As part of our series on meetings with Mormon General Authorities, we interview Lance and Nicki Miles. Lance and Nicki’s story four-part story has so many compelling (and epic!) components, including:
- The death of Nicki’s dad at 13 years old, bonding her to the church.
- Sexual shame in the teenage years and into their missions.
- Lance’s father (a Mormon bishop) coming out as gay and being ostracized from the family.
- Lance and Nicki’s own faith transition.
- Lance and Nicki’s private meeting with Elder Marlin K. Jensen, former LDS Church Historian.
- Nicki and Lance’s feminist awakening.
- Re-defining their marriage and lives post-transition.
The interview is divided into the following parts:
Part 1: Mormon upbringing, how they met, and how their individual mission experiences intertwined
Part 2: A serious discussion about Lance’s father who comes out as gay and the impact it had on the Miles family. Nicki and Lance share how their feelings towards their father evolved in a more positive direction as time progressed.
Part 3: The meeting Nicki and Lance had with Marlin K. Jensen, former historian for the LDS Church. They detail the questions asked of the historian, and the impact his answers had on them.
Part 4: Nicki’s feminist awakening and the impact it had on Lance’s view of their marriage. Transitioning out of the LDS Church led the couple to take a serious look at the foundation of their marriage and their approach to raising their children.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4: