About Us

Evergreen is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but we sustain the doctrines and standards of the Church without reservation or exception. Our Board of Trustees usually includes one or more emeritus General Authorities and we continue to build relationships with Area Presidencies and other Church leaders. Upon request, we provide training to hundreds of stake and ward leaders each year.

Evergreen International, Inc. is not directed by any public or private mental health-care agency or individual, nor does it claim to have any professional training or licensing. Evergreen is not a clinical therapy program, espouses no curriculum or specific therapeutic approach, and assumes no liability for any individual's emotional or physical well being. Any information provided on this Web site or by us in other communications is for the purpose of providing what we believe to be accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is provided with the understanding that Evergreen International, Inc. is not engaged in rendering clinical, therapeutic, or other professional service. If clinical or therapeutic advice is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Mission Statement

Evergreen attests that individuals can overcome homosexual behavior and can diminish same-sex attraction, and is committed to assisting individuals who wish to do so.

Evergreen provides education, guidance, and support to those involved in the transition from homosexuality, and is available as a resource to family, friends, professional counselors, religious leaders, and all others involved in assisting individuals who desire to change.

Evergreen sustains the doctrines and standards of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without reservation or exception, but is not affiliated with the Church. Evergreen welcomes all people who wish to participate in the pursuit of these goals.

What Help Does Evergreen Offer?

Referrals

Evergreen provides referral information on support groups, therapists, and other organizations available in your area. Our computer database is the world’s largest listing of resources that can help in the area of same-sex attraction. Experience shows that individual counseling is critical to overcoming problem areas that might otherwise go unresolved. Only licensed professionals who adhere to Evergreen's philosophy are included on our list. 

Thousands of people contact us by phone, e-mail, or through the Web site. E-mail messages are answered either in English or Spanish.

We have over 50 affiliate support groups for men, women, spouses, friends, and family. Most are in the United States, although a growing number are in other countries. We maintain contact with group leaders, assist developing groups, and provide guidelines and support materials. Click here for a list of the groups.
 

Resources

• Printed information. We provide over a thousand information packets yearly and sell more than 1,500 books and other materials each year. See the bookstore. We also have other materials in 20 languages, most of which appear in the language pages of this Web site. Contact the office to obtain printed copies. If you have the skills to translate, review, or proofread other languages, please let us know. We also publish a newsletter, The Journey, six times a year. We also publish other written and audiovisual materials. We are always looking for articles and ideas, as well as the help of qualified editors and graphic artists.
   
• Web site. The Web site gets more than 100,000 hits a year. It provides a wealth of information about overcoming same-sex attraction, including current events and personal testimonies. You can order books and other educational materials on the site. The content of the site is being translated into many languages.
   
• Independent writing. We encourage independent writing in magazines and books, and have assisted individuals get many books published in both English and Spanish.
   
• Library. Evergreen is the home of the John and Vera Eccles Library, a collection of nearly 500 books, articles, research papers, and audiovisual materials. We encourage people to donate items and to use it for individual study and research.

Education

• Conferences. Evergreen sponsors an annual conference in September in Salt Lake City, Utah, with world-renowned speakers. These conferences are attended by about 500 men and women strugglers, therapists, church leaders, and family and friends. Click here for information about the next conference.
   
• Seminars and firesides. We also present regional seminars and workshops throughout the year as needed. Firesides featuring local and national speakers are held every few months in Salt Lake City and in other areas. Check the Web site often for current events.
   
• Speaker's bureau. We maintain a list of people who are available to speak at group meetings, workshops, or Church meetings.
   
• Training for Church leaders. Our Board of Trustees usually includes one or more emeritus General Authorities and we continue to build relationships with Area Presidencies and other Church leaders. Upon request, we provide training to hundreds of stake and ward leaders each year. If your ward or stake would like our assistance, please contact us.
   
• Training for Therapists. Evergreen offers training for professional counselors and organizations. Contact us for more information.
   

What Does Evergreen Stand For:

We support personal choice

Many people who experience same-sex attractions (SSA) choose not to act on those feelings and not to embrace a gay identity. In many cases, they also choose to affirm and develop their heterosexual desires and pursue their dream of raising a family. We respect and affirm their choice.

We support the individual's right to know

We do not seek to force our viewpoint on anyone, to tell others what they "should" do, or to shut down others' voices. We do work to raise awareness of alternatives to living a homosexual life–alternatives that many have found to be positive, life-affirming, and congruent with their values, morals and beliefs. We support freedom of information.

