Episode 838: Alex Hayes, Gay BYU Student, Sexual Assault Survivor, Jesus, Super Brave

Listen, Learn & Love Hosted by Richard Ostler

Richard Ostler

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 839 Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

*** This episode talks about suicide. If you are suicidal, please call/text/chat *988 *** My friend Alex Hayes (from Utah County, Age 18, planning to serve a mission) bravely joins us to share his story which includes: Turning to porn at age 13 use as a coping mechanism Don’t label porn as an addiction Sexual orientation/feelings (gay or straight) are not from Satan Importance of being a safe place when people are vulnerable How shame and lack of self-love contributed to worse coping mechanisms resulting in being raped PTSD of that whole experience (psych ward, etc) How Emily Belle Freeman “Introduced this new Savior” Alex’s powerful testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus—and their role in our lives How the “Miracle of the Gospel is Hope” Buring desire to help others know Jesus and His Gospel of love and hope. Alex is one of the bravest that has ever been on our podcast because of his courage to be vulnerable and honest. Alex—because of his experiences—knows Jesus and His ability to heal and give hope. If you are looking for hope that Jesus can bring in your lives (or help others find hope), please listen and share this episode. Alex is one of my new heroes. Our church and world are a better place with Alex Hays in it. Thank you, Alex, for your courage to be on the podcast. You are a good man with a gift to help others. Links: Instagram: @alexhayes205

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, welcome listeners to another episode of Listen, Learn, and Love, hosted by Richard Osler.
0:10.5	A week or two ago, I got a DM on Instagram. I tried to check my DMs, and I got a DM from Alex Hayes,
0:18.4	who's now our guest on today's podcast, just sharing a little bit about his story.
0:23.7	Another just incredibly super brave, Gay Latter-day Saint who's willing to come on the podcast and share his story.
0:31.2	Let me just share a little bit about Alex as a way of introduction.
0:35.5	He is 18.
0:37.1	One of our youngest guests, he's at BYU in Provo.
0:42.6	He is working to serve a mission because of his love of Jesus and want others to feel
0:49.2	that.
0:50.2	He is going to talk in his podcast and kind of a trigger warning about some suicidal ideation he's had in his life and also being a survivor of sexual abuse.
1:03.0	Super brave to talk about both of those.
1:05.4	And this is a safe platform where people share some of their, I don't want to say worse by any means, but just some of
1:13.0	their most difficult chapters in their life.
1:15.1	And our hope in doing that is it helps you if you're walking a complicated road.
1:20.7	I think Alex is sharing a story out of love to be able to help others find hope and find
1:27.1	Jesus as he's worked through the complicated things.
1:31.0	So it's just, I was telling my wife a little bit about you, Alex, before we recorded because she
1:37.6	wanted to know I was doing this afternoon and I read a little bit of your outline and she just said,
1:41.5	wow, super brave young man to come on the podcast and
1:45.5	share his story. So we said a prayer listeners not only for Alex, but also for you. If you're
1:52.5	queer, if you're a parent of an LGBTQ child, if you're a local leader, wanting better to
1:57.9	support, or you're just looking for someone to better understand the love of Jesus
	...

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