Lift + Love

Episode 93 - “The Law of Love” Steve Young on the Gather Conference Mainstage 2023   **Content warning: discussion of mental health in the context of Steve Young's personal experience with separation anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, and feeling alone, as well as emotional pain from divorce**   This episode of the Lift+Love podcast features a fan-favorite keynote from the inaugural 2023 Gather Conference by NFL quarterback and Hall of Famer Steve Young. Young shares how fame can steal accountability and describes lifelong separation anxiety, the pressure of replacing Joe Montana, and a crisis of sleeplessness and depression that led him to seek help and finally feel “seen” after diagnosis. He connects this to LGBTQ young adults he met at an Affirmation conference who sought to be seen by estranged parents. Young teaches a “law of love” rooted in non-transactional relationships—seeing others as God sees them—illustrated by a divorce story and a traffic-light moment, emphasizing long-suffering, gentle persuasion, meekness, and pure love as a way through life’s “Gordian knots.” 00:00 Gather Conference Invite 00:14 Meet Steve Young 02:19 Fame and Being Seen 04:48 Separation Anxiety Story 06:20 Pressure Replacing Montana 09:06 Locker Room Breakthrough 12:00 Affirmation Photo Requests 14:35 Seeing Through Gods Eyes 15:58 Divorce and Pure Love 20:06 Beyond Transactional Living 22:33 Green Light Lesson 27:42 States of Being Not Doing 31:32 Covenants Over Deals 33:47 Final Blessing and Farewell   If you are an LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saint or a relative, friend, ally, or leader, please join us at the 4th annual Gather Conference this November 13-14th in Provo Utah. Learn more and register at www.liftandlove.org/gather

Lift+Love Podcast Episode 92 — "Sacred Witnessing and the Tension of Opposites in Faith Journeys" with Mike Petrow. Content warning: This episode discusses faith transition / faith crisis, death, the loss of a loved ones, including a parent and a sibling, loss due to suicide. It includes mentions of depression and suicidal ideation, self-blame, reflections on whether the death could have been prevented, and a brief reference to the professional cleanup after the death of a relative.  The episode opens with an unscripted conversation sparked by the death of Allison’s friend Michelle Schmidt, remembered for unwavering, non-coercive faith. Episode hosts Allison, Darice, and Mike discuss  “sacred witnessing” in tragedy, drawing on Huston Smith, Holocaust survivor joy, and a reimagined approach to witnessing as deeply seeing others rather than converting them. They explore scripture through the lens of a God “worthy of love,” including reflections on Noah, Job, theodicy and theophany, and how Job’s friends move from silent presence to harmful meaning-making. Personal stories of suicide loss, compounding grief, and LGBTQ family experiences lead into trauma vs. grief, the “wounded healer,” Jung’s “crucified between opposites,” and holding paradox with curiosity, compassion, and grace. 00:14 Remembering Michelle Schmidt 00:58 Faith Through Tragedy 02:30 Tales of Wonder 03:45 Certainty Without Control 05:27 Rethinking Witnessing 07:37 "Permissionaries" and Curiosity 08:44 God Like a Grandparent 09:48 Worthy Ways to Read Scripture 11:09 Noah and Divine Violence 12:33 Job and LGBTQ Parallels 15:24 Sitting With Suffering 16:40 When Friends Need Answers 18:55 Compounding Grief and Coming Out 21:49 Why Trauma Training Matters 24:45 Faith vs Optimism 27:02 Grief vs Trauma in the Body 27:52 Trauma Readings of Paul 28:29 The Wounded Healer Path 28:56 Finding Jim Finley 30:45 Wounds Become Medicine 32:39 Theophany Over Theodicy 35:55 Love And Paradox 37:46 Crucified Between Opposites 40:47 Deconstruction GPS Map 43:18 Practicing Tension Daily 46:56 Holding Faith And Queerness 51:50 Suicide Loss And Unknowing 54:33 Grace For Different Journeys 57:47 Closing Thanks And Invitation   Mike Petrow, PhD, is the Director of Formation, Faculty Relations, and Theological Foundations at the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC), a nonprofit founded by Father Richard Rohr that introduces seekers to the contemplative Christian path of transformation. Mike plays a central role in the CAC’s Living School, where he serves as one of the primary hosts of the program’s teaching conversations. He holds multiple degrees, including a PhD, in psychology, mythology, and religious studies. If you are an LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saint or a relative, friend, ally, or leader, please join us at the 4th annual Gather Conference this November 13-14th in Provo Utah. Learn more and register at www.liftandlove.org/gather

