Episode 692: Brian Pedersen, Gay Former Latter-day Saint, Atheist Turned Christian

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

Richard Ostler

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 839 Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2023

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My friend Brian Pedersen (age 34, University of Utah English Graduate, Lives in Utah) shares his unique journey. Brian starts with growing up in Sandy, Utah, realizing he was gay at around 11, living his life as an anti-Mormon, but then opening the door to a different path. I'm 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, Brian started to read Christian/Religious authors in an honest attempt to make sense of the world and find more peace and hope in his life. That door of extensive reading, listening, and meditation led Brian to a deep belief in God and Jesus and their character and teachings to bring us together as the same human family. Brian shares some of his thoughtful personal writings titled “what is the contemplative mind”. I was deeply moved hearing Brian’s journey of self-awareness, humility, and thoughtfulness to open new doors. I was also deeply moved hearing Brian’s broad and expansive view of a loving, kind, forgiving, and welcoming God. This podcast is unique and less of the story about Brian’s journey to navigate his sexual orientation—but more about Brian’s personal journey of understanding and connecting with God. If you are no longer connected with God and/or Jesus and are thinking about re-opening that door, Brian story may help you. And if you are looking for additional insights into God’s love for you and all of humanity, Brian’s words may help you. You are a good man, Brian. Thank you for being on the podcast and sharing your story. You help us come together as the same human family. Brian can be reached at: [email protected]

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome listeners to another episode of Listen, Learn, and Love hosted by Richard Osler.
0:09.4	My guest on today's podcast joining me via Zoom from Murray, Utah, which is where I live, coincidentally.
0:16.4	Who knows, we may be a block apart.
0:18.0	We've never even tried to figure out how close we are.
0:20.7	Is my friend Brian Patterson, welcome to the podcast.
0:25.1	Hey, Richard, thanks for having me.
0:27.4	As you know, listeners, I try to give you the 40,000 foot view of the story you're going to hear.
0:32.3	This is a unique story.
0:33.6	I'm really glad Brian has reached out.
0:35.5	He's a regular listener.
0:40.7	He's gay. He's in his mid-30s.
0:45.9	Grew up in Sandy. As I mentioned, he lives in Murray, Utah. He's a U.S. English graduate.
0:58.1	Works for this state of Utah. And he's gone from sort of this anti-X-Mormon, burn it all down, pretty angry to not returning to the church,
1:01.0	but finding his way as a Christian.
1:05.5	And I just thought this was a terrific and unique story.
1:12.3	And just probably finding grace and support for other people on their own pasts recognize that some people find get angry and at their organized religion and then forever
1:19.6	are separated from God and some people kind of deconstruct and reconstruct and maybe come
1:24.2	back to their original religion or find a new path forward and this is a platform we're just trying to support all stories that are respectful of other
1:32.5	paths.
1:33.4	I don't think Brian is asking anybody to leave the church or to follow his exact path,
1:38.1	just sharing his story.
1:40.5	Is that okay, Brian, for an introduction?
	...

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