North Star is a faith-affirming resource for Latter-day Saints addressing sexual orientation and gender identity, and who desire to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrines and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. North Star has been a remarkable partner with Leading Saints to help leaders better understand the experience of LGBT members of the Church.

North Star has their annual conference coming up March 15-17 with Saturday (17th) including a free leadership session for lay leaders of the Church. THIS IS A MUST ATTEND OPPORTUNITY! We can't stress enough how much this free leadership event would enhance your ability to lead. If you are in a realistic travel distance you will not regret making it a priority on March 17th. To attend the free leadership session you must REGISTER HERE.

To give you a sense of how helpful these leadership sessions are, North Star was kind enough to allow us to publish a leadership session from the 2017 North Star conference for this weeks Leading Saints podcast episode. Be sure to listen above!

Episode Highlights

Joseph Stith knew from an early age that he experienced same gender attraction. He married the one workman he had been attracted to in his lifetime, that he met right before putting his missionary papers in. As a young man getting married he thought that would take care of his SSA (5:00).

* Nearly everyone at the conference had been experienced someone coming out to them (2:20)

* Shared a story of a member going into a disciplinary council and was blown away that all of the leaders learned as much as they could from the Mormonandgay.lds.org website (2:54)

* Joseph joined the Marine Corps and became a drill instructor, to help him “overcome” his SSA (5:30)

* When he was almost at a crisis of faith, he turned to his family, the temple and church callings (6:00)

* After being released from his calling he found his SSA spiraling out of control. He was recommended to go to a blog, where he then found that he wasn’t alone. 7:30

* Dealing with the age of the individual 10:36

* The most painful thing that he has heard is after a youth tells their bishop and then says they ignored them for two years. 11:38

* Truth and fiction (12:09)

* Fiction: If someone has same gender attraction, they should not associate with others of the same gender who also has same gender attraction. Menfindingpeace.blogspot.com, offers men supporting other men with SSA.

* Fiction: SSA is an addiction or Sin.

* Truth: Coming out to themselves is the first step (15:30)

* Truth: Coming out to others at their pace and at their choice is part of the healing process (15:39)

* Personal Crisis of Faith: Individuals bargain with the Lord (16:06)

* How do people identify if the are SSA. The church has accepted that it’s ok to be SSA (16:34)

* Remember the spouse is on their own journey. (18:06)

* Just listen first, don’t try and fix it! (19:07)

* If you recommend therapy, know what it is you are recommending the therapy for. (19:49)

* All of us are children of our Heavenly Father have two innate needs (21:51)

* To be accepted by others (particularly God)

* Fear rejection

* What to Say and What not to say 22:35

* Don’t:

* I suspected it all along.

* We all have our challenges.

* If you have enough faith.