books
Expanding the Borders of Zion - CHARLIE BIRD bridges the gap between religion and the LGBTQ community in a way that is both bold and inviting. It will undoubtedly inspire you to love deeper, grow closer to Christ, and expand your heart to more fully embrace all of God’s children.
Many faithful children of our Heavenly Parents find it difficult to stay in the Church, not because of doctrine or a lack of desire to keep the commandments, but because of Latter-day Saint culture. The good news is that we need not wait to be more welcoming and inclusive. We can all be part of the solution. In these pages, you'll find stories about improving our culture by being: - less judgmental and more loving - not measuring progress by Church callings - better hearing and valuing women - acquiring a better framework for ending pornography use - hope-filled repentance - creating better understanding of mental illness and suicide - overcoming scrupulosity (religious OCD) - embracing early-release and service missionaries - manifesting love in political differences - and compassionately ministering to those with questions. Through the power of storytelling, former YSA bishop Richard Ostler invites all of us to listen, learn, and love so we can do our part to improve Church culture. This book-which is supportive of the Church, its leaders, and doctrine-is an extension of Ostler's enormously popular podcast Listen, Learn, and Love and his earlier book, Listen, Learn, and Love: Embracing LGBTQ Latter-day Saints.
At 3a.m. one night during the quiet shade of the pandemic, a 17-year-old boy entered his parents’ bedroom to reveal a truth he’d been navigating alone for years. In his confession, he not only came out as gay, but also conveyed the depths of the mental health struggles he’d been battling as a result of conflicting messaging he’d endured in the religious institution in which he'd been raised. Autumn McAlpin’s haunting literary memoir, But Jesus: A Conversation replays the various conversations that emerge during one family’s coming out story—interchanges with loved ones who lean in and those who pull away, the back-and-forth with various LDS church authorities, and the quiet (and not so quiet) pleas of a mother as she petitions the higher power she believes in—one who offers unconditional love and hope for all.
THE LAW OF LOVE―loving as God loves, seeking another’s healing, expecting nothing in return―is a simple principle with profound, life-changing implications. How can we live the law of love? Steve Young shares insights from his own multifaceted life as well as from others who are scientists, fellow Latter-day Saints, Anglican, atheist, Baptist, Catholic, Confucian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and secular people of wisdom, as well as from the scriptures. This practical book may shift your mindset to a more expansive worldview that just might change everything. Whether in football, work, church, or family, the law of love is undefeated.
A WALK IN MY SHOES: QUESTIONS I’M OFTEN ASKED AS A GAY LATTER-DAY SAINT - BEN SCHILATY
IS HE NUTS? WHY A GAY MAN WOULD BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST - DENNIS SCHLEICHER
WITH OUT THE MASK: COMING OUT AND COMING INTO GOD’S LIGHT - CHARLIE BIRD
LOVE BOLDLY : EMBRACING LGBTQ LOVED ONES AND YOUR FAITH - BECKY MACKINTOSH
PLANTED - PATRICK Q MASON The abundance of information online can leave them frustrated. Planted offers those who struggle—and those who love them—practical ways to stay planted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
LISTEN, LEARN, AND LOVE: EMBRACING LGBTQ LATTER-DAY SAINTS - RICHARD OSTLER
All Things New - Rethinking Sin, Salvation, and Everything in Between - Fiona and Terryl Givens
Growing up, Meghan could not see how her deep spiritual faith and her attraction to women could coexist. But after decades of shame, denial, and hiding, Meghan came to accept this part of herself. She realized that while she can't decide to change her sexual orientation, she can decide how to respond to the circumstances of her life. As she felt the tender love of the Lord, her faith deepened. Her experience will help Church leaders, friends, and family understand how to support their LGBTQ loved ones.
Now Meghan is sharing her story, along with insights from dozens of other LGBTQ Latter-day Saint women.
GOODBYE, I LOVE YOU (THE TRUE STORY) - CAROL LYNN PEARSON
NO MORE GOODBYES: CIRCLING THE WAGONS AROUND OUR GAY LOVED ONES - CAROL LYNN PEARSON
THAT WE MAY BE ONE: A GAY MORMON’S PERSPECTIVE ON FAITH & FAMILY - TOM CHRISTOFFERSON