Being a Gay Mormon Bishop - Patrick Brady Pt. 1 | Ep. 2209

In this interview, we sit down with Patrick Brady and his partner Dan Dougherty to hear Patrick’s story of growing up as a gay man in the Mormon church, marrying a wonderful woman, raising a family, serving in church leadership, and eventually becoming a bishop while keeping a deeply important part of his identity hidden. Patrick was married to Heidi for 27 years and had four children, and he describes how much he loved his family while simultaneously feeling unable to live openly as a gay man. From an early age, he was taught that being gay was sinful and that marriage to a woman could somehow “fix” his same-sex attraction. He shares how teachings from Mormon leaders, including Spencer W. Kimball, shaped his understanding of homosexuality and led him to compartmentalize his feelings and try to eliminate them rather than accept them. He shares his experiences as a missionary, his return to Salt Lake City, the underground gay culture among Mormon men, and his efforts to reconcile his sexuality with the Church he loved.  We also explore Patrick’s marriage to Heidi, his friendship with Dan, and the emotional intimacy that developed between them as two gay Mormon men who were committed to their families and their faith.  Part One follows Patrick’s journey from childhood through his marriage, family life, Church service, and the years he spent trying to live a divided life. ___________________ 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:07:39 - Patrick’s intentions 00:12:47 - Beginning of Patrick’s Mormon Story 00:36:27 - Knowing he was gay 00:58:07 - Testimony in High School 01:10:22 - Throwing up to try to cleanse himself 01:24:34 - Marriage 01:27:32 - Marriage would cure him 01:36:53 - Not telling his wife he was gay 01:46:52 - Trying to fix the gay 01:51:37 - Struggling with pornography 01:56:17 - Closing for part one ————- At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?d... Patreon:   / mormonstories   Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonsto... Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @mormonstories   Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon:   / mormonstories   ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7d... 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🖼️Instagram:   / mormstories   📱TikTok:   / mormonstoriespodcast   🎮Discord:   / discord   Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117