Join the Party: Gather for Youth is Queer Joy! Lift+Love Podcast Episode 91 Episode hosts Darice Auston & Allison Dayton welcome guests David Smurthwaite and Brit Mardis of the Gather for Youth GFY program to talk about the upcoming Gather for Youth program during the 4th annual Gather Conference in Provo, Utah this November 13-14, 2026. What happens when LGBTQ Latter-day Saint teens get two days to just be themselves? Brit Mardis and David Smurthwaite from the Gather for Youth (GFY) program, share what’s planned for this year’s program for teens (ages 14 through graduating seniors). They talk about small-group “parties” led by LGBTQ young single adults, karaoke, crafts and swag, a new decompression room, and the core message behind it all: God doesn’t love you in spite of who you are. He loves you, including who you are. Whether you’re a teen (LGBTQ+, ally/friend, relative, or still figuring things out) or a parent with a teen - this episode shows what to expect and why GFY matters. In this episode: 00:00 Gather Conference intro 00:45 Meet David and Brit 01:45 Why Gather for Youth exists 06:45 What’s on the schedule this year 08:45 How parties are organized 10:15 Why we call them “parties” 11:00 Near-peer party leaders 12:30 Allies and questioning youth are welcome 15:15 “God loves you, including this part of you” 17:15 Queer joy and the brilliance of LGBTQ youth 20:30 Leader training, safety, and the decompression room 22:15 The swag 24:00 Is GFY trying to replace church? 30:45 “I’ve never felt so seen” 32:00 How to register Gather Conference 2026 📅 November 13–14 📍 Utah Valley Convention Center, Provo, Utah 🎟️ Register at liftandlove.org. Thanks to a generous donor, youth tickets are priced permanently LOW (and are actually below the value of the youth swag bag!). Lunch is provided for youth attendees on Friday and Saturday. Youth are also invited to the Opening Social on Thursday Oct 12th and the main Gather Conference After-Hours activities on Friday and Saturday. See website for details! Can't attend both days? One-day tickets are available! RESOURCES & MENTIONS Gather Conference — November 13–14, 2026, Provo, Utah. Registration open now at www.liftandlove.org/gather Learn more about Gather for Youth (Gather Conference Youth Program) on our page www.liftandlove.org/youth Registration scholarships are available for youth and adults: www.liftandlove.org/scholarship Video version of this episode is available on our YouTube channel here: Transcript of this episode available here: https://www.liftandlove.org/podcast#ll-podcast  

Today we're featuring a special episode of the Lift+Love Podcast featuring Travis Stewart on the Gather Conference main stage in 2025, beginning with a brief introduction by Gather MC Steven Kapp Perry. Travis Steward is a former mission president to the Texas, Houston Mission and has spent most of his career at the Provo Missionary Training Center working for the Missionary Department and Brigham Young University. As a gay member of the church, he and his wife, Margaret, have raised 6 awesome humans and now enjoy loving and supporting their 8 amazing grandkids. Travis has facilitated weekly gay men’s support groups for the past 10 years and has participated on several podcasts including “Questions from the Closet”; “Listen, Learn & Love”; and “Leading Saints”. When he is not out working in his garden, checking off travel destinations on his bucket list, or giving sugar to his grandkids, you will find him up at his sweet little cabin tidying up the forest. This presentation was given on the main stage of the 3rd annual Gather Conference 2025 and is relevant for a wide range of people - including LGBTQ+ folks and their non-LGBTQ+ relatives, friends, leaders, and allies. Gather Conference 2025 videos are free and available to the public, whether or not they attended the Gather Conference in person) and we invite you to share these uplifting presentations with your friends and loved ones.  The video of this presentation available on our Gather Conference Youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/1mjtBYA91js?si=aJ8APuTAANpk52EO The Gather Conference (a Lift+Love event) is an annual conference held in Provo, Utah. Gather Conference is a Christ-centered gathering for LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints and those who love them. Learn more about the upcoming Gather Conference here: www.liftandlove.org/gather Lift+Love provides faith-affirming and identity-affirming support and resources for Latter-day Saint individuals and their families, friends, leaders, and allies. Learn more about the Lift+Love Foundation here: www.liftandlove.org/about

Episode 89 - “Differentiation” Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife at Gather Conference Mainstage 2025*   *Heads up: this episode is available in audio version and video version (see link to video below). A recording issue made the audio and video a bit rough for the first minute, but it does clear up after that.    Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife speaks on the human longing to have relationships where we can truly be ourselves and also be accepted—being true to oneself, while being loved. This episode features her presentation from the main stage of Gather Conference 2025, which applies these concepts to the personal relationships of LGBTQ+ individuals and their parents and other loved ones, including real life examples which many in this community can relate to.   Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife is an LDS relationship and sexuality coach with a PhD in counseling psychology. She is the author of "That We Might Have Joy: Desire, Divinity, and Intimate Love", and the creator of six online courses that help individuals and couples create happier lives and stronger intimate relationships. She also hosts "Room for Two", a popular sex and intimacy podcast, and is a regular guest on LDS-themed podcasts discussing relationships, faith, and sexuality.   Learn more about Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife here: https://www.finlayson-fife.com Watch the video version of this presentation on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/cRSIBQZAw8s Join us for the 4th annual Gather Conference this November - the world’s largest Christ-centered conference for LGBTQ Latter-day Saints and those who love them, held November 13–14* in Provo, Utah (plus opening social on November 12th!). Find full information on our website liftandlove.org/gather Registration for adults and youth is open now!