(also posted at youngstranger.blogspot.ca) I’m so proud of my state right now. About two years ago, after a Republican dominated Minnesota legislature put an anti-gay-marriage amendment on the ballot, Grant Stevensen, the pastor of Spirit of Truth Faith Community, said to…
Author Archive for John Gustav-Wrathall
Living with Doubt
by John Gustav-Wrathall • • 2 Comments
Doubt, I’ve learned, is a facet of life and of learning. When I was an active member of the Church, I wrestled with doubt in relation to my testimony. As a teenager (like many Christians throughout the ages) I wrestled…
On the Road to Emmaus
by John Gustav-Wrathall • • 5 Comments
(Admin note) No More Strangers is a new forum seeking to advance the dialogue regarding LGBT people and Mormonism. As such, it has the good fortune of having bloggers who have made significant contributions to Latter-day Saint LGBT people, their…
Why We Must Not Give Up On The Church (And Reflections On An Inspiring Event In The Chicago Stake)
by John Gustav-Wrathall • • 12 Comments
Last year, after my class on Mormon history, in which I had discussed with my students the Mormon belief in modern day revelation and modern-day prophets, I overheard the following comment in a conversation between two of my students: “The…
A Gay Mormon Reads the Scriptures: The Book of Mormon
by John Gustav-Wrathall • • 2 Comments
I first came to the Book of Mormon with the uncritical eyes and mind of a child. Some of my earliest encounters with the Book of Mormon include my dad reading me bedtime stories from Emma Marr Petersen’s Book of…
Our Families: Trey and Guy
by John Gustav-Wrathall • • 11 Comments
This is the latest installment in our series on LGBT Mormon families. For more information, check out Affirmation.org. ____________________ It was a Phase Trey: After our missions (to Korea and Sweden) in the early 80’s, we both attended BYU. I…
Why My Marriage to my Husband Matters: For Time and for Eternity
by John Gustav-Wrathall • • 8 Comments
Our house is full of little markers, reminders of the milestones along our journey as a family. One of my most treasured is this photo of us, taken right after Göran and I held our commitment ceremony in 1995:
Our Families: Brett Bradshaw and Jeff Jackanicz
by John Gustav-Wrathall • • 5 Comments
Here’s the second installment in a series of posts about loving, committed relationships of gay Mormons. This post was penned by Brett Bradshaw, the son of Bill and Marge Bradshaw, long-time advocates for greater inclusion of LGBT folks within the…
Self Doubt / Self Esteem
by John Gustav-Wrathall • • 3 Comments
I had a conversation with a newly found friend the other day — a man, like me, in a long-time committed partnership with a man, who has also been active for some years in the Church after a long time…
Our Families (Paul and Tony–Remembering Love, Marriage and Children on Valentine’s Day)
by John Gustav-Wrathall • • 12 Comments
Often it feels there’s a lot of heat and little light generated around the topic of marriage for gay and lesbian couples. In my personal experience, we must never lose track of the real impact that the political has on…