Coming out to my Mormon family

Coming Out to My Mormon Family: When Faith and Love Collide

For LGBTQ+ members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, coming out to family represents far more than a personal disclosure, it's a collision between two identities that the institutional church has historically placed in direct tension. The question of how to come out to your Mormon family touches on theology, personal safety, generational divides, and the fundamental human need for acceptance. What happens when a lifelong member reveals something the church has long taught as incompatible with salvation?

According to accounts shared on the Mormon Stories Podcast, a platform known for documenting personal testimonies and challenging narratives within Mormonism, real families are navigating this terrain with surprising, and sometimes devastating, outcomes that diverge sharply from official church messaging.

The Official Position vs. Living Reality

The Church's official stance on LGBTQ+ issues has evolved incrementally over the past decade. As of 2023, the church acknowledges that same-sex attraction is not a sin, but acting on those attractions through marriage or sexual expression remains prohibited for members seeking full religious standing. Members in same-sex relationships are considered to be in violation of the law of chastity and are subject to formal discipline, including excommunication.

However, what the church teaches from the pulpit and what individual families experience at the dinner table often diverge dramatically.