This is a special Father's Day Episode! Viet Le shares the story of his dad, who was born and raised in Vietnam. He talks about what life was like for him there, how he joined the military, and married his mom. Viet tells Carly about his large family living in a war torn country, and how his dad got his family to safety in the US. They later found a "host family" in Utah and settled here, where Viet was eventually born. He talks about what life was like for refugees at that time, and the good and challenging parts of family life. He also shares his personal conversion story, how he met his wife, and all about his own experiences in fatherhood.

June is PRIDE month for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Many people choose to celebrate it differently, but the bottom line is that it is important to let people who may be struggling with their identity or orientation know that they are not alone, and to help others know the best way to show love and support to them. Ben Schilaty has been helping in that space as a gay member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and advocate for LGBTQ+ individuals. Ben talks with Carly about his experiences realizing he was attracted to men as a youth, serving a mission and hoping that it would eventually go away, and ultimately coming out to his friends as a BYU student. Ben gives us a glimpse into what many of our family and ward members are facing in their lives, and offers a lot of advice about how we can best show them they are loved.

In 2015 Ben began blogging about his experiences as a gay Latter-day Saint. You can read it here.

He cohosts the podcast "Questions from the Closet" with his friend Charlie Bird. It is a GREAT way to learn more about LGBTQ+ individuals. You can find it here.

Ben wrote a book that answers many of the questions people have about LGBTQ+ issues. You can find it here.

And finally, one of the BEST ways you can learn more is at the "Gather Conference." It is "Christ-Centered support for Latter Day Saint LGBTQ+ individuals and those that love them." You can find more info about that here.

This week Carly talks with Noelle McBride about growing up in the Pacific Northwest, getting married at age 20 and later divorced after 17 years together, how she decided to "serve a mission" as a single mom while working 2 jobs and raising 3 boys, how she has learned to set boundaries and found forgiveness, and more! Noelle also talks about her book entitled "Beauty For Ashes: Divorce and the Latter Day Saint Woman," and Carly shares how much it helped her through her own divorce journey. Noelle is currently remarried and a mother to 6 in her blended family, and they still reside in the PNW.

Divorce is becoming more and more prevalent in the LDS community. If you haven't experienced it yourself, you definitely know someone who has. This episode will provide strength and hope for those who have been through the divorce process, as well as provide information for those who would like to understand and minister better to those they care for.

You can buy Noelle's book on Amazon here.

You can access Noelle's Facebook for divorced LDS women here.

You can find other gospel centered resources for those contemplating or who have faced divorce below:

Church of Jesus Christ topic: Divorce

LDS Living articles on divorce

A Leading Saints podcast episode on how leaders and church members can better support their divorced family and friends

Other Leading Saints Podcast episodes about divorce

LDS Divorce Coach Jenn Zingmark

Tanya Hale Podcast (many episodes on divorce)