Devout

Losing My Faith to Find Myself

De: David Archuleta, Paula Abdul - introduction

Narrado por: David Archuleta

Featuring three new songs from David Archuleta making their exclusive debut on this audiobook!

A raw and powerful coming-out story from the beloved American Idol finalist traces David Archuleta’s journey from closeted Mormon teen to global pop star to openly queer man, revealing the hidden pressures of fame, the weight of religious expectations, and the courage it takes to live authentically.

At just seventeen, David Archuleta rose to national fame as the runner-up on American Idol season seven, captivating millions with his angelic voice. Behind the scenes, however, he was struggling with a truth he feared would destroy everything: he was attracted to men—and a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In Devout, David takes you inside his deeply personal journey as a closeted Mormon teen turned international pop star, torn between faith, fame, and identity. From dealing with the pressures of being on a hit television show to a domineering father who controlled every aspect of his career—even being banned from the show’s set—David reveals the emotional abuse and inner turmoil that he says plagued his childhood.

This searing memoir reflects on David’s ventures with American Idol, a tour with Demi Lovato, and a two year sabbatical as a missionary in South America, charting his path through heartbreak, estrangement, three engagements, thoughts of suicide, and finally, his courageous decision to leave the Mormon Church in order to live authentically as a queer man. Featuring never-before-seen photos, Devout is a must-read for fans of pop culture, American Idol, and anyone deconstructing their religious upbringing, or who’s ever wrestled with who they are versus who they’re told to be.

Narrated by the author, the audiobook features three new songs coinciding with themes from his memoir—"On Purpose," "Old and Young," and "Stay"—that David was inspired to cowrite along his journey and performs for the very first time only on the audiobook of Devout!

Loved

Loved David's vulnerability, oftentimes leaving my jaw dropped! I'm so proud of the man you have become!!! it been an honor to witness you finding yourself 🌈🔥

Honest and Courageous

Loved this book! So raw and vulnerable. So many lessons and such a great overall message of taking back your power.

Openly articulate

David shares his life as he sees it at this point. I appreciate his vulnerability. Although there are no disclaimers about mental health triggers, his experience being his own alone, or church criticism, I hope the reader can hear his story without offense, regardless of religious activity. I hope the reader can understand his feelings and experiences as he recounts them.

I have personal reasons for being grateful David has shared his experiences, particularly as a queer young person raised in his former religion with very little to no nuance in his upbringjng or his internal understanding of its tenants. For these reasons I can't say he opened my eyes to anything he discussed except his own story, well, and a little into the music industry in America, at least as far as it is connected to reality TV. I am grateful to be able to hear all he shared, including his great new songs. (Tears welled.) I pray for safety and a life aligned with his greatest joy and growth for the author and those closest to him.

Honest and interesting

Narration is excellent. David is a brave man for telling his story. He explains well his former religion and why he had to leave it.

Wow!

I remember young David in American Idol. I vaguely remember hearing about his dad and headlines here and there. I remember feeling sad if rumors were true bc it’d be so sad to have a parent like that and, if rumors were false, to see your parent being dragged and feeling powerless to fix it.

The book is so well written. The stories are so flowy I couldn’t stop listening to the book so I finished it really fast. David’s story has touched my soul so deeply. I have followed his life journey from afar and I feel so happy for where he is now. I have felt like his songs have been getting better and better which now I understand from the book that they align with his journey to reach his authentic self.

I ugly cried as I was approaching the end of the book. It was a mixture of empathetic grief from having the same sinking and gut wrenching realization that the church I loved and dedicated so much for was not what it professed to be, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I also cried because of my queer family members who were so devout to the church and later left. I realized that if David’s experience with his faith was so similar to mine in the overall experience, then my extended family members’ experience in being queer in the church was probably similar too. How alone they must have felt. Shame and sadness took over me for not seeing it sooner so I could be there for them.

Lastly, I ugly cried thinking about my own child. Since he was 3 I have had a feeling he is a rainbow child. As the yrs have gone by (he’s now 12) I’m 80% sure he is. I was so worried about how I’d teach him the importance of the gospel while honoring who he is. I was so naive to think it’d be possible. So I ugly cried thinking about my child not having to go through an existential crisis because he thinks he is a sin.

I’m deeply grateful for David’s courage to be raw and vulnerable so his story can touch us all in the places inside us that need to be touched so we can be better to ourselves and those around us.