Church leaders
North Star’s Mission is to be a faith-affirming resource for Latter-day Saints navigating sexual orientation and gender identity who desire to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrine and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
North Star International is a non-profit organization and
an Independent Advocate with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Use promo code “CHURCH26”
(Church leader tickets do not appear until the promo code is entered.)
North Star Annual Conference
As a church leader, counseling with individuals who experience same-sex attraction or gender identity issues, you may wish to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities these individuals and their families are facing.
North Star offers a forum to engage in an open, candid dialogue leading to greater understanding, compassion and empathy. Learn how to offer support, to discuss sensitive subjects, discover faith-promoting resources, and understand how you can help foster a culture of love and support within your congregations.
You will come away with insight from Latter-day Saints who personally experience same-sex attraction or gender identity issues and are seeking to live their lives in accordance with gospel principles. We have the greatest respect for established church doctrine, and North Star can be a resource in building bridges of understanding.
Reduced price tickets for Church Leaders
Qualification for reduced priced Conference Tickets include:
- Currently serving in a role of ministry to others (i.e., any stake or ward leadership or support callings, including presidencies, teachers, and church employees.)
- Do not identify as SSA/GI/LGBT yourself
- Must include your position of current service, ward, and stake on the registration form
Use promo code “CHURCH26”
(Church leader tickets do not appear until the promo code is entered.)
Developing Understanding Among Church Leadership
The North Star Conference offers sessions uniquely relevant to church leaders seeking to understand how to best minister to those in their stewardship. Discounted registration is available for both in-person and virtual attendance.
The North Star Conference, held annually, features keynote sessions, and a host of topical breakout sessions facilitated by church leaders, scholars, and mental health professionals as well as individuals who personally experience same-sex attraction or gender identity issues and are striving to live their lives in accordance with the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The follow are a few of the breakout sessions that might be of interst to church leaders:
- Forgiveness Reconsidered: What it is? What it isn’t? and Why Clarity Matters in Marriage
- Which Spirit Am I Listening To? Recognize THE Spirit
- Beyond Self-Discovery: Practical Ways to Live Your God-Given Eternal Identity
- Stolen Scripture: From Protest to Faith, Choosing Christ When the Road is Hard
- Line Upon Line: Learning to Wait Patiently on the Lord
- Bridging Neurodiversity Divides: Autism & ADHD
- When Fathers Show Up
- Building Connections of Love and Trust: How to Bless Loved Ones Who Leave the Covenant Path
Click here for the full conference program.
Sample Invitation Letters
If you are interested in inviting others to the conference, here are two sample letters to get you started.
Resources
The following resources include North Star’s own content as well as content from other resources.
North Star Resources
Other: Videos
- The Gospel and Sexual Minorities (by Jeff Bennion and Dan Ellsworth)
- Part 1: Worldviews
- Part 2: A More Nuanced View of Sexuality
- Part 3.1: Restoration Sexuality
- Part 3.2: Transcending Pride and Shame
- Part 3.3: Continuing Beyond Pride and Shame
- Part 3.4: The Power of Acceptance
- Part 4.1: Getting Clear Within Yourself
- Part 4.2: Cultural Dynamics in Ministry
- Part 4.3: Ministering to the Person in Front of You
Other: Articles
- A Love Note to Diamond Marriages and Sapphire Singles (by Jeff Bennion)
- A New Kind of LGBT+ Advocacy (by Angela Bradford)
- An Alternative to Gender Transition (by Chelsea Johnson, David Haralson, and Jeff Bennion)
- An Open Letter of Hope to David Archuleta (by Ty Mansfield)
- Beyond the Rainbow: Supporting LGBT+ Saints Faithfully (by Skyler Sorensen)
- Chastity, Covenant, and Quiet Redemption: The Temple for a Sexual Minority Saint (by Hypatia)
- Coming Out & Walking Away. Why? (by Jacob Hess) (Meridian Magazine Version)
- The Consequences of Ideology-Driven Medicine for Transgender Teens (by Rebecca Taylor and Jeff Bennion)
- Conversations at the Crossroads: Latter-day Saints Discuss Sexuality and Doctrine (by Jeff Bennion and Dan Ellsworth)
- The Elder Holland I Know (by Jeff Bennion)
- Exclude Not Thyself (by Skyler Sorensen)
- Faithful Answers to Common LGBT+ Questions (by Hypatia)
- The Givenness of Divine Gender Identity (by Brianna Homes and Samuel Major)
- Have Progressives Really Won this Contest of Ideas? (by Jeff Bennion and Dan Ellsworth)
- Holding the Tension of Truth and Love (and Where We All Get It a Little Wrong) (by Ty Mansfield)
- Our Deepening Divide Over Identity (by Dan Ellsworth)
- Preferred Pronouns: At What Cost? (by Hypatia)
- Queer and Covenant-Bound: Paradox Resolved (by Ryan Strong)
- Religion, Medicine, and the Future of Transgender Youth (by C.D. Cunningham)
- Separating Fact from Fiction with Gender Identity (by Hypatia)
- Seven Ways Latter-day Saint Teaching about Sexuality Have Been Misrepresented (by Jacob Hess and Jeff Bennion)
- Sexual Fluidity and the Gospel of Jesus Christ (by Hypatia)
