Join us this Tuesday for an epic but daunting story of the Mormon Church going out of its way to persecute and discipline a same-sex married and non-endowed member who was trying to live a happy life outside the fear and shame of Mormon orthodoxy. With audio recordings of phone calls, meetings, and the Disciplinary Council itself, we will show the constant misrepresentations, deflections, and gaslighting perpetrated by the Bishop and the Stake President to protect the good name of the church. A modern case of lying for the Lord.

After moving out of his home-Stake, not attending church for 4 years, and 6 months after posting on Facebook about getting married to the love of his life, Brennen was handed a letter at his door. He was utterly stunned and confused as he read the document signed by his childhood bishop who was summoning him to a Disciplinary Council on the basis of his same-sex marriage.

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11 Comments

  1. Nancy N June 25, 2022 at 4:55 pm - Reply

    Thank you all for this episode. I have been contemplating resigning my church membership for many years. But this episode prompted a new thought: why aren’t all of us disaffected members pursuing excommunication for apostasy based on our support for gay marriage, ordination of women, historicity, etc.? I’m sure there is no transparency about excomms vs. resignations but it is the principle. Let’s force them to show their true colors, even if it’s only in that room?

  2. Brian W June 26, 2022 at 10:33 pm - Reply

    Has anyone looked at this from the angle that the bishop and stake president may both have repressed homosexual tendencies and are looking for an outlet in some twisted way. With all of the issues they certainly must have to deal with in their ward/stake, it seems that they went out of their way to go after Brennan. And to me they both seem to be enjoying the continuous, never-ending repetitive questions & probing dialogue. This is so abusive. As a gay man trying to be active in the church this makes me very angry & fearful.

  3. Charlie Jones June 28, 2022 at 8:31 am - Reply

    Such a joke. This bishop just dances around everything. So mormon the way he couldn’t just be truthful. He hunted you down hoping you would just resign.

  4. Seth June 28, 2022 at 8:42 am - Reply

    Do you have a link to the state about ‘Upwards of 80% of youth raised in the church are leaving’? around the 2:58:00 into the episode

    • Mark July 8, 2022 at 9:23 pm - Reply

      I have heard and also seen this on a smaller (stake) scale

  5. Glenn July 1, 2022 at 4:13 pm - Reply

    I wish that at some point, you would have stared deeply into the bishop’s eyes and asked, “Bishop, are you honest in all your dealings?”

  6. Cristi Jenkins July 2, 2022 at 7:20 pm - Reply

    Beginning a disciplinary hearing with a prayer, where a pre-determined outcome is already in place is similar to an executioner carrying out a death sentence and saying, “Remember God loves you,” a split second before he does the deed. The song and dance around “courts of love” is even more ironic when one considers that the ancient Hebrew meaning of God, according to scholar Neal Douglas-Klotz, excludes no one or no thing from his/her blessing. All have the equal opportunity to learn and grow from life. “To love” one’s self simply means to birth a new self into being. Claiming that God does not love people and wants to shame them into mindless conformity is the equivalent of painting the world with manure from sacred cows and reflects human egos more than anything truly holy–at least in my ornery opinion.

  7. A. Anderson July 15, 2022 at 10:29 am - Reply

    This is a fantastic podcast, and thank you to both guests for being vulnerable and sharing this. It’s so obvious to everyone but the Bishop and SP that this is persecution and they just wanted to be right, not do the right thing. It takes a lot of integrity to admit error, and many LDS members don’t have that much.

  8. Jeff C July 17, 2022 at 3:00 pm - Reply

    Oh John the church is not about love. Don’t you remember Monson’s talk disparaging the Beatles’ silly notion that all you need is love? The church is about priesthood authority and covenants. And obedience and tithing. Love has little to do with it.

  9. Jeff C July 17, 2022 at 3:33 pm - Reply

    Also, how does this bishop have any jurisdiction over Brennan’s membership when he doesn’t live in that ward?

  10. Rod May 28, 2023 at 12:20 pm - Reply

    I watched this episode in May 2023. Is there followup information Douglas and Brennen story? Did the Stake Pres. respond to them? I have so much admiration and appreciation for Douglas and Brenne and all the men involved in bringing this story out.

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