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| - Jernigan was born on September 7, 1961, in El Campo, Texas, shortly after the family moved back to their Florida home. His parents were Curtis Edward and Barbara Jean Jernigan of northwest Florida. Siblings include Rodney Curtis Jernigan of Pace, Florida and Harold Arther Jernigan of Pleasant Grove, Utah. Jernigan was raised as an Evangelical Christian.
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| - Jernigan was born on September 7, 1961, in El Campo, Texas, shortly after the family moved back to their Florida home. His parents were Curtis Edward and Barbara Jean Jernigan of northwest Florida. Siblings include Rodney Curtis Jernigan of Pace, Florida and Harold Arther Jernigan of Pleasant Grove, Utah. Jernigan was raised as an Evangelical Christian. In 1980, he converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the urging of then close friend and mentor, President Spencer W. Kimball. Kimball hosted Jernigan at a regional conference presented in Jernigan's home state of Florida where he asked him to speak and share his testimony to the audience. According to LDS Church publications and speaches by Kimball, Jernigan was Kimball's example of "good missionary work." His controversial conversion to the LDS faith caused a much publicized rift between Jernigan and his staunchly Christian family. Jernigan's grandfather, Jacob H. Lowrey, was a General Presbeter and minister in the Assemblies of God Church based in Century, Florida. Shortly after Jernigan's two year missionary service in Utah he returned home and took a position as a part-time seminary teacher for the LDS Church, teaching doctrine and Church history to high school age youths. Jernigan later served as the Church's Public Affairs Coordinator for the North West Florida Area. During this time Jernigan attended classes at Pensacola Jr. Collage and the University of West Florida. Jernigan later relocated back to Utah and began attending classes at Brigham Young University in communications and began writing for several national magazines. Jernigan was also introduced to acting by a casting agent friend who cast him in the 1990 Dino De Laurentis film Desperate Hours. He was subsequently cast in a supporting role in the series The Boys of Twilight and then Po Boys before returning to his Florida home in 1994 because of family issues. In 1995, a television film was produced and broadcast by Four-Point Entertainment and the USA Cable Network titled Case Closed starring actor Stacey Keech, telling the story of the murder of Betty Martin, Barbara Jernigan's sister. The family participated in the production but was very critical of the final product when it was broadcast. In 1996, Jernigan and his family relocated from Florida to Utah where he took a consulting position in the LDS Church's Historical Department, working as a content writer and public affairs trouble-shooter, and a full-time position for the State of Utah. In 2010 Jernigan co-authored and published several controversial articles regarding LDS Church history including "Hitler and the Latter-Day Saints Papers," and "The Joseph Smith Confession Letters." After 2011 there is no more record of Jernigan's participation in the LDS Church. In 2016 Jernigan announced on a national Christian radio program that he had officially left the LDS faith and came out as a gay man. During the very emotional show several of Jernigan's celebrity friends called into the studio to lend their support. One caller, actor Ezra Miller, (Justice League) told Jernigan and the listening audience that he had nothing but Love and respect for his friend for his example of bravery.
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