September 25, 2024

Hi, I’m Kevin

Posted 2 years ago Tagged coming out family LGBTQ Mormon

Hi, I’m Kevin. I have been out as gay to a good portion of my friends and family for the past 10+ years. For a short period, there was a liberation from “coming out”. Something was comforting to those around

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Latter Gay Stories

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Latter Gay Stories

6 hours ago

I was baptized as the newest Mormon on August 4, 1990. That was 36 years ago this week. My dad performed the ordinance, and I tagged along almost completely unaware of what was happening.

Traditionally, Latter-day Saint families baptize their children at eight years old. The faith teaches that eight is the age of accountability, when children can begin making covenants with God—when they are old enough to make decisions.

Most eight-year-old brains do not understand covenants. My eight-year-old brain didn’t.

Latter-day Saint families will often announce that their eight-year-old “made the decision to follow Jesus by being baptized.” In other words, Mom and Dad convinced them it was time. It’s our culture.

I still remember my baptism. It became my ticket to additional rites and privileges available only to Mormons. It gave me access to a community, a circle of friends, eventually a mission, my wife, our children, and many responsibilities (we called them “callings”) that helped make Mormonism possible.

At baptism, a little Mormon kid makes a covenant with God to be a good Mormon, and God promises to bless them with the Holy Ghost. The Book of Mormon is a little more detailed. It teaches that baptism includes a covenant to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comforting.

I didn’t really understand that last part—the mourning and comforting—until after I left the church.

Ironic.

Without the church’s influence in my life, I learned to love people and see them as human beings. And I’ll be damned, because of that, I feel far more spiritual now than I ever did before. #TenderMercy

The church taught me that baptism was a promise to remain faithful to Mormonism. The Book of Mormon taught me it was a promise to mourn, comfort, and care for people. I had to leave the first behind before I truly understood the second. ... See MoreSee Less

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Latter Gay Stories

8 hours ago

This was genuinely lovely and refreshing to read. Dr. Dan McClellan is knowledgeable enough to recognize what he doesn’t know, and thoughtful enough to seek out people with lived experience before speaking on their behalf.

⬆️ This is what a good ally does.

Meanwhile, far too many cisgender people are busy explaining to transgender and nonbinary people what their own lives are supposedly like. Massive respect to Dan for choosing to listen first. ... See MoreSee Less

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Latter Gay Stories

1 day ago

We’ve all heard of FOMO—the fear of missing out. It’s that dinner with friends, the girls’ trip, the concert in the park. We convince ourselves that if we don’t go, everyone else is going to make memories without us, and somehow we’ll be the only one left out.

Somewhere along the way, though, I discovered JOMO: the joy of missing out.

Turns out there are quite a few things I enjoy missing. Family dinners where homophobic Uncle Hal is feeling especially inspired. Church lessons that assume every happy ending includes a husband, a wife, and 6.5 children. Family group texts that start with vacation plans and somehow end with a conference talk.

The older I get, the less interested I am in showing up out of obligation. If something continually leaves me feeling smaller, drained, or like I have to pretend to be someone else, I’m perfectly happy to let it happen without me. JOMO.

Missing out isn’t always a loss, it’s exactly where the joy is.

Try some JOMO today. You’ll love it. ❤️ ... See MoreSee Less

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Hi, I’m Kevin

Latter Gay Stories

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