Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds on His Guilt as a 'Unique Mormon' - Extended Cut
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds talked with Ellen about his documentary, "Believer," in which he struggles with his strict Mormon faith and his own beliefs on equality for the LGBT community.
I'm one of those kids alive because of what he does
Michael O'Brien 💜 Glad to hear it. Thrive, friend.
Hi Michael... I'm glad to know you're here. :)
Hello Michael! I think we have all faced some kind of prejudice or discrimination. I am a Latin girl who lives in Australia, I speak English as best I can and I try to find my place. But I am ME and I am trying to show this society how special I am because I am different. People who do not conform to the mould are original people, more fun and more interesting. I bet you're a very special person. A big hug my friend!
Great, God bless you and Dan
ME TOOOO
This amazing young man lives daily with chronic joint pain from an untreatable auto-immune disease 🦠. On days when he is not bouncing on a concert 🎶 stage (helps his pain), he spends 3 hours doing physical therapy.
The reason of why Imagine Dragons is one of my favorite band is because of the deep meaning of their songs. They have helped me so much so please remember you didn't born to live up people expectations♡
I relate to him so much. For once in my life I can say that there is someone that I can relate to. This is amazing!!! To hear him say this just made me feel so at ease. Finally. Oh and hes just Beautiful!!!!
I would like to say that I am a Mormon, and while I love and agree with the idea behind what Dan is saying, wanting to get rid of guilt and shame and teach love, there are many things in this that I do not agree with. First of all, Mormons teach love and tolerance. I have been raised and taught my whole life to be loving and accepting and believe that I have become that person. It is sad to me that the statistics read were blamed on the LDS (Mormon) Church, what Mormonism teaches is love and acceptance, not pressure to be one way or another. If those terribly sad and awful stats are true, it is based on a culture that some wrongfully may have created, but that the Mormon Church as an organization does not teach or practice in anyway. Also, with the train metaphor. The Mormon Church teaches family as one of its primary doctrines. We believe that family and religion go hand in hand, so I believe it was an inaccurate and illogical question being that we believe we would never be asked to make that choice, because of our teachings on family being the most important unit on earth.
I just discovered him. Nice brain.
Every "different" people should ask their parents, the train question. This is such a powerful question for all who was brainwashed by religions.
Now I love Dan even more! ❤️
I am a Mormon and a very happy one! I love my religion and live it daily! While I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, I strive to be like my Savior and love all of my brothers and sisters! When Imagine Dragons had a concert in Utah that focused on loving our LGBT community and implementing principles of acceptance and love discussed in this video, a letter was read to my church congregation from church headquarters encouraging us to go to the concert and learn and love. We all have room to improve and I do not claim that my Mormon community is perfect or that that shame does not exist. But my God is a God that loves all of his children and this is what is taught to me repeatedly and that is what I believe.
I just realized that I’ve never heard his voice when he’s not singing.
Kaleid Stone same his voice is like.......so not like his singing voice XD
Omg me too.
Me too!!
I second...
Me too
Who else says imagine dragons is your favorite band?
My favorites are imagine dragons and linkin park and 1D and BTS and I listen to some of coldeplay songs
Amy Howell by far
You should of gotten more likes. 222 likes is not good.
Same here :)
Hands down. The band and their music are amazing and I love them for it.
Imagine Dragons has helped me tremendously through my struggle with depression and anxiety. I owed this band for still holding up
Have a real life girl
@@spunkymaniac9312 Have a real come-back rather than being a troll, clown.
@@MadnessKeeperRen can we be friends 🥺
They helped me in my depression through their song, “Demons”
@@BlendedMozart Internet be like: HaHaHa kingdom go come lol.
I have always loved Imagine Dragons but this interview made me realize that not only is Dan Reynolds an incredibly talented musician, but he's also an amazing human being! That is so rare among celebrities. Loved this!
D
it makes me even happier about their success! Big Fan Here!
