Larry Fisher, a former bishop and regional public affairs director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, knows dilemmas faced by ward members can be tough.

    One of the toughest is homosexuality.

    “The church is very concerned with every individual,” Fisher said. “This is an issue that isn’t going to go away.”

    In a sign that LDS Church leadership is increasingly aware of the conflict between church doctrine and members who have strong feelings for someone of the same sex, a new website has been launched at www.mormonsandgays.org. The name of the site is “Love One Another: A Discussion on Same-Sex Attraction.”

    Perspectives shared on the new website include those of Dalin Oaks and Todd Christenson, members of the LDS Twelve Apostles.

    “Reconciling same-sex attraction with a religious life can present a dilemma,” church leaders wrote on the site. “Anyone who lives in both worlds can attest to this difficulty. But with faith, love and perspective, it can be done.”

    Fisher said the purpose of the website and the effort by church leaders to reach out to the gay community within LDS circles is simple: it is to break down barriers and look at solutions.

    “We have to reach out to them and let them know we love them,” Fisher said.

    The regional spokesman for the church was just 35 years old when he became a bishop and Fisher is candid about the learning curve that comes with helping people get through a variety of personal problems.

    “I gained an education when I became a bishop,” Fisher said. “There are a lot of challenges out there.”

    Fisher said one of the major responsibilities the bishop of a ward faces is to gain the confidence of his membership.

    “A bishop needs to get to know his members so they are comfortable discussing matters with him,” Fisher explained. And if a bishop feels overwhelmed he can reach out to professional church social and family services.

    Homosexual feelings and conflicts were among those issues and Fisher said having church leadership reach out and provide support is helpful to all members of the church.

    “They may not have understood it (homosexuality) as much as they should have or could have,” Fisher said about general membership.

    Pocatello resident Phil Shephard agrees that it is time the church made a move to lessen tensions with gay membership. Although Shephard comes from a large LDS family, he never committed to the church. He’s openly gay.

    “I think it’s high time,” he said about the effort to communicate with homosexual church membership. “I think it’s good news.”

     On its new website, church officials have made it clear that church doctrine still holds that matrimony is strictly between a man and a woman and that the “Law of Morality” still holds for faithful Mormons. However, the issue of feelings is acknowledged.

    “Same-sex attraction itself is not a sin, but yielding to it is,” the website states. “However, through repentance Jesus Christ will offer forgiveness.”

    LDS leadership also states in the website that gay and lesbian members who are not in same-sex relationships can have “full fellowship in the church.” This includes holding the priesthood and participating in temple rituals reserved for members “in good standing.” Church officials also state there will no longer be pressure for gays to “marry those of the opposite sex.”

    Fisher sees the approach taken by LDS church leadership as a positive force for helping members who struggle with personal issues.

    “The church really wants people to know that we believe every person is a child of our Heavenly Father,” Fisher said. “We’re there for them.”

    Although Shephard is not interested in joining his family’s tradition of being LDS, he said, “The church has always been about families and they’re just growing their family.”