Continuing the Journey

After the 12 Sessions

Healing is not a 12-week project. It is a lifetime practice. The following resources and structures are recommended for participants who complete the program:

Monthly Reunion Gatherings

A monthly gathering—informal, unstructured, and open to all program alumni—provides ongoing community and accountability. The gathering should include a brief check-in, an open discussion, and a shared meal. No agenda. No curriculum. Just the presence of people who understand.

Peer Mentorship

Participants who complete the program are invited to serve as peer mentors for future cohorts—not as therapists or facilitators, but as witnesses. Their role is to demonstrate, by their presence, that it is possible to be gay and faithful, to have been wounded by the institution and still believe, to carry scars and still carry hope. This is the calling the Dear Forrest letter describes: “authored by your Savior, sealed by your suffering, and confirmed by the life you continue to live.”

Individual Therapy

This program is not a substitute for individual therapy, particularly for participants who are processing complex trauma, grief, or suicidal ideation. Participants are strongly encouraged to seek LGBTQ+ affirming therapy from licensed professionals. Encircle provides affordable, affirming therapy specifically for LGBTQ+ individuals and families navigating the intersection of identity and faith.

Recommended Reading

• The Next Mormons by Jana Riess — sociological research on faith transition and millennial Latter-day Saints.
• The Crucible of Doubt by Terryl and Fiona Givens — on honoring the integrity of the seeker's journey.
• God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines — a compelling biblical interpretation of same-sex relationships.
• Walking the Bridgeless Canyon by Kathy Baldock — productive conversations about faith and sexual orientation.
• No More Goodbyes by Carol Lynn Pearson — written from a Latter-day Saint perspective.
• Daring Greatly by Brené Brown — on vulnerability, shame, and courage.

A Final Word

This program was born from a letter. A letter written by a gay Latter-day Saint who endured a failed marriage because of fear and shame, who has three remarkable children, who holds onto his faith with both hands, and who believes—despite everything—that Christ made him exactly as he is on purpose.

If you are reading this and you see yourself in that description, know this: You are not alone. You are not broken. You are not a problem to be solved. You are a child of God, made with intention, made with love, made whole. The Christ of the Book of Mormon is your Christ. He has always been your Christ. And He is not standing at a distance, checking your paperwork. He is running toward you, arms outstretched, saying what He has been saying your entire life: