Welcome
2023 ALL Conference
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Welcome to the 9th annual ALL Conference - All Are Alike Unto God! We are thankful you have chosen to attend and we hope it will be a memorable and meaningful experience for you.
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ALL is a community of Arizona members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and others who identify with a Mormon heritage, who desire to fellowship with LGBTQ Mormons and their friends and family members. Our primary purpose is to provide love, support, and friendship.
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The theme of our annual conference comes from a scripture in the Book of Mormon--
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"And He inviteth them all to come unto Him and partake of his goodness; and He denieth none that come unto him...
all are alike unto God." (2 Nephi 26:33)
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While speaking at a BYU devotional in 2017, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated that "We need to listen to and understand what our LGBT brothers and sisters are feeling and experiencing. Certainly, we must do better than we have done in the past..."
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One purpose of this conference is to follow Elder Ballard's counsel to listen and try to better understand our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. In doing so, we express love and compassion for one another. We welcome any family member, friend, or Church leader who is here today in a spirit of outreach to learn how to better love, support, or minister.
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We hope this conference will help you connect with one another, learn about one another, and to better understand the LGBTQ Mormon experience. We invite you to open your heart and mind to experience an increase in Christ-like love and fellowship. Thank you for joining with us!
Program
Hymn
"Love One Another"
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Liz Macdonald
Opening Remarks
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Olivia Lewis
"Are We Blind Also?"
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The Badgett Family
Musical Selection: "More Like Thee"
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Michael Soto
"God Made Each of Us, As We Are, For A Purpose"
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20 MINUTE BREAK
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Voices of ALL Panel Discussion
Panel Members: Gordon Badgett, Sara Fisk, Landon Phillips, Travis Roberts
Panel Moderator: Kevin Davis
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Bree Borrowman
"But the Lord Looketh On The Heart" (1 Samuel 16:7)
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Charlie Bird
"Pioneering Your Path"
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Bryce Cook
Closing Remarks
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Hymn
"I'll Walk With You"
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LUNCH
Featured Contributors
Olivia Lewis
Olivia Lewis is a native of Northeastern Arizona from the town of Snowflake. She graduated from BYU Hawaii with a B.A. in History and a Certificate in Intercultural Peace Building. She also served in the South Carolina, Columbia Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Olivia served in the Hawaii and Arizona Army National Guards. She previously worked with the Anasazi Foundation and that experience led her to her current position in the U.S. Forest Service.
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A lover of research and the world of advocacy, Olivia is making up for lost time understanding and living in the queer community. She likes to take time to hear others, not just in words but in true empathy. Olivia tries to celebrate the middle of her and others’ journeys, understanding that the richest of celebrations aren’t from the end product, but from the building of them.
Michael Soto
Michael Soto is a transgender man who grew up a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mesa, Arizona. He credits his family and the Church for setting an example of being a man of value, character, integrity, and being a leader in a challenging world. Michael grew up in the 1980s and 90s and at that time he and his family did not even know transgender people existed, nor that gender affirmative medical care and support were an option. From his earliest ages, Michael knew he was a boy. After years of struggle, learning, and prayer, Michael received personal and overwhelming revelation from God that his life has purpose, that there is much work for him to do, that he is a child of God no matter his sexual orientation or gender identity, and that this is a part of his purpose. He believes his queer transgender identity is one of life’s greatest blessings and he is dedicated to loving and supporting his fellow human beings along their journey toward authentic and purposeful lives.
Today, Michael is a leader in the U.S. LGBTQ+ rights movement and for the past 25 years he has committed his life to this work. Recently, he has worked closely with leaders of the Church in Arizona and Salt Lake City on anti-discrimination legislation, where he has built long-lasting relationships of goodwill and trust.
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Michael is Co-Founder of the Equality and Fairness Coalition and the Chief Advocacy Officer for One Community. He holds two degrees from Arizona State University—a B.A. in Women and Gender Studies and a M.S. in Justice Studies. He is currently a PhD student in Justice Studies. He is also a proud dog dad and caregiver for his mom—his living example of unconditional love.
Bree Borrowman
Olivia Lewis is a native of Northeastern Arizona from the town of Snowflake. She graduated from BYU Hawaii with a B.A. in History and a Certificate in Intercultural Peace Building. She also served in the South Carolina, Columbia Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Olivia served in the Hawaii and Arizona Army National Guards. She previously worked with the Anasazi Foundation and that experience led her to her current position in the U.S. Forest Service.
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A lover of research and the world of advocacy, Olivia is making up for lost time understanding and living in the queer community. She likes to take time to hear others, not just in words but in true empathy. Olivia tries to celebrate the middle of her and others’ journeys, understanding that the richest of celebrations aren’t from the end product, but from the building of them.
Charlie Bird
Charlie Bird is an award-winning author, podcaster, therapist, and social media influencer based in Utah. He is known for playing the role of Cosmo the Cougar at Brigham Young University from 2015-2018, where he received national acclaim for his dance performances and viral mascot videos. Bird was born and raised in Southwest Missouri, and served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Redlands, California. He is a CSW, and recently obtained his Master’s in Social Work from Brigham Young University. Charlie is passionate about bridging the gap between LGBTQ+ and religion, evident by his frequent work nonprofit organizations and weekly involvement with the ‘Questions from the Closet’ podcast. When he isn’t writing, speaking, or advocating, Charlie can be found hiking the Wasatch mountains, traveling with friends, or tumbling at local gymnastics gyms.
Voices of ALL
Gordon
Badgett
Sara
Fisk
Landon
Phillips
Travis
Roberts
Lunch
Join us for a post-conference lunch to continue your conference experience. Connect with other attendees, speak with the conference's featured contributors, and make new friends. Lunch is provided free of charge.
Special Thanks
Thank you to everyone who generously contributed time and resources to help make this conference a success. We appreciate your support!
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If you wish to make a donation to help support future conferences and activities, please donate below.
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ALL: Arizona LDS LGBT is a 501 (c) (3) organization committed to serving the LDS LGBT community in Arizona. ALL is a volunteer organization and all donated funds are used to cover the organization's operating costs and event expenses.
Stay Connected
Join the conversation, make connections, and keep yourself informed of upcoming events and activities!
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Visit us online and join our Facebook group! Visit www.ALLArizona.org/connect for more info.
Upcoming Events
