Episode 675: Jessop Oliver, Gay Latter-day Saint

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

Richard Ostler

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 839 Ratings

🗓️ 27 July 2023

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My friend Jessop Oliver (age 25, starting a Master’s Program at Duke, Active LDS, RM, plans to marry a man) joins us to share his story. Jessop talks about growing up in Davis County (oldest of three) in a solid and loving family. Jessop bravely shares how porn use started out of curiosity because of his same-sex attraction. Jessop talks about being “proud of overcoming porn but lost with his sexuality” during his high school years. Jessop talks about how his “gay panic” led him to be a people pleaser, then later an overachiever, thinking he “couldn’t be rejected if I’m good at everything.” Jessop talks about his mission to Chile (great experience) and the spiritual foundation it gave him. Jessop talks about starting at Utah State and realizing he still had same-sex attraction and bravely opening up to his YSA Bishop (great experience). He talks about how this Bishop “loved me when I couldn’t love myself”. Jessop talks about dating women (short-lived relationships) and being faced with the reality of being gay and LDS. He talks about coming out to family and friends and the positive support he is receiving. Jessop talks about spiritual/positive experiences coming out, including a time when he was prompted to come out at a fireside. Jessop talks about why he started to date men, went back to date women, and then concluded that his path is going to be date men with the hopes of finding a husband with the same values/spiritual framework as him. Jessop talks about moving to Duke and coming out as gay in his YSA Ward during testimony meeting (he is now in the EQ Presidency) and the support he is receiving and his gratitude for the chance to serve. Jessop also talks about the reality of his road—knowing he will not be able to fully participate in the Church but wanting to stay connected with the Church and have a strong relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He talks about the people God placed in his life, and having an eternal perspective. He also encourages people to take time to listen to the perspectives of the people around them. Thank you, Jessop, for sharing your story. You are so brave. You have such a mature and solid foundation to chart the rest of your life. Thank you for being on the podcast. Your story helps others. Ministering to LGBTQ Latter-day Saints Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1433556613672143 Richard Ostler Book: Embracing LGBTQ Latter-day Saints: Deseret Book: deseretbook.com/p/listen-learn-and-love-embracing-lgbtq-latter-day-saints?variant_id=189035-paperback Amazon: amazon.com/dp/1462135773 Index of Podcasts: listenlearnandlove.org/podcasts

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome listeners to another episode of Listen, Learn, and Love hosted by Richard Osler.
0:09.9	My guest on today's podcast, joining me via Zoom from his home in North Carolina is my friend
0:17.0	Jessup Oliver.
0:18.0	Welcome to the podcast, Jessup.
0:20.0	Thank you so much, Richard. It's great to be here. I'm excited.
0:24.6	Jessup is new to North Carolina. He just moved there to start a master's program.
0:30.6	It starts in August of 2023. He's gotten right involved in his YSA a ward serves in the elders corn presidency in his local
0:39.0	ys a ward um jessup is turning 25 in three days so when this podcast is released he will be 25
0:45.9	he's going to share his story as a gay latter day later day saint and um when he sent me his
0:52.1	outline and reached out i just every time somebody does this, I just think
0:55.9	you are so brave to be willing to come and talk to 20,000 people about your story.
1:02.4	And as we said a prayer, I just felt impressed that Jessup is acting on an impression to share
1:08.6	his story to help others that are newer on this road
1:11.2	and are working through the complicated road of being gay and a believer in the church.
1:17.6	Jesse served a mission in Chile. He graduated of Utah State University in Biologic Engineering.
1:24.6	He's going to talk about his youth. He's going to talk about pornography
1:28.2	use, which is something that good Latter-day Saint men and women work through, gay or straight.
1:35.2	He's going to talk about his mission. He's going to talk about coming out. It's going to talk about
1:40.0	dating men, dating women, I think, a little bit in trying to make that work and just about
1:44.8	his future. And our prayers, this will help you if you are walking this road or if you're a parent
1:52.0	or a local leader or friend, that it'll give you insights to be able to better support someone
1:57.9	like Jessup. How's that for an introduction, Jessup?
	...

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