“I’ve tried for almost 20 years to try and change myself until I realized God made me how I am for a purpose. And instead of hating what I have considered wrong I need to see why God loved me for who I am and that it’s not just sexuality.”
David Archuleta
To his millions of admiring fans, singer-songwriter and actor David Archuleta, appears to have an ideal life. At age ten he won the Child Division of the Utah Talent Competition. A few years later he was the Junior Vocal Champion on Star Search 2. When he was sixteen he became the youngest contestant on American Idol, where he came in second place in the seventh season. Since then he has had a successful music career that has included several songs on both US and international charts, sold-out concerts, and various awards.
Archuleta’s achievements are not limited to music. He is very active in several nonprofit organizations including Do Something, Childfund International, Invisible Children, and Direct Relief. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), he put his career on hold so he could spend two years as a missionary serving the people in Chile. He is the embodiment of Jesus’ admonition to “love one another.”
Privately, however, David Archuleta was dealing with an internal struggle that often seemed overwhelming. He had a very deep and strong faith in God, but he was also attracted to men. Leaders of the LDS Church have taught for years that homosexuality is a sin next to murder, an offense that would result in excommunication. So Archuleta fought his feelings for nearly twenty years. “I always felt like my feelings were different, starting from a younger age, and I just thought maybe I need time to figure this out and I’ll be able to understand this better or work it out,” he said. “I didn’t really want to be honest with myself, because I was always embarrassed, and really, I was ashamed to feel that way. Just growing up in a religious household, the idea was, ‘Oh this isn’t OK. It’s not right.’”
After going through a crisis of faith while breaking up with a girl he had been dating, Archuleta got to a point where he finally realized he couldn’t fight who he was anymore, he had to be honest with himself. He described the process of accepting himself for who he is, stating that it was through prayer that he came to realize he could be both a true disciple of Jesus Christ and be a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.https://www.youtube.com/embed/kP988yIvSV8?feature=oembed
He was worried that if he came out publicly, he would be ostracized by many of his fans who are Christian. He was also afraid he would not be accepted by many in the LGBTQIA+ community due to the horrible way they have been treated by many people who claim to be Christian. In June of 2021, he overcame his fears and came out in an Instagram post to let others who are trying to reconcile their faith with their sexuality, know that they are not alone. He wanted to share what he had discovered. God loves them for who they are.
“Thanks for being you David. You’ve always been a light my friend but I think you just started shining brighter.”
Kris Allen