▁bring ▁understanding ▁or ▁em path y ▁to ▁divis ive ▁issues . ▁ ▁While ▁not ▁always ▁official ▁church ▁positions , ▁his ▁statements ▁illustrated ▁his ▁candid ▁views ▁as ▁a ▁leader ▁within ▁the ▁L DS ▁Church . ▁ ▁Political ▁parties ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁J ensen ▁was ▁sent ▁by ▁the ▁First ▁Pres iden cy ▁to ▁give ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁the ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁Trib une ▁in ▁reaction ▁to ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁First ▁Pres iden cy ▁statement ▁and ▁to ▁explicitly ▁state ▁that ▁someone ▁could ▁be ▁a ▁dev out ▁M orm on ▁and ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party . ▁He ▁l ament ed ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁Ut ah ▁Democratic ▁Party , ▁and ▁reg rett ed ▁that ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party ▁might ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁the ▁" ch urch ▁party ". ▁He ▁felt ▁that ▁good ▁L atter - day ▁Sain ts ▁will ▁have ▁conflicts ▁with ▁either ▁party ' s ▁platform , ▁from ▁which ▁they ▁must ▁select ively ▁pick ▁and ▁choose . ▁ ▁Com ing ▁from ▁a ▁church ▁official ▁on ▁assignment ▁from ▁the ▁First ▁Pres iden cy , ▁the ▁comments ▁surprised ▁many ▁prominent ▁Ut ah ▁polit icians ▁and ▁L atter - day ▁Sain ts . ▁ ▁The ▁M orm ons ▁( P BS ) ▁J ensen ▁featured ▁prom in ently ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁P BS ▁document ary ▁The ▁M orm ons . ▁His ▁March ▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁interview ▁prob ed ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁subjects , ▁including ▁some ▁controvers ial