (NVC) as a framework to become a better peacemaker

* Moving from judgmental thinking into a language of feelings and needs

* Understanding differences in others by understanding their needs

* How to talk across difference with people who have different opinions than us about the rights of LGBTQ individuals

* Distinguishing empathy from agreement (understanding someone does not require endorsing their beliefs)

* Prioritizing safety before connection

* A more compassion focused approach to understanding pornography use

* Normalizing and having a better approach to doubt

Thank you, Ben, for being on the podcast. I learned so much from you on how to feel better about ourselves and bring us together as the same human family. I also appreciate your work as a therapist and all you are doing to love, help, and give hope to others.

Links:

NVC Book: https://nonviolentcommunication.com/product/nvc/

Center For Nonviolent Communication: https://www.cnvc.org/

The Return of the Prodigal Son: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/122877/the-return-of-the-prodigal-son-by-henri-jm-nouwen/

My Music Links: https://linktr.ee/benbaileymusic

My friends Rhonda Monson (married mother of three, recently returned senior missionary, LGBTQIA ally, therapist, life coach, and retreat facilitator) and Dakota Moses (gay, age 30, married to his husband Tyree for 8+ years, deeply spiritual) join us to share their story.

Dakota starts and shares with us his journey being gay and LDS (and out before the age of 12) to his parents and his local leaders. Dakota talks about how he was not “permitted to be himself, or even be” and painful church experiences along the way. Dakota talks about doing everything he could to serve a mission but how that dream eventually shifted—and the deep spiritual impressions along the way.

Rhonda (whose former husband is gay) talks about her love and support of Dakota and how she is both an active Latter-day Saint and loves the LGBTQIA people in her life. She talks about her wonderful son Dakota and his husband Tyree and her love of them, the good men they are, and keeping the family circle together.

They talk about a new podcast they have started together called “I’ll Walk With You”. Please check out and share their podcast.

Thank you, Rhonda and Dakota, for being on the podcast. You two inspire me. Thanks for making this world a better place. Honored to have you on the podcast!

Links:

I’ll Walk With You Podcast: https://illwalkwithyou.buzzsprout.com/2572731

Rhonda’s Therapy Practice: https://yourjourneyservices.com/

** This podcast talks about suicide. If you are suicidal, please call/text/chat 988 **

My friend Gordon Laws joins us to talk about supporting Dave and Kimi Martin when they lost their transgender son Levi to suicide in Dec 2022. Gordon talks about Levi—a bright, capable, curious young man—and the difficult journey he walked having Swyer Syndrome and being transgender. Gordon talks about the valiant efforts of Dave and Kimi to support their son.

Gordon talks about the immediate days after Levi died and his role to minister to the Martin family—including writing his obituary and eulogy. Gordon talks about ministering principles to support others in their time of crisis/need—principles that help us all do better. Gordon talks about how the Savior ministers to those on the margins and invites us to better understand, love, and support transgender people.

Thank you, Gordon for being on the podcast. I learned so much from you. I encourage everyone to listen to and share this episode.

Levi’s Eulogy: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqI2JAKpZWJ/

Sanctuary Documentary: https://sanctuarydoc.com/

Levi’s Obituary: https://www.d-mfh.com/obituary/Levi-Martin

Episode 631 (David and Kimi Martin): https://soundcloud.com/user-818501778/episode-631-dave-and-kimi-martin-transgender-son

Gordon's Irrentum Article (fictional story of Levi's premortal interview with God): https://irreantum.associationmormonletters.org/_20-1-i-can-take-or-leave-it/

My friend Stephanie Roach—who is married mother of two special needs children age 24 (daughter) and age 22 (son)—joins us to share how we can better support friends and family members with specific needs.

In the episode, Stephanie talks about the following:

1. Historical treatment of individuals with special needs

2. Geraldo Rivera’s documentary

3. Improved laws and understanding—often led by special needs folks

4. Utah Parent Center—great resource

5. Insights and examples on how we can do better

6. Suggestions from her daughter

I learned so much from Stephanie about how to better support the special needs people in my life—I wish I had listened to this episode decades ago. Stephanie is also the person who suggested the name of our podcast “Listen, Learn and Love” about 8 years ago. I will be forever grateful to Stephanie for her help.

Thank you, Stephanie, for coming on the podcast. Your family is awesome. I encourage everyone to listen and share this episode.

Links:

Utah Parent Center: https://utahparentcenter.org/