167: Weston Smith | Gay Mormon Missionary: Survivor

167: Weston Smith | Gay Mormon Missionary: Survivor

Weston Smith came out as gay while his dad was serving as a bishop in the Mormon church. His parents were understanding, but navigating life a gay Mormon teen, trying to better understand your sexuality, and remain the "best" Mormon possible is often a recipe for disaster.

Weston was no stranger to the turmoil that often comes from being gay and Mormon—a situation, for Wes, that led to serious suicidal ideation. He ultimately decided to serve a mission as an "out" gay Mormon, but even in the mission field the suicidal thoughts persisted. It was there, on his mission, that he resolved to leave the church and live an authentic, happy life.

After leaving his mission early and finding complete familial support, Weston has thrived. He recently published a memoir titled, "This Body of Water", detailing his journey and what the future looks like for him.

A copy of Weston's book is available at WestonSmithBooks.com.

Weston's father, Evan, shared his individual story with LatterGayStories as episode 166 on this podcast.

#LatterGayStories #ThisBodyofWater #WestonSmith #Love #Honesty

Episoder(98)

160: The Black Menaces | Televising the Mormon Revolution

160: The Black Menaces | Televising the Mormon Revolution

In less than one year, five students at Brigham Young University have amassed a social media following of nearly 1,000,000 people. The group, calling themselves the Black Menaces, create videos online...

11 Mai 20221h 31min

159: Kris and Kay Packer | Loving, Learning, and Living

159: Kris and Kay Packer | Loving, Learning, and Living

For the Packer's, love and connection brought them together—and it was honesty and authenticity that helped their love and connection flourish. In this fascinating story of love and transformation, Ka...

7 Apr 20221h 31min

158: Kris Packer | From Wife to Husband: A Story of My Journey

158: Kris Packer | From Wife to Husband: A Story of My Journey

Kris Packer has a long Mormon history. His father, Lynn is a Mormon historian, and Kris' great-uncle is apostle Boyd K. Packer. What happens when you come out to your family as a lesbian, but as li...

30 Mar 20221h 27min

157: Kay Packer | My Lesbian Mormon Love Story

157: Kay Packer | My Lesbian Mormon Love Story

Kaylene Packer was a very normal Mormon girl. She went to church, she prayed, and she tried to hide an important part of her identity...she was really, really into girls. Growing up Latter-day Saint, ...

24 Mar 20221h 19min

156: Ashley Ryan | My Story of Transition and Hope

156: Ashley Ryan | My Story of Transition and Hope

Ashley was born male into a Lutheran home in Texas. At a young age, Ashley knew she was different. Not having language for what that "difference" was, she navigated her journey the best she could. It ...

8 Mar 20221h 10min

155: Kray Casper| BYU Changed My Life: My Gay Coming Out

155: Kray Casper| BYU Changed My Life: My Gay Coming Out

Kray was a remarkably normal Mormon. He knew he was gay, but did everything in his power to deny and hide it. If you bury it, it doesn't exist, right? He gave everything to the church, served a full-t...

24 Feb 20221h 33min

154: BYU ADMINS to BYU HEALTH CLINIC: Terminate Health Services to Transgender Patients

154: BYU ADMINS to BYU HEALTH CLINIC: Terminate Health Services to Transgender Patients

In a surprising move, BYU-Provo administrators dismissed three transgender clients from the BYU Clinic on 2/7/2022, and informed their student/faculty clinicians that transgender patients needed to be...

10 Feb 20221h 24min

153: Duane Jennings | Balancing Science and Spirituality

153: Duane Jennings | Balancing Science and Spirituality

From an early age, Duane felt drawn to better understanding life from two perspectives: science and spirituality. His desire for knowledge and the human understanding led him to better understand empa...

27 Jan 20221h 42min

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