Episode 687: Braden Duncan, Gay Latter-day Saint

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

Richard Ostler

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 839 Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2023

⏱️ 82 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My friend Braden Duncan (married father of 4, Active LDS, Therapist, Lives in Arkansas, age 40) joins us the share his remarkable story. Braden talks about growing up in Midway Utah and coming out to his Bishop (good experience and the good advice he received). Braden then talks about the “wise counsel” he wishes he been given before entering into his mixed-orientation marriage to his wife Jessi. He talks about how not talking about it before they married took away Jessi’s right to make a more informed decision. Braden and Jessi are now working hard to increase the strength and health of their marriage. Braden talks about his OCD and how this was more of a coping mechanism to have control while not addressing to the core which was his sexuality. In one of the most moving segments of any podcast, Braden shares what he has learned about the character of God and Jesus and their “passionate love”, “complete trust, and “underserved forgiveness”. The God that Braden describes is the God that I believe in—the God that loves us and wants us to feel hope, peace, and their grace. This isn’t theoretical for Braden—but personal from the hard work done to know and worship this God. Bradon also talks about the loss of their son Ben to leukemia and how he is learning to “hold onto your faith in a new way” and what we can do to better support families dealing with death. This is a powerful podcast that will help all Latter-day Saints. Thank you Bradon for your courage to share your story. You are brave. You are a good man! Links: Ministering to LGBTQ Latter-day Saints Facebook Group: 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.
0:10.6	My guest on today's podcast, joining me from his home near Bentonville, Arkansas,
0:17.1	is my friend Braden Duncan. Welcome to the podcast, Braden.
0:22.1	Thank you, Richard.
0:29.5	Grateful to be here. Braden is one of these brave people that step forward. We've traded messages for several years and Braden feels like now is the right time to share his story. Even though this
0:36.5	is kind of used to me, listeners, I've just sometimes struck
0:42.4	with the moment of how brave a guest is. And we said a prayer and I just felt overwhelmed with
0:48.1	love and respect and admiration for Braden's willingness to share his story as a gay Latter-day Saint.
0:55.2	And this is out of love to help other people that might be new on this road or other
1:00.1	people that are trying to figure out how to support people that are gay in LDS, better
1:06.0	understand these unique roads. So a little bit more about Braden. Braden is 40. He's out of the 30s.
1:14.2	Braden and his wife, Jesse, have four kids. I mentioned they live near Bentonville. I think they're
1:21.0	getting a new temple. One of their kids has passed away from leukemia. That's a part of their journey that's really painful and
1:29.1	tragic. Braden grew up in Midway, Utah, an area that is beautiful. He is a therapist by trade
1:37.0	and so owns a small practice there and is near his home in Arkansas.
1:47.8	Served a mission in Washington, D.C. South, English-speaking,
1:53.7	B.I.U.U. undergrad and anthropology, got a master's from the University of Arkansas and Little Rock.
1:57.5	And welcome to the podcast, Braden.
1:59.8	Thank you, Richard.
2:03.4	We will turn it over to you to share your story.
2:04.6	Oh, boy.
2:06.5	It's happening.
	...

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