- The Simple Truth about Biological Sex (by Rebecca Taylor)
- Visible Identities & Invisible People (by Meagan Kohler and Jeff Bennion)
- When Law Meets Love: Dallin H. Oaks’ Ministry to Sexual and Gender Minorities (by Jeff Bennion)
- Whose Image Are You Seeking In Your Countenance? (by Jeff Bennion)
- Every Body Matters (by Meagan Kohler)
- Douglas Laycock: How Will New LGBT+ Rules Affect Religious Liberty? (by C.D. Cunningham)
- Is Latter-day Saint Theology Responsible for LGBT+ Suicides? (by Stephen Cranney)
- Disagreement Doesn’t Equal Hate. Even on BYU’s LGBT Policy. (by Public Square Staff)
- Why Is It “Big News” That Believers Are Motivated by Love? (by Jacob Hess)
Sample Letters to Church Leaders
Letter TO Stake or Ward Leaders
Presidents [your stake president or bishop’s name(s) here],
I’m reaching out to you to invite you to the North Star International’s Annual Conference: INSPIRE 2026 held on February 27-28, 2026, at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center in Ogden, Utah. The logo for our new conference name, INSPIRE, features a temple spire as the “I” in “Inspire,” reflecting North Star’s mission to be a faith-affirming resource for those navigating sexual orientation and gender identity while striving to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrine and values of The Church.
Statistically each ward is likely to have 20 members and each stake likely has 140 members who experience SSA or gender identity concerns, or who identify as LGBTQ+. I did a quick count of those people that I know in our ward and stake and this is what I have come up with. Again, this number only includes people I personally know about, and I’m sure there are at least this many more that I don’t know about.
Individuals who experience SSA or gender identity concerns, or identify as LGBTQ:
- ___ in my ward (past and present)
- ___ in our stake (past and present)
Families who have family members who experience SSA or gender identity concerns, or identify as LGBTQ (many of whom have multiple family members in this space):
- ___ in my ward (past and present)
- ___ in my stake (past and present)
This is where North Star comes in. North Star International’s mission is to be a faith-affirming resource and encourages individuals and families to stay on or strive to live the covenant path. North Star is the ONLY organization devoted to this.
Many of our ward and stake members are navigating sexual orientation and/or gender identity feelings. And there are many more who have family members with these feelings. When we sit next to and listen to people who experience these feelings first hand, or sit next to a parent trying to figure out how to help their child, it changes us. When we sit with these individuals, we minister differently, we minister more like the Savior would have us minister. This is the gift that coming to the conference offers you.
North Star is recognized by the Church as an independent advocate for the Church and is the only organization committed to helping members of the church affected by this while staying committed to the doctrine and values of The Church. You can learn more about North Star on their website at www.northstarsaints.org.
I would also encourage you to invite all of the bishoprics, Elder’s Quorum presidencies, Relief Society presidencies, Sunday School presidencies, and so forth. If these leaders don’t already know of families members and friends wrestling with these issues, they soon will.
North Star is committed to helping Church Leaders navigate this landscape and therefore offers reduced conference tickets for church leaders. You can learn more about this and register on their website at https://northstarsaints.org/church-leaders/. (Ticket prices for church leaders are $65 for the full 2-day conference, $35 for Friday only and $45 for Saturday only.)
Thank you so much for your time and support and love,
[your name]
Letter FROM Stake or Ward Leaders to Other Leadership
Dear _____,
We’d like to invite you to attend North Star International’s Annual Conference: INSPIRE 2026, February 27-28, 2026 at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center in Ogden, Utah.
Many of our ward and stake members are navigating sexual orientation and/or gender identity feelings. And there are many more who have family members with these feelings. When we sit next to and listen to people who experience these feelings first hand, or sit next to a parent trying to figure out how to help their child, it changes us. When we sit with these individuals, we minister differently, we minister more like the Savior would have us minister.
North Star International holds an annual conference where you can learn how better to minister to those in our ward(s). North Star’s mission to be a faith-affirming resource for those navigating sexual orientation and gender identity while striving to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the doctrine and values of The Church. North Star is recognized by the Church as an independent advocate for the Church and is the only organization committed to helping members of the church affected by this while staying committed to the doctrine and values of The Church. You can learn more about North Star on their website at www.northstarsaints.org.
North Star offers reduced conference tickets for church leaders. You can learn more about this and register on their website at https://northstarsaints.org/church-leaders/. (Ticket prices for church leaders are $65 for the full 2-day conference, $35 for Friday only and $45 for Saturday only.)
Regards,
[your name]