David Archuleta on his transformation from Mormon church boy to out & proud gym bro: “I feel great”

I go to a lot of EDM festivals. Because you want to find somewhere where you feel community and where you’re connecting with something that’s bigger than you.

Going to these festivals and things that I was told were so vile and dark before, it’s actually, this really beautiful experience. It’s so reminiscent of religion to me because you’re going into a common place, all connecting to one thing and sharing that moment with everyone. You feel this oneness together. 

And so it’s interesting that when you’re in a church, you’re told that it can only happen there. If you go anywhere else, it’s scary. It’s dangerous. But you go there, and it’s like, oh, actually, I can have this as an experience very similar to the church experience where they told me that I couldn’t. I felt like that was interesting.

The gym as well. I like going to places where I’m there for myself and my own improvement and my own health, taking care of myself, but being around other people who are like-minded.

The gym has become my new place that I used to devote to church time and to religion and religious study classes, Bible study classes. Now, I work out. It’s been really great. I feel great. It’s a great confidence boost for me, for sure. 

Going out dancing has become a new thing for me. I’ve really loved that, too. I mean, my mom used to go out dancing a lot when she was younger, and even when she was already a mom, she would still go out every weekend because that was her release, her stress relief. 

Being Hispanic especially, I feel like dancing is just in your blood. To move to the music and connect it feels so great. I just love it.

David Archuleta speaking to Paper on the spiritual aspects of going to the gym and dancing at music festivals since coming out & leaving the Mormon faith.