He is a unique, magnificent performer and a beautiful person, both inside and out. ✌ ♥ 🌎
Uhmm, is it me or is he kinda hot?
laila1989ism kinda???? He is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Definitely not just you. Yum!
Ya he is 😍. I love him 😍😍😍
Oh yeah, he's hot. Also, I've seen him shirtless and not to objectify him. HOLY FUCK!
Nope not only you he is 🔥🔥🔥🔥
You know, now I listen to songs like "Whatever it takes" and I see the lyrics in another way..
Someone on Quora wrote this interpretation of their song "Demons" a while back:
"I think it is about someone with depression with the associated guilt and self loathing. They feel everything is hopeless and push others away because they don’t want to burden them. The know they desperately need help but are unwilling and unable to ask for it. At the same time they secretly hope that someone will see through their facade and reach out to them."
This is so accurate.
EST You’re right about the depression part. When I went to their concert, Dan was explaining how Demons was about his depression during his darkest times.
I love how it feels when I break the chains.. the chains are the things that block people in the lgbtq community from feeling normal
“Whatever It Takes” is extremely ambiguous and can be applied to _any_ situation where someone has to overcome something. It applies to every human on Earth.
I am getting to know more about Imagine Dragons and Dan is such a increíble person, strong, humble and amazing. Such a band!! I’m totally a big fan!!!
He speaks from his heart. Cool guy😎
just like goku. so powerful and amazing
Reynolds is fake
And you know that how?
He should be in the "Sexiest Man Alive" list.
Agreed. He should get the title of sexiest man ever. Not the sexiest man alive for a year. He gets it forever. Lol he’s like perfect.
instead of chris hemsworth dan reynolds
He manages to be hot,cute,serious,funny and open-minded at the same time omg
Really😂
A wise "Mormon" authority said "Don't judge me because I sin differently than you do." A true member would never shame someone who isn't perfect because we all aren't.
I love President Utchdorf!💓 Great thing to remember.
@@Skyesoceaneyes agreed.
Amen brother
❤
😁👍
My 4 yo loves Thunder and sings it when he's scared of storms. Knowing it comes from this guy makes me so proud. What an awesome role model 💖
This is soooooooooo cute.
Thunder is also my 4 year old’s favorite song! :)
My little girls sing this song too during storms. :-)
That's soooo cute!
Mine too! She absolutely loves it!
I have been an admiring fan of Imagine Dragons, but from this interview
I have gained a deep respect and appreciation. As a Jew I can still relate to this and feel gratitude toward Dan Reynolds. Thank you for your wisdom.
If you’ve never been to an Imagine Dragons Concert. You’re missing one of life’s best experiences. This band is outstanding, and underrated for their talent level
I wish I could go🥲🙌🥺
I went just a few days ago (02/27/22) and it was the best concert ever.
just saw then the other day, best night of my life
going to Vienna !!!
I saw them in Victoria, Canada last April and I can confirm they are fantastic ❤️ one of the best nights of my life
I never realized how hot he was. And really smart. Wow. Daddy AF.
Red 17 I know right
Red 17 agree
Red 17 "Daddy"!?
And most important of all, kind, compassionate, real, and brave.
EST exactly. The rest is just a topping :)
I couldn't agree more with with Ellen And Dan reynolds. Religion is for peace,You shouldn't use it to threaten people for who they like and who they want to be. At last we are all people,Why spread hate when we have the ability to love
Very well put.
I’m Mormon too
well said. Love is always the Answer!!!
Random Craft Stuff it's ok as long as you don't spread hate
mormons dont threaten lgbt, we just dont agree with their ways, that is literally it and its the same with muslims, other christians, jews, hindus, etc. so why is ellen ONLY shaming mormons?
Who thinks imagine dragons are best
He's extremely handsome and is such a great presence.
Devon Zastre
Yea, he is very handsome I agree
I was raised Mormon and I’m bisexual, and the inner conflict was rough as hell. I’m so glad he’s talking about this openly. It NEEDS to be talked about.
💗💜💙
Me too
I’m Mormon and I support 100% 💞
Me too
This is so awesome what he‘s doing.
Geocentric Kingdom I'm perfectly fine and not religious.
I'll be sure to turn to your imaginary friend who will torture me for touching myself or eating shrimp but allow me to sell my daughter into slavery or trade her for a cow.
LOL well you only have to do it that way if you want to try to earn your way into heaven but since the theocratic nation of Israel has been replaced, the easier way is to believe the gospel. You can eat all the shrimp and bacon you want!
Cal 99ers so it's okay to be gay as long as you never act upon it? Mmmkay.. you are one who needs to watch this documentary clearly.
Corie Burk
Well said!
We don’t deserve Dan Reynolds😩😩😩
Zuzanna Stępień What do you mean??
Helena Martínez López i mean he’s such a good person and we need to protect him at all costs
Zuzanna Stępień I'm agree with you!!😘👍🌍
We don't :(
Love him so much
"I'm different from the rest, do I have to run and hide".(Imagine Dragons - Monster).....He knew what he was saying.
I never said that I want this
This burden came to me
And its made its home inside
@@forgottenkoopaling9534 hes talking about the demons he sold out too
Dan Reynolds is one of a kind. He really is special. So talented, so beautiful in and out.
Bless him and Ellen too, for spreading a bit of love, and sharing and a lot of common sense.
Really well spoken; however I'm hoping that the RUclips community and everyone who sees this realizes this is not the viewpoint of all Christians.We're called to love one another and anyone who goes against that, especially for something that isn't even a sin, isn't doing it right. I also wish too that people would be a little more respectful of others beliefs regardless. Just because I'm a Christian doesn't mean I'n homophobic...quite the opposite. Just my two cents.
There are good and bad people. Unfortunately, I think bad ones are louder.
Honestly the particularly cruel and vocal are really a minority but they're louder and also the media have a field day showing the worst/most vocal cus that's what gets them views, it's honestly very disheartening and leaves a really bad representation of most communities, not just religions but they do get the brunt of it
Message Comment I definitely can't talk for others here but I never meant you had to agree homosexuality. It's how you treat them that matters though. We're called to treat everyone with love regardless and not to take judgement it our own hands. It is possible to not agree with something but still be loving and respectful to those who do
Sammi B honestly I disagree. I don’t even know what that means? “I disagree with you being gay” I can’t even make sense of that statement
I totally agree! I also find that as a Jewish person, when he said that judaism was in a similar vein to strict Mormons, it felt important to add that the ultra religious community only forms a small part of the global jewish population. For the majoirty of people I know from many religious background, acceptance is a pillar in which the tradition stands on and hopefully the voices of reason and good will one day be heard louder than those of hate.
I can totally relate to this as a Muslim, my family do put alot of pressure on me to follow my religion. So i have to keep my thoughts to myself. Love dan so much 💜
Cool hi al salamulaycom
Cool lm also mislim but I can’t relate, my parents are open and they respect everyone
@@garciagar64 being a Muslim is like following a lot of rules like things you should do and you shouldn't do
Follow your heart and always be you. You are never alone and have plenty support
@@5yara if they’re open, they’re not really muslim. You cant just bypass those islamic rules. They Chose to be open and I salute them for it.
I went to see him in concert and he gave this amazing speech that really touched me, it changed my life ever since and I thank him for it. ❤️
that's right. i totally with ellen de genneres. "a lot of kids are going to stay alive because of you, dan reynolds. you are going to save many lives."
Dan is an actual angel.
I love Imagine Dragons!
This is why I love Imagine Dragons songs. Written essays on them, listened to them in my down time, and now the writer confirms that it's about this.
My mom took me to a imagine dragons concert willingly because of how great of a person Dan is
funny that a mormon ends up creating one of the greatest rock anthems.
This is such a coincidence. I'm a mormon myself. The other day I was having a conversation with one of my family members about how Imagine Dragons can still keep all the commandments while thriving in the music industry. And his comment was they're probably not devoted as much as before. I know I'm not active anymore but once you're a mormon, you are a mormon for life. The sense of guilt is kind of cemented in your head all the times.
Amen. You risk losing your family, friends, everything. You don’t have a choice.
Unfortunately, I can relate to that to some extent. Where I live, a lot of members of my church are accepting and would be fine with LGTBQ members, but some of them are very strict and upturned against them against what we're being taught, and it makes me sad. The one kid in my seminary class intentionally walks away or ignores people he knows to be LGTBQ. (He's also the kind of kid to go around telling non members not to drink coffee).
I hope anyone who watches this that wants less judgement in the world will extend that same idea to religions as well. I am a member of the LDS Church (A Mormon) and I care so deeply for those in our religion that feel like outsiders or feel lost and alone. Anyone truly living our religion would only show love and kindness to anyone who is struggling. I know our church leaders are very aware of the suicide crisis and are working so hard at being part of the solution. You can be religious and be kind.
I think this is such a cool segment. Im not mormon but its cool that you still have your own beliefs but still believe in what they consider is wrong! So right you need to be in it for change ! Hopefully these stats change 💜
nakitamurrin h
As an LGBT youth raised in the mormon church, this interview is one of the reasons my mom accepted me. She even left the church because she couldn't be apart of a religion that treated LGBT people the way that they do. I have nothing against the mormon church and am only speaking through my own experiences. But thank you Dan Reynolds for what you've done for me and my family just through speaking your truth
You are loved 🤍
We are proud of you 🤍
As a devout Christian I know Jesus Christ commands us to LOVE whether or not we agree with someone. He also does not want us to judge others. I am proud to be a born again Christian and I am also proud to love.
I am also a non-attending mormon and I still love the teachings but am aligned with Dan. He's legit.
The message of this is *everything*
I'm so proud of him.
So happy to be a fan of Imagine Dragons 💙
According to the most recent data, Suicide is also the leading cause of death for teenagers in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Wyoming and Virginia. It really isn't about the MORMON CHURCH. That is a narrow minded blanket statement that goes against the attitude of open mindedness that Ellen is known for. I am very sad by her statement and wish she would correct it.
Corgi Lover thank you
Well it’s religion in general
she’s just stating facts, yes it’s harsh but it’s the truth, and people need to understand that when she says that, it’s fact not opinion
Thank you, context is important. If Utah was the only place this was happening it would be a much different story but it’s not. Shaming people or making them feel like who they are is never okay but neither is skewing facts to make it seem like one group is worse than others.
@@laylaburton6169 no... She stated that suicide is the leading caused of death among youth in Utah. That's a fact... Opinion is when she said it's because of the church. That's garbage. It's something they push to further their cause but there is nothing to back up that statement.
I grew up mormon and i so completely understand this. Thank you 🙏
Same
I’m Mormon 2 ❤️ but I fully support LGBTQ 🏳️🌈
Omg what the?!?! U got kicked outta BYU?? That’s my dream college! 😲
Same! I am also morman and support the LGBTQ!!!!!!!!!! I try my best to be a good morman who is not yet baptized
@@patriciapowers505 that's awesome
I’m also Mormon and I fully support all of them.
We know the deep meaning dan. We live it through your lyrics
I love Dan and Imagine Dragons as a whole. But man I didn’t know this much about Dan
I really love Dan, he seems so sweet. Even live, he just cares about fans. He spoke about depression at the concert I went to.
On the outside He looks like a stonecold mma fighter... But he is realy a very soft guy inside
so important. love for him for being this discussion to light.
The Mormon church doesn't teach that we should discriminate or judge anyone. Many people misinterpret the Mormon beliefs about family and marriage and think that the Mormon teachings include shaming or discriminating against others, but it's not that way. The teachings are that we are supposed to love one another no matter what. If someone who is Mormon has not followed that teaching and has isolated or disowned or made anyone feel less of a person about themselves for any reason including sexual attraction, they have made a mistake and have not practiced their religion correctly. Mormons do have strong beliefs including beliefs about family and marriage being between a man and woman, but at the center of all of the beleifs is the core belief that we need to love Jesus and try to be like Him, which includes loving and including all people, just like He did.
Im legit in love with Dan. He's my man crush 😍😍😍
I just love him, I love his songs and the first time I heard "what ever it takes " I jumped around like a school girl Helen and I am a 64 yr old women lololol. Love you too Helen way way back in your sitcom show, and I linked how you think. Muahhhh
What a beautiful person
These are the kind of conversations that change the world. Thanks for this interview. I too go to therapy, it's life changing.
What an absolutely amazing guy. I can see why my daughter loves him so much. Such a wonderful message and great role model for young people.
Wow. 1st time Ive seen an interview. I like this guy.
I'm just here to see how Dan's voice sounds while he's talking.😂😂
I knew I liked him, but now I know he is an amazing artist and I love him as a fan!
Spirituality and Religion are two different things.
Lucy Blue religion isn't all bad. I'm not religious but claiming all religion is bad, is a sad generalization. Religion as a whole isn't bad, as it teaches people compassion, community, forgiveness, acceptance, and lots of other things. People within certain practices of religion, however, like to use extreme versions of religious books (there are like 50 different kinds of Bibles that are written slightly different to suit each denomination) and extreme practices to have the people of their religious community have a hateful agenda toward anyone not in that community. You also have clashes between religions because they're all slightly different and people get in wars over who is right. I mean, just looking at Christianity and Judaism, Christianity has it in their book that it's holy for women to cover their heads, and yet in Judaism it's holy for men to cover their heads. So, which one is correct, if both groups got their word of holiness from God?
In the end you have to be a good human being.
Abdullah Qureshi I agree, but some people are taught to believe being a good human being is excluding some people or spreading hateful messages to people who don't agree with them. For me, being a good human being is being able to do what is true to you, as long as it doesn't hurt you or anyone else, and allowing everyone else to do what is true to them. So many people are so caught up in other people's business. I work with kids and I always say "you're not always going to like or agree with everyone, but you need to respect them regardless."
I 100% AGREE WITH YOU!
Abdullah Qureshi very true! I think people raised up with over the top religious beliefs lose their spirituality through too much emphasis on trying to be perfect like christ.
It is true that the leading cause of death among Utah kids is suicide but it is NOT true that it is the leading cause "because of the shame they feel from the Mormon church". It is totally unfair for her to say that. Suicide is also the leading cause of death for teenagers in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Wyoming and Virginia; which are not predominately Mormon states at all. I feel like she invited Dan on the show and used him just to push her anti-mormon agenda. What a shame.
I remember being suicidal, I hung to cliff (yeah, now I'm good), fought hard with OCD, they were there for me as music
My daughter got me listening to Imagine Dragons. I Love them and even braved 17 degrees cold on New Year's Eve to take her to see them. Changed me so much.
I just saw him on tour, and I know from that that he is the sweetest person ever. He truly is a person who speaks from the heart and he is amazing
I've been listening to Imagine Dragons for about 5-6 years, I've always known his songs were about sadness or some sort of angry feelings. That's why some of his songs are completely weird and very not straight forward, a lot of metaphors. Like, I'm So Sorry, Friction, The Fall, Bet My Life, TipToe, Amsterdam, and almost EVERY song are unordinary but amazing. I love both his mainstream songs but if yoy love Believer, Thunder, Radioactive I suggest his old songs too their simply incredible and so damn catchy!
Wow! As someone who was raised Mormon like Dan, I applaud your bravery and strength. Because when you are raised believing one thing your whole life, then as an adult have that question of why am I not good enough, there is so much shame. I’ve learned to look past that and to not feel that way. How amazing to be a public figure and to be able to make such a wonderful, positive impact on the youth! Keep it up!!!
If aliens come to earth and ask for music show them imagine dragons
This is probably the best Ellen interview I've ever seen. I teared up watching it. Dan is such a kind, intelligent, powerful person and seeing him talk about these difficult things with such love and grace is really inspiring.
Could genuinely listen to him talk for hours
PROTECT HIM FOR ALL COSTS
As someone who grew up LDS I could tell right off the bat what imagine dragons work was about. I remember being a teen & thinking “wow he’s not sure about his faith & he’s like me, so maybe I’m ok” then hearing Neon Trees (TYLER GLENN: if you’re not familiar w/his story) & thinking “if their front man is gay, then I have no reason to be lacking faith” But both their stories molded me into the Mormon that I am today. I analyze everything with my mind wide open. I’m not traditional by any means, and I’m not a buffet LDS either. No religion is perfect, they all tie in together, and I refuse to just blindly follow tradition when a still small voice is prompting me otherwise.
abbie He's not gay. He's an ally and a voice for the kind, accepting treatment of people in the LGBTQ community. For equality in general. Basically, he stands up for the mistreated and bullied. He's a kind person who should be looked up to. Also, I honestly admire your recognition of relating to his songs, and looking at your religion in a different light. ❤
Amy Awesome I was referring to an entirely different Mormon, Tyler Glenn of Neon Trees. They’ve worked together for the past year or so in Utah and raised awareness for it. I’m born and raised Mormon. Big names and scandals get around in our community no matter where you live, believe me I understand he’s not gay.
abbie It's good to know you use your heart and mind to discern. All my ancestors were mormon pioneers. If a religion is say made up by a man in the 19th century which capitalized on the erroneous fact that white America thought that native North and South Americans couldn't have built their pyramids without white intervention and then introduced things like statutory rape which he lied about and finally called polygamy and tried many schemes to get money like the Kirkland safety society (like a lot of cult leaders to get as much sex and money as he could) and was eventually killed for destroying the press (the Nauvoo expositor which exposed his shade) it is not worthy of you Abbie or your future children who will be brain washed before they have freedom of thought and will have to decide their eternal fate at 8 without any other options made available and be scurred to go against it 'cause um 'outer darkness' apostates fate. May your kids be born in intellectual and emotional freedom, honesty of expression and openness to All That Is. We have no right to enslave our kids' minds and emotions, this is the opposite of enlightenment!
Tlotus Funny that you mentioned all this, I’m a South American indigenous woman. Or should I say, a Lamanite? LOL the Latin community is mixed. What’s even funnier is that during my childhood the BOM was used to lure Latin (mainly Mexicans) into joining. They told them the book was made by their ancestors & then behind closed doors would complain about illegals coming into the country & receiving callings. I understand completely, especially with the white “Nephite” privilege I’m disguised with. I call myself a Mormon, but I’m not active. It’s more of a culture for me than anything, since my family are still involved. I’m so glad you mentioned all this because it’s kind of still going on today. 😔 Members like Dan and the ones from Mormon Stories are the reason why I’m proud of being raised LDS. Despite everything, there are good people who are involved & they had a hand in making me who I am.
abbie I think you should contact Dehlin. You would be a great interview! But if you don't want to be that public I think you are telling your story for a reason. Who knows where it will lead or you will lead it. ;) With children in cages on orders of Czar Trump we need to hear from Latinas more than ever. Goddess bless!
literally just had a youth lesson about kids struggling with their sexuality (this was at a Mormon church meeting) do you know what the teachers answer was? "We love them". This is Not a hateful religion AT ALL! Its all about service and loving your neighbor. There are always going to be extremists in any group religious or otherwise but they do not speak to the group as a whole or the principles we live by. This makes me angry and sad
I just wanna hug him 🤗🤗♥️
I went to their show in Mansfield this month. It was that day I had a PTSD break down as I had CPR for work and I watched my husband 5 years ago die and have CPR for 45 mins. I felt like a failure.. and at the show he talked about mental health. How we are one and it's ok to feel this way... I left feeling ok about how I felt and felt so much better.
