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David Archuleta on Faith and Coming Out

Ryan Welch / Robert Ascroft

David Archuleta became famous at 17 years old, when he was a finalist on “American Idol.” He joins us to talk about his new memoir,  coming out as gay and about leaving the LDS Church.

During Archuleta’s time on “Idol,” no one knew about his sexuality, and he wanted to keep it that way. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, after all, which forbids its members from same-sex relationships. And besides, Archuleta believed in the Church; he didn’t want to be gay. But when it finally came down to choosing between embracing his authentic self or ending his own life, Archuleta says he received a deep spiritual impression — that there was nothing wrong with him. In the end, he left Mormonism behind. We'll hear from him about his journey from closeted teen, to pop star, to a man confident in who he really is.

David Archuleta will be appearing at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. The event is sponsored by The King’s English Bookshop. You can get the details here.

GUEST –

David Archuleta | He’s a singer and songwriter. In 2008, he was a runner up on the seventh season of “American Idol.” His new memoir is called “Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself.” [Amazon|Bookshop]

Airdate: Feb. 26, 2026, and Feb. 27, 2026

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