A Valid Path for LGBTQ Latter-day Saints | An Interview with Skyler Sorensen

Leading Saints Podcast

Leading Saints

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.9 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Skyler Sorensen grew up in St. George, Utah as the fourth of eight children. He is an active Latter-day Saint who experiences same-sex attraction. He and his wife, Amanda, were married in the Provo, Utah temple in 2018. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s in Media Arts and currently works with the team at Scripture Central. Skyler started the podcast “Sit Down with Sky”, which has recently morphed into a YouTube series. The series is dedicated to finding and maintaining eternal truths in the conversation around LGBTQ issues. Skyler is also the author of Exclude Not Thyself: Thriving as a Covenant-Keeping, Gay Latter-day Saint, aimed at providing a faith-affirming approach to LGBTQ issues.

Skyler and Amanda have three children. Their first son, Milo, was born at 24½ weeks, and after a few weeks of battling for his life in newborn intensive care, he passed away in Amanda's arms. They have two living daughters, Remi and Lainey, both under the age of three. Skyler's current church calling is Gospel Doctrine teacher.

Links

Exclude Not Thyself: Thriving as a Covenant-Keeping Gay Latter-Day Saint
Sit Down with Sky
Connect with Skyler
Scripture Central
North Star
Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community
Transcript coming soon
Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library
Highlights
Skyler shares his personal journey as a gay Latter-day Saint, detailing his experiences with same-sex attraction, his decision to marry a woman in the temple, and the fulfillment he finds in his family life. Skyler shares his perspective on the labels of identity, expressing a desire to prioritize his core identity as a disciple of Jesus Christ over societal labels.

Kurt and Skyler talk about the tension church leaders face when discussing doctrines related to the eternal family, emphasizing the need for compassion while upholding the ideal of eternal marriage. Skyler highlights the importance of understanding doctrine in a way that fosters genuine relationships, even amidst disagreements about lifestyle choices. The discussion also touches on the significance of therapy and the value of seeking resources that align with one's faith. Both Kurt and Skyler stress the importance of maintaining hope and connection, advocating for a balanced approach that recognizes the complexities of faith and identity.

02:40 - Skyler's Journey with Same-Sex Attraction
06:00 - Navigating Identity and Labels
08:04 - The Importance of Open Communication in Relationships
09:53 - Early Experiences with Church Leaders
11:09 - Balancing Temptation and Faith
12:16 - The Role of Church Leaders in Discussing Marriage
16:14 - The Ideal of Eternal Marriage
17:26 - Addressing Criticism of Mixed Orientation Marriages
18:12 - The Importance of Seeking Validation from God
19:02 - The Desire to Share a Valid Path for LGBTQ Latter-day Saints
20:16 - The Tension Between Faith and Family
22:10 - Maintaining Relationships Amidst Differences
24:00 - Resources for Families and Individuals
29:19 - The Role of Therapy in Navigating Same-Sex Attraction...

Transcript

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0:00.0	Have you ever had a loved one leave the church and your relationship becomes awkward?
0:07.3	This is so common and so sad.
0:09.9	I got the chance to interview the Packard family who have been down this road.
0:14.1	Cindy and Blair Packard are Orthodox-believing parents and Josh, their son, and his wife, have left the church.
0:20.2	We came together to discuss their journey, and his wife have left the church. We came together to discuss their
0:22.2	journey, and it was amazing what they taught. They talked about the communications they regretted
0:27.3	and how other siblings responded in positive and negative ways. They learned how to pick up the
0:32.2	pieces again, express love, carry on, and build a beautiful relationship. This has become a favorite in the Questioning Saints Virtual Library.
0:40.8	You can actually gain access to this interview at LeadingSaints.org slash 14.
0:45.2	This will give you 14 days to watch the Packard's interview and many others related to helping
0:50.4	individuals who begin to question their faith.
0:53.3	Go to LeadingSaints.org slash 14 and get access now.
1:01.2	Before we jump into the content of this episode, I kind of feel it's important that I
1:05.0	introduce myself. Now, many of you've been around a long time. You're well familiar
1:09.6	with my voice and with Leading Saints as an
1:12.6	organization. But if you're not, well, my name is Kurt Frankum and I am the executive director of
1:17.5	leading saints and the podcast host. Now, Leading Saints is a non-profit organization dedicated
1:22.9	helping Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. And we do that through, well, content creation, like this podcast and many other resources
1:29.9	at leadingsaints.org.
1:31.4	And we don't act like we have all the answers or know exactly what a leader should do or
1:37.0	not do, but we like to explore the concepts of leadership, the science of leadership,
1:41.8	what people are researching about leadership, and see how we can apply them to a Latter-day Saint world. So here we go.
	...

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