The Boughs of Love: Navigating the Queer Latter-day Saint Experience During an Ongoing Restoration

In this call for a “renewal” within the Latter-day Saint tradition that is as fervent as it is sincere, Nathan Kitchen has offered us a gift. This memoir provides a compelling glimpse not only into Kitchen’s own moving experience, but into the world of paradoxes, pain, and progress inhabited by those who aim to balance both queer and Mormon identities. Benjamin E Park, author of American Zion: A New History of Mormonism Like the prophet-historian Mormon, Brother Nathan Kitchen deftly chronicles the history of his people while standing as a witness to their labors, sufferings, miracles, and eternal worth in the eyes of God. Interweaving secular history, soul-searching religious memoir, striking anecdote, and Christ-saturated imagery, Kitchen keeps a fixed foot on the reality of the past, contextualizing the present while longing for yet more glorious and redemptive futures for the queer Latter-day Saint. His book is engrossed with such thoroughly Mormon concepts as covenant belonging, unmerited grace, the ongoing restoration, and the sacred—if not essential—nature of questions in our spiritual journeys. An act of holy consecration, The Boughs of Love is as much an accessible, sprawling roadmap of the pitfalls and progress of queer identity within the LDS tradition as it is a testimony of the expansive hope that the Restored Gospel of Christ can offer to all members of the family of God. Jaxon Washburn, Master of Theological Studies, Harvard Divinity School; PhD Student, the University of California, Los Angeles I was not prepared for how much I would enjoy reading Nathan’s memoir. I prepared myself to feel pain, anger, and grief as I read his words. But I found something else in addition—joy. Nathan deftly braids together his experience as a gay LDS man, the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with regards to gender and sexual minorities, and his time as the President of Affirmation. Nathan’s stories, poetry, and reflections provide an important glimpse into the lives of individuals and families navigating the intersection of their LDS faith and their queer realities. Nathan shares his testimony and anguish as he experienced harmful LDS policies with respect to 2SLGBTQIA+ people while also leading an organization of people directly affected by those policies. Remarkably, Nathan’s joy as a father, husband, and person constructing a life of authenticity also shines through the pages and rings of hope and possibility. Roni Jo Draper, Ph.D. (she.her), Emeritus Professor Brigham Young University Few have captured the complexity of the LGBTQ+ experience within the LDS Church as powerfully as Nathan Kitchen does in this compelling memoir.As the Church grapples with evolving policies that profoundly impact its queer members, The Boughs of Love offers an intimate and rare perspective on how these changes have shaped not only his life, but also the lives of countless others. With stories of resilience, Kitchen’s memoir is both eye-opening and deeply inspiring. It illuminates the strength and love that endure even in the face of profound challenges, while offering a hopeful vision for a future where the Church embraces its LGBTQ+ members with genuine compassion, understanding, and inclusivity. Gerardo Sumano, Mormon Stories Podcast Producer
ASIN: 1961471159
VSKU: BVV.1961471159.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Kitchen, Nathan
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.