I am soo sorry❤
I really love you Dan 💕😭💕
He does ALL of this while also suffering from an auto immune disease called ankylosing spondylitis which I also have. He speaks out on the disease to bring awareness and does a live show called This AS Life live. These videos have helped me SO much to not feel alone with this disease. What an amazing human being!! 😁❤
"There is no such thing as YOUR truth. There is THE truth, and YOUR opinion."-Ben Shapiro
Demonik13 Is that why Ben Shapiro continues to believe the nonsense myths in the bible?
kay jay You mispelled "Torah."
He's Jewish.
Exactly
Dans the type of person that you should never let go of in a friendship or do him wrong. He's so real and opinionated in a good way. I wish I were friends with him.
Is it just me or does it seem like Ellen is pointing all fingers at Mormons (or a more correct term Latter Day Saints)? We do not hate anyone. We are not raising suicide rates. Mormons may come across a little judgmental but even though we believe in marriage between a man and woman, we LOVE everyone. My best friend is gay and I love him more than anyone. Trust me Mormons aren’t out to get lgbtq and we aren’t “intolerant” to them or any group of people. Please visit lds.org if you want to read an accurate stance on lgbtq. Every Mormon is different but we all love the same.
I love how he can make amazing music, and an amazing role model
Humanity,love and truth is way bigger than community....
God loves Sinners but hates sins.
No one has right to judge anybody except God. Believe in God and most importantly stay away from toxic people.
Thank you for saying this. You are amazing. Well said
Yeah I remember at the evolve tour in Dublin he said "it's ok to have a therapist" and I don't know why but those words stuck with me even though I don't have depression or any mental illness.
I was Born into the Mormon church. Always knew I was gay. I couldn't relate to this more. It really spoke to me. I'm no longer Mormon though. It's full of inequality. The main reason I left wasn't my sexuality (although it was a huge factor) but the extreme sexism
Utah suicide statistics are related to much more than just Mormonism... that is incorrect information. Growing up in Utah a person committed suicide at my high school every year. This issue is something I am well informed of and it is unfair to those that struggle with mental illness in Utah to limit it to “ah well it’s because the pressure of Mormonism”. It is not only inaccurate but dismissive and naive when considering the tremendous struggle of those with mental illness. It is far more complex and if anyone truly wants to help those with mental illness then simplifying this complex issue is not the answer.
I've been studying this for a while. The CDC did a report, specifically in Utah, stating that Mormonism is a protective factor for some, and a risk factor for others (that logic can be applied to a lot of things). A recent study by the University of Utah showed that living at a high elevation can have neurological effects, such as impacting the brain's processing of neurotransmitters like serotonin, which contributes to mental illness. That doesn't mean living at a high elevation guarantees mental illness, but it can add to the risk in people already susceptible. Same thing with the dark winters that Utah is famous for, and the air quality. SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is very common in Utah, and anywhere else with dark winters.
Even though it appears that suicide and mental illness have spiked in recent years, it's not accurate or safe to limit it to one cause, you're right. There isn't one single cause for all of this, but a variety. If we just look at one thing, we may help some people but overlook important facts that could save others.
המילים שלך ייעלמו. הבית שלך ייעלם. השם שלך ייעלם. כל הזיכרון שלך ייעלם.
I'm so sad to hear his views on Mormonism. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints myself (Mormons are just a nickname we have), I understand that there are people within the Mormon church who are judgemental, ESPECIALLY in Utah where I'm attending BYU, but that is not a representative of the church as a whole. The suicide rate among Utah youth stems from the unkind way some members choose to treat others, not from the church. The church teaches our members to not shame or judge others for the way they live their lives. It doesn't mean we always agree with others, but the principle of agency is an essential principle of our doctrine. I'm originally from Buffalo, New York, and have many gay and lesbian friends who are not members of our church, as well as friends in the church, and I love, accept, and learn from all of them. Even though LDS doctrine does not accept the practice of gay marriage, we still love and accept all people, and welcome them all to join. I know many gay people who have chosen to remain in the church, and although it is most definitely a struggle for them as they can't act on their attractions, they have still found joy and acceptance in being a Mormon. Also, as a BYU student, I know that the honor code can be challenging at times, but the school is very clear on its rules and they're just what comes along with attending there. If someone disagrees with those rules, they don't need to attend the school. In addition, we acknowledge that it is completely normal to have doubts and encourage people to find answers for themselves and to not just accept doctrine blindly. I went through a period where I felt similar to Dan Reynolds and had decided I was going to leave the church, but I gave the faith one final shot and really strived to learn about the core doctrines of the church and have found true joy in following the teachings of Christ. It is a beautiful religion that has brought me true peace in this life.
