Mormon Stories #212: Dr. William Bradshaw Part 4 of 5 - Homosexuality and the LDS Church

Part 4 -- Homosexuality and the LDS Church

In this episode, John Dehlin interviews one of his former professors and mentors, Dr. William Bradshaw, on a wide variety of topics. Dr. Bradshaw has just recently retired from a rich and fulfilling career as a microbiology professor at BYU in which he influenced thousands of students to continually be open to the best thinking of the sciences while still nurturing a robust, mature faith and spiritual life. Many report Dr. Bradshaw's classes and their various interactions with him as pivotal to their finding a way to value the wisdom generated in both their heads and their hearts.

In this far-ranging discussion, Dr. Bradshaw takes us through the arc of his life, including his mission, experiences at Harvard, the circumstances of his career choice, and the surprise call he and his wife Marge received to serve as very young mission presidents in Hong Kong, during which service they had to wrestle with opening and closing missionary work in Vietnam. Dr. Bradshaw relates stories from his career at BYU, talks about science and religion issues, and reveals the way he faces challenges to his faith from Mormon history and scriptural studies.

Many Mormon Stories podcast listeners will already be familiar with one aspect of Dr. Bradshaw's life from Episode 191, which featured a recording of the most recent lecture he gave at BYU on the biological origins of homosexuality--a lecture he has arranged and given every year for the past several years. Dr. Bradshaw first became prompted to study the research on this subject when his son Brett came out about his homosexuality. Since that time, the Bradshaws have been active members in various LDS groups for families working to support their GLBT children. They are currently serving as the presidents of LDS Family Fellowship. Brett and his partner are married and living in California, where they are raising an adopted daughter.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Mormon
• LDS
• Church
• Stories
• Bill
• William
• Bradshaw
• Gay
• Homosexuality
• BYU
• Professor
• Utah
• John
• Dehlin
• Vietnam
• Faith

[Jeanikins]

Such bravery, such loyalty! A great example to all whether Christian, Mormon, or whatever.

He must be a great dad. I noticed how carefully he weighed his words. He is walking a tightrope and he knows it.

[aardvarkwade]

I love this man. What an incredible example of charity and humility for all of Mormondom to emulate.

[Reimana1]

Tena Koe e te Matua

This was a very forward honest and fatherly response to a law given to us as members of the church they has no tolarence nor right of acceptance in the Church. Like Dr Bradshaw said the role he plays is merely the role that any parent would play and that is a role of unconditional love and support, as our children grow they have their free agency and the life style they may choose to live is there choice and we need to love them through there journey i was moved by the love

[bridtm]

bravo, dr. bradshaw!

[trinityplayer12]

This is an awesome story. I am not morman, but I am a Christian. I have the same experiences as this man's son. I am not immoral or live a lifestyle unpleasing to God. I am monogamous and trying to live a Christ centered life live every other Christian. It has been very difficult to get mainline Christians to understand that I was born this way, believe be, I spent 28 years trying to change it. Finally, I got a revelation from God that he blesses me, the creation he made.

[dalmationham]

@windigo77 I was just reading your dialogue w/ LDStothecore. Seems interesting. I guess the issue is an epistemic one. You seem to believe that knowledge is Justified True Belief, and LDStothecore believes knowledge is simply True Belief. You guys could argue forever, but because your definition of knowledge is different, you're never going to reconcile the issue. The expectation of justification, and what qualifies as justification, is different, so you can't reconcile the disagreement.

[windigo77]

@LDStothecore Nah, my head is quite square actually. I have those 'Mormon Horns' in the back, and the top is relatively flat. How are you coming on being humble? Have you accepted that it's wrong to assert that you know things without evidence yet? Or have you recognized that belief and knowledge are different things? Have you managed to break out of your brainwashed state, or are you going to keep commenting strange things like "your point is at the top of your head" like a retard?

[LDStothecore]

@windigo77 You make me laugh. And, by the way, your point is at the top of your head.