My People: His God Wouldn't Let Him Leave His Gang | Gordon Laws

My People: His God Wouldn't Let Him Leave His Gang (also subtitled in some prints as He tried to leave his gang, but God wouldn't let him) is a 2001 short novel written by Gordon Laws and featuring photographs by Bradley Slade.

Published by Brigham Young University, it is the first entry in a planned series titled Novels for the Next Great Films.

Synopsis

The story centers on a Mexican-American gang leader living in a gritty, violent urban barrio. His life takes a drastic turn when he undergoes a profound spiritual awakening and joins the Church (specifically implied to be The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, given the publisher).

Rather than offering a conventional, neatly wrapped redemption story where conversion instantly solves all worldly problems, the book explores a much more complex dilemma. God does not allow the protagonist to simply walk away from his old life or abandon his dangerous neighborhood. Instead, he is forced to stay behind to shoulder a sense of deep responsibility for his friends and fellow gang members who are still trapped in a cycle of street violence.

The core narrative follows his internal and external struggles as a character caught between two completely opposing worlds, trying to live his new faith while remaining embedded in his gang.

Core Themes

Complex Conversion: Religious faith does not immediately erase past environments or systemic struggles.

Responsibility to Community: The protagonist is driven by a spiritual obligation to help lift others rather than escaping alone.

The Reality of Barrio Life: A grounded, raw depiction of street life and gang culture.