"We've seen many of those people who are marrying, who have become bishops and stake presidents," and many of those who sought help early on "are now exerting themselves much more in the process" of reaching out to others with similar struggles through Evergreen, Pruden said. "It's no longer controlled by theoreticians" with no personal understanding of what is helpful and what isn't.

Top LDS leaders have advocated compassion more heavily in recent years, stating that those with homosexual tendencies may participate in the faith's most sacred ordinances if they live church standards, which prohibit homosexual behavior. A lengthy discussion on the topic by Elders Dallin H. Oaks and Lance B. Wickman was recently posted quietly in the "newsroom" section of the church's Web site — www.lds.org — under the tab "same gender attraction," though there was no indication of that posting on the main Web page itself.

Evergreen's goal now is for every person to be successful in dealing with their feelings while living LDS standards, Pruden said, whether that means eventually changing orientation or simply learning how to cope with unwanted homosexual tendencies.

That approach seems to fall in line with that of other large ministries whose focus has become one of compassion and providing resources, supporting the idea that a change in orientation is possible while recognizing that people will ultimately make their own lifestyle choices

Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, told the Deseret Morning News on Thursday that his organization — dubbed the world's largest evangelical Christian ministry on gender issues — hears from thousands of clergy each year who are trying to "reach out with a compassionate heart to those who are hurting. Our message is you don't have to know a whole lot about homosexuality to reach out in compassion and kindness. All you have to do is have a heart for people, and we're seeing pastors in churches coming into that."

In years past, such ministries were "afraid to give any credence toward the argument that (homosexuality) could be genetic. Today, we don't think there is any harm in saying we're genetically made people — it's something that factors into our development."

While Chambers believes scientists may one day find a conclusive link between genetics and homosexuality, "in my opinion, that will never be something that forces someone to be gay or straight. Far more goes into it than just that," including developmental and psychological factors that have already been definitively linked to sexual orientation.

Chambers, who said he overcame his own unwanted homosexuality, was Evergreen's keynote speaker on Friday. He believes that no matter how sexual orientation develops, "the fact is people who are highly motivated and want to find a way out can. ... Often activists try to prove that people can't change, and on the other side you have some Christian ministries trying to derail the genetic argument.

"We need to come to some common ground. People have the right to choose how they want to live their lives. I didn't choose to feel gay, but I did choose to overcome it," he said. "I think it's important to support what science brings about. And if a scientific link to genetics is proven someday, that doesn't mean we can't change."

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E-mail: carrie@desnews.com