meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Mormon Stories Podcast

021: Mormon, Married, Gay and Facing Discipline--An Interview with Buckley Jeppson Pt. 3

Mormon Stories Podcast

Dr. John Dehlin

Religion & Spirituality

4.55.7K Ratings

🗓️ 19 October 2007

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In part 3 of a 3 part interview, we interview Buckley Jeppson. Buckley, 57, says he's been informed verbally by a senior church leader that his life is incompatible with the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that a disciplinary council will soon address the matter. Jeppson, of Washington, D.C., married Mike Kessler in Toronto on Aug. 27, 2004. It is believed that if Jeppson is excommunicated, it would be the first time a Mormon in a legal, same-sex marriage was punished by the church. Jeppson claims that over the past five months Nolan Archibald, his Stake President and CEO of Black and Decker, has encouraged him to resign his church membership, which would avoid disciplinary action.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

So, on this one last question, then, we'll talk about the actual disciplinary action if

0:16.0

that's okay.

0:18.5

We had a lesson last week in Elders quorum here in Logan, Utah, and it was on the gift

0:25.1

of the Holy Ghost versus the light of Christ.

0:28.5

And it's a classic lesson where it's basically taught that what is the Holy Ghost and a member

0:38.4

of the Mormon Church is privileged because they have the gift of the Holy Ghost, which

0:41.8

means that the Holy Ghost can be their constant companion, et cetera, et cetera, and several

0:50.5

times throughout this conversation you've talked about the importance of spirituality

0:54.1

in your life, and in your partner's life, in your husband's life.

0:59.8

And for some Mormons, and hopefully it's a minority, this cognitive dissonance is arising

1:06.9

in their minds.

1:07.9

How in the world, either he's lying, or I don't understand how the Holy Ghost works,

1:14.0

because how can a man, how can a man who's sinning against God, violating God's law?

1:22.5

He must be delusional thinking that he's spiritual because the Holy Ghost clearly would

1:27.3

be constantly withdrawn from someone who's involved in such a lifestyle.

1:34.0

So you must be lying.

1:35.3

So what I'd love to do is help explain to an ultra conservative LDS person that spirituality

1:45.7

is not maybe like they thought.

1:48.2

Yeah, it isn't.

1:50.7

If that's what they think, and it must make them crazy if they think that, and if they

1:56.0

know me, or people like me, because we believe as a church in personal revelation, we believe

2:05.6

that as members, if we work hard and if we study and pray and fast and do all those things,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dr. John Dehlin, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Dr. John Dehlin and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.