Dictates of Conscience: From Mormon High Priest to My New Life as a Woman

Laurie Lee Hall's growing up years were defined by the conflict between her physical condition as a boy and her inherent identity as a girl. Unable to explain or resolve her gender dysmorphia, she committed to living her adult life as a male. She became a member, devout leader, and chief architect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In her church and community, rigid adherence to gender roles is not only the norm, but the defining issue of a faith that doctrinally declares one's gender as an "eternal identity." Against this traditional backdrop, Hall finally received spiritual confirmation and personally accepted that she was transgender and always had been. In this remarkable memoir, Laurie Lee details how she risked everything to live true to her long-suppressed gender identity.

Through the power of lived experience, Laurie Lee's story affirms the reality of gender identity and the strength and joy of self-acceptance.