The following list is 12 suggestions that the Church could implement immediately without changing any doctrine, that would greatly improve the situation for LGBT people in the ranks as well as their families. 1) Promote a campaign against suicide of…
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…
More than twenty-five years ago when serving as Bishop of the Los Angeles Singles’ Ward I gave a talk in sacrament meeting titled, “No More Strangers and Foreigners: A Mormon-Christian Response to Homosexuality” . The substance of that address was…
The sentiment is as ingrained in Mormon culture as a Saturday’s Warrior dance climax and conjures up equally strong emotions. It derives from a metaphor comparing Mormon heaven to a great big family feast with God at the head…
I asked a lot of questions about the church growing up. I would ask my parents, my seminary teacher, my young women’s leaders, etc. If my question was one of those to which we don’t have answers, or falls in…
This is the second half of a meditation on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter From the Birmingham Jail” with an eye toward lessons that are relevant for Mormons engaged in supporting LGBT causes. In Part 1 of this discussion, we…
I get lots of questions along the lines of, “What made you – a heterosexual, LDS-since-forever, woman/wife/mother – become an activist for LGBT rights/same-sex marriage?” The short answer is: I could not live with myself if I weren’t doing this,…
I am the father of a young gay son. I am also a lifelong member of the LDS Church, a temple recommend holder and the Elder’s Quorum President in my ward. Having been thrown into the teeth of one of…
A few weeks back, I had a visit with an old friend. Margot is 82 now, and over the years she’s garnered a depth of understanding that I’ve come to greatly admire. In her words I’ve often found pearls of…
Micah Nickolaisen is a photographer and active, faithful Latter-Day Saint living in Chandler, Arizona. You can read more of his thoughts and story at FaithfulHeretic.com. Micah also manages and hosts the new Open Stories Foundation podcast A Thoughtful Faith I’m…