Episode 728: Ben and Rebecca Lesue, Parents of a Queer Child, Faith Journey to Stay in the Church

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

Richard Ostler

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 839 Ratings

🗓️ 2 January 2024

⏱️ 81 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My friend Ben and Rebecca Lesue (parents of nine, recently moved from SW Missouri to Monument Valley Utah, non-binary/queer child) join us to share their story. They start with their journey to understand LGBTQ Latter-day Saints following Rebecca’s brother coming out as gay. They then share the story of their own child coming out as queer/non-binary then stepping away from the Church. Rebecca talks about learning “her job is not to cause them to turn out a certain way” but to “love and nurture”. Ben and Rebecca then talk about the 5th Sunday lesson they gave in their Ward about faith transitions. They talk about models of faith including simplicity, complexity, and harmony. Ben talks about how he learned his own “faith crisis” is normal, healthy, and positive. He talks about the work of Jared Halverson (LDS Institute Teacher) to normalize faith transitions. Ben and Rebecca talk about how fear and doubt are not opposites of faith—but part of developing a stronger and more sustainable faith. Ben and Rebecca discuss how this whole process has strengthened their marriage and their relationship with God, enabled more love for others, and facilitated sustainable membership in the Church. The Lesue story is a beautiful and powerful family love story. I was so moved listening to and learning from them. If you have a family member who is queer and/or are going through a faith transition and desire to stay in the Church, their story will help you. Thank you, Ben and Rebecca, for being on the podcast and your work to bring us together and create Zion. Links: Lift and Love Story: www.liftandlove.org/stories/the-lesue-family 5th Sunday Lesson: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2u3jqnqfei7qbsunw2pr5/5th-Sunday-Lesson-Ben-Lesue-Podcast.docx?rlkey=3kc6xwv7tyhnf7htxatway50m&dl=0 Facebook group to support LGBTQ Latter-day Saints: www.facebook.com/groups/1433556613672143 Richard Ostler books/bio/etc.: www.papaostler.com

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome listeners to another episode of Listen, Learn, and Love hosted by Richard Osler.
0:09.7	We're recording this podcast in December, but I think it'll be released right after the new year,
0:16.2	right near the new year. So happy New Year, happy 2024.
0:20.5	It's kind of weird saying that in the middle of December, but thinking of when you're
0:24.6	listening to it. I'm really glad to have my new friends, Ben and Rebecca Lysway on the podcast.
0:33.0	Joining us from a Monument Valley in southern Utah. Welcome to the podcast. Thanks, Richard.
0:40.1	Oh, we're happy to be here. Tell us how to spell your last name so we can all see your last
0:46.9	name in our brain and then how to pronounce it. Our last name is spelled L-E-S-U-E and pronounce L-E-S-W-E-E-N-P-E-N-P-O-E-N-P-E-N-P-W-W-A.
0:58.5	And Ben and Rebecca and I, they've been in the Facebook group that we've linked in the show notes of these podcasts called
1:07.8	ministering to LGBTQ Latter-day Saints. There's about 3,000 there, and it's allies
1:13.2	and LGBTQ, just saying, what can we do to support LGBTQ members in our circle of influence?
1:19.5	And a couple months ago, Ben and Rebecca posted the lesson they gave on a fifth Sunday, including the notes to that lesson about raising a queer
1:30.8	daughter, but it was a little bit more in that scope about just working through faith, transition,
1:37.4	faith crisis, and just tools to stay in the church, as the church often gets complex for
1:43.6	parents that have LGBTQ children
1:46.5	or family or friends that have LGBT children. So I asked Ben, I message Ben and said, Ben,
1:52.7	would you be willing to come on the podcast and give your fifth Sunday lesson to our listeners,
1:58.5	as well as tell the story of your queer daughter, Anna.
2:03.5	And they agreed to do this.
2:05.6	So our prayer is that if you're a parent or a relative or a sibling and you've got a
2:12.4	queer kiddo in your life that the story that Ben and Rebecca share about their wonderful queer daughter,
2:20.2	non-binary daughter, Anna, will be helpful to you. And also if you're needing more tools to stay
	...

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