Episode 206: It’s What You Believe that Makes it Real with Bradley Talbot

Hey, everyone—welcome to today’s episode of Living Beyond the Shadow of Doubt.

Today I have Bradley Talbot with me, and I am just so, so excited to have you. Thank you so much for being here and taking time out of your student schedule.

Thank you for having me. I’m excited.

Me, too.

So we chatted a little bit before I hit record, and I shared that I have been following Bradley for quite some time—probably from the early days of my own pivot. At that time I called it a pivot in my faith journey, when I learned of my kiddos’ identification or identity.

And Bradley, you have always been this bright light, and you have always raised your voice since I first connected with you. I think I even connected with you before I met your mother—about three years ago, at a mother’s retreat hosted by Lift & Love.

I’ve always been impressed with how fearless you are, and you know who you are—that comes across 100% in what you do and in what you say. I remember you sharing on your stories at one point how you received a patriarchal blessing that described you—well, we both used words like “valiant” or “stalwart.” You were just forefront in defending Christ!

I’m not sure what that means to you now—and either way is just fine—but I share that because it gave me an even deeper sense of who you are. I hope I haven’t embarrassed you too much.

Not at all. Thank you—that’s very kind of you to say.

Let’s dive in. Share with our listeners all about you, your background, your origin story. We’d love to hear.

Sure. Yeah. So I grew up in Utah—the oldest of six kids—grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints. Served a mission when I turned eighteen and then went to BYU. Right now I’m getting two master’s degrees—one in social work and another in theology and ministry—and I’m set to graduate in a couple of months, so I’m really excited about that.

Both in two months? Oh my goodness.

It’s a little bittersweet—I don’t know what life will look like outside of school, because I’ve always been in school. But I am happy to not have homework and to have a lot of my time back.

Oh, wow! I did not realize you were doing dual master’s. Does that mean dual theses?

I just had to do one thesis, which I defended last week—and I passed!

Congrats.

Thank you. For social work, I didn’t have to do a thesis—I did two different field placements instead.

Got it. If you can share a little about your faith background?

Born into and raised LDS—very foundational to my upbringing and family. Both sides of my family are strong within the Church, and many relatives attended BYU.

Can you give us a synopsis of how that foundation has evolved or expanded over the years?

It’s definitely evolved and expanded quite a bit. I’m actually coming up on my ten‑year high‑school reunion anniversary. It’s fascinating to think back on who I was then and who I am now—I wonder what younger me would think. Probably be horrified! But I’m proud of where I’ve come from and where I’m heading, even though things have been rocky.

When I think about my faith journey—the “pivot” as you called it—that occurred on my mission. It was on my mission that I realized I was queer. That was a rude awakening, because it took me a long time to come to terms with that. Outwardly, I did my best to be confident, to come off like I’d got it all together—but I didn’t. I had a lot of questions. I remember agonizing over thoughts like, “What if I can’t find a wife? What if I can’t have kids?” All I had ever pictured was mission, college, marriage, family. The priority was, “What will my family look like? What will I do with my kids?” Then on my mission I realized I was different. Coming home, starting at BYU, I felt even more othered and isolated.

Gradually, over my four years at BYU, I opened myself to the idea of dating men—and closed myself off to dating women. Then came questions: “How will we make a family? Adoption? Surrogacy? What will that look like?” And “Where does God fit into all of that?”

How has your relationship with God manifested?

Manifold ways—I’m still figuring that out.

You mentioned it was on your mission that you realized you were queer. You used that term, and I love that in the LGBTQ+ community people choose the identifiers that align best for them. As a teenager, you agonized over questions like “What if I don’t find a wife?” or “What if I can’t have kids?” There’s no perfect time for someone to connect with themselves and allow those messages through.

Right—external sources influence timing, and each person’s personality and experience make it complex. There are countless ways people first come out to themselves and then publicly.

After your mission, feeling othered and isolated at BYU, you took action. You created more safety on campus—tell us about that.

While at BYU, I felt isolated and alone, so I organized a group called Out on the Campus. We held rainbow days once a semester—simple gestures showing love and support to the LGBTQ+ community. In March 2021, I organized students to hike the “Y” on the mountainside and light it in rainbow colors—to show peace, unity, and defiance: “We belong at BYU. We want to be seen, heard, and supported.” We did it two more times that fall—with parents of queer students—and the following March, just with non‑BYU students, lighting it in trans colors too. My own child is transgender, so that meant a lot to me. The group still exists today, and Hulu/ABC News documented that last lighting in the Mormon No More docuseries.

How did that land in your lap?

They reached out to me—called and asked, “We’re doing it again; want to be part of it?” I said yes. Lots of luck and community strength—and, honestly, a bit of the divine bringing things together. Miracles after miracles.

You mentioned you once only imagined marrying a woman, then opened to dating men. How did that evolution happen?

It was gradual. One night, tossing and turning, I daydreamed about family life and felt comfort and peace. I realized that peace was the same whether my partner was a woman or a man. I prayed, “Why can’t it be with a man?” Then I started fantasizing—and felt joy. I began meeting gay men, going on casual dates. I even had a boyfriend at BYU for a few months—some of my most memorable moments were campus tours with him. That relationship ended, heartbreak and loneliness set in—maybe why I poured myself into the Y lighting. I needed to show I still could belong, still had hope.

What brings you joy now?

Real, in‑person connection—in community. Not scrolling TikTok or Instagram (though there’s some fun)—but dinners with friends, concerts, book discussions. I’ve slowed way down on posting; social media was making me feel isolated.

What drew you to religious studies in Boston?

I came for social work but felt it wasn’t quite me. Faculty suggested the theology & ministry dual degree at Boston College—a Jesuit (Catholic) school. I wasn’t Catholic but wanted to study my own tradition. It was challenging—new vocabulary, different terms (“millennium,” “resurrection”)—but I focused on my own theology and ministry, took amazing classes (even at Harvard Divinity), and it reshaped my perspective.

Your thesis focused on preserving the memory of queer individuals at BYU, right?

Yes. LDS theologians aren’t credentialed like Catholic ones, so sources were scarce. Conferences and talks aren’t rich on site migration or women’s rights. I linked out to other archives. I’d love to share a link in the show notes.

Absolutely—please do.

Final question: What does “living beyond the shadow of doubt” mean to you?

I’ve experienced a lot of doubt. I’ve dealt with it through other people—because alone, it feels hopeless. You must connect: talk it through, empathize, lean on shared strength, then offer that same support back.

For sure—that’s why I love this podcast. Now, a few fun questions:

Favorite book?
“Percy Jackson” (I also love The Giver series).

Introvert or extrovert?
Ambivert, leaning introvert.

Favorite artist?
Lauv (“I Like Me Better When I’m With You”).

Night owl or morning lark?
Night owl.

Celebrity crush?
None currently.

Still water or soda?
Still water—juice or milk, really.

Furthest place traveled?
Poland, last summer.

How can listeners connect?
Instagram DMs—handle is @brad_pad_. I reply to every message.

Thank you so much for this beautiful, amazing conversation. I appreciate all the work you do and wish you the very best!