Eliza Lahti I love and respect your comment so much. I'm LDS and feel the same way you do. I was inactive for seven years before I gave the gospel another chance. Reading through all the hateful comments is hard. I hate how so many people are ignorant of the true teaches of the gospel, all they focus on is the bad rap the LDS church gets.
Thank you for your comment
Love your comment. so true
I feel the same way you do. I also feel that we, as young Mormons, need to help shift our culture away from the "old" views on same sex attraction to a viewpoint of understanding and unconditional love. I hear the way my baby boomer father-in-law talks about gay people, and it makes me want to punch him in the face. The youth shouldn't feel like they would rather kill themselves than be gay. Making them feel that way by the way we treat them is NOT Christ-like.
Very well said! Thanks for commenting!
Love love Dan!!! True role model that makes the difference in the world
“He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.””
Matthew 22:37-40
Mormons aren’t required to go the BYU. They can go to any school they want. Most don’t go to BYU. When you decided to go to BYU you sign something saying you will adhere to the schools guidelines. If you don’t want to live by those guidelines/rules then go to another school. It is hard to get into BYU. They have to turn away so many that want to live by the rules. It is frustrating that people who don’t want to live those standards are saying they will then not living the way they committed to. Others desperately want to go there. He is acting like the victim when he knew the rules could have chosen a different school. Someone else could have had his spot.
Marianne Judd thank you for saying what I was thinking!
But isn’t it when you are growing in a Mormon family, your teaching was, study hard, for young men, go on mission at 19, come back if you are living in Utah, Idaho and Hawaii, you go to the BYU over there. Then get married have kids????? These are the teaching i have heard over the years.
leo chung nope. I am the only one of five kids to go to BYU. The rest went to other schools and one joined the military. My brothers didn’t even serve missions. And no one gave them a hard time about.
BYU has an acceptance rate of 48% so when you're saying that it's hard to get into you're just lying to yourself. That's 8 times higher than that of Harvard. Most likely you only have to pass all your classes in highschool and you'll get in.
Lovisa ivarson that is so far from the truth. You have to have a 4.0 or close. Check your facts. Look at what the average GPA and SAT scores of those who get in.
Dan signed an Ecclesiastical document before even starting at BYU that he promised not to engage in sexual activity while a student. It’s disappointing he acts like BYU did something crazy by expelling him. He also served a 2-year LDS Mission and was fully aware of the rules that are expected of when attending that school. He CHOSE TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY KNOWING WHAT HE’D BE EXPECTED TO LIVE BY.
Beautiful and perfect and normal! Yes!! What I've been saying since middle school. Seriously. I've always been cis, but some things are just obvious!
Its not FAITH that separates people, its RELIGION. If people can only see through one's faith and not one's religion, the world will be a better place.
When you attend Brigham Young University you sign the honor code, so everyone is completely aware of the consequences. No "Mormon" is forced to attend there.
Well said
This video and the point of this conversation are very important! Thank you Ellen and Dan.
This makes me sad. I wish there were more popular interviews being done on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their actual teachings/doctrine and statistics than stuff like this. This man, Ellen, and countless others have felt oppressed by certain religious groups, but there are countless others who find mercy, love, knowledge, and solace from these very religions. I wish they could seperate their painful and sometimes even scarring experiences from the churches. It's such a sensitive and difficult topic to address, but I wish people in their prospective religions would be more loving and caring for those who are different and those that do not practice the religions to be loving and understanding to those that do
The church is what's causing the damage. How can you separate that?