We support client self-determination

Individuals conflicted over their same-sex attractions have the right to decide whether to seek counseling or therapy, what kind of counseling to seek, to be made aware of all alternatives, and to determine the desired direction of their own therapy program. Professional organizations should enhance rather than inhibit the client's right of self-determination.

We advocate tolerance

Individuals who have transitioned out of a former gay identity and lifestyle, or who choose to pursue alternatives to homosexuality, deserve tolerance and acceptance. Their choices should not subject them to discrimination, ridicule, or marginalization, or make them the target of hate speech or accusations of homophobia. Demands for tolerance by one group can never justify intolerance or ridicule of another.

We advocate policy neutrality

All branches of government should avoid actions or decisions that would inhibit free speech about, or the practice of, freely chosen alternatives to homosexuality. Of particular concern are laws regarding hate crimes and sexual orientation that may be construed to make it illegal to promote or even speak about alternatives to homosexuality.

We claim equal access to public forums

We claim equal access to public forums to state our viewpoint, share our experience, and to raise awareness of alternative responses to a gay identity and lifestyle. This is particularly vital in cases where public schools address the issue of sexual orientation.
 

History

The next spring, this small group sponsored a conference to publicly attest to their belief and hope. The conference received national and international media coverage, and group members were invited to appear on the Phil Donahue Show, Larry King Live on CNN, and various local television and radio programs. This prompted public debate over the possibility of growth out of same-sex attraction. It also inspired interest in those who felt the truth of the principles promoted by Evergreen, and participation grew even more.

Support groups were formed for men and women struggling with homosexuality. Groups were also formed for spouses and for family and friends of those struggling. In 1992, the name Evergreen International was adopted as the name of the organization.

From this small group, Evergreen has grown to an international organization with affiliates in locations throughout the United States and in many other countries. Click here to see a list of affiliates. Read a history compiled in 2005. Read the history published at Evergreen's 20th anniversary.
 

Organization

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Evergreen International, Inc. Their responsibility is to see that the organization is run in a professional manner on the corporate level. They do not usually become involved in the affairs of individual participants or affiliate units. Members of the board include current and former participants in Evergreen, mental health-care professionals, business leaders, and others.

Administrative Staff

The staff has the responsibility to support the work of the organization, provide for support activities to meet the needs of individuals within the organization, handle public relations, plan events (such as conferences and seminars), develop and distribute publications, conduct research and development, and develop and co-ordinate volunteer work (upon which the organization heavily depends). The Executive Director oversees all staff and administrative functions.
 

Privacy Statement

We are committed to protect your privacy. When you order materials from us, shipments are made in opaque envelopes or boxes. We do not sell or trade customer information to anyone, whether it is your personal information or the fact that you are a customer. 

We share your concerns for privacy and security of personal information. Since information is the cornerstone of our ability to provide you with exceptional customer service, our most important asset is you our customer. Keeping customer information secure, and using it only as you would want us to, is a top priority for us. Evergreen International restricts access to personal information about you to those employees who need to know that information to provide products or services to you or your family. We also maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information. Here is our pledge to you:

• We will safeguard any information you share with us according to strict standards of security and confidentiality.
• We will limit the collection and use of your information to the absolute minimum we require to deliver appropriate levels of service to you.
• We will permit only authorized individuals, who are trained in the proper handling of customer information, to have access to your information.
• Whenever we hire other organizations to provide support services, we will require them to conform to our privacy standards and to allow us to audit them for compliance.
• We will not reveal your information to any other external organization unless we have previously informed you in disclosures or agreements, and have either been authorized by you or are required by law to make such disclosure.

We collect and use information necessary to administer our business and provide you with exceptional customer service. We collect and maintain the following types of nonpublic personal information needed for these purposes:

• Information we receive from you on your orders.
• Information we receive from you in letters, telephone calls, e-mails, visits to our office, etc.
• Information we may receive from you when you visit our Internet Web site.
• Information we may receive from other third parties.
• Information we may receive from credit reporting companies, bureaus, or agencies.

We may disclose certain information about you without your prior permission with persons or companies that are not affiliates of Evergreen International as permitted by law for purposes such as:

• To your attorney, trustee, or anyone else who represents you or has a legal interest in your transactions with us.
• To our attorneys, accountants, and auditors.
• To law enforcement agencies or other governmental authorities to report suspected illegal activities.
• To others as permitted or required by law.

Terms of Use

Your access to and use of this site is subject to the following terms and conditions and all applicable laws. By accessing and using this site, you accept the following terms and conditions, without limitation or qualification.

Unless otherwise stated, the contents of this site including, but not limited to, the text and images contained herein and their arrangement are the property of Evergreen International, Inc. All trademarks used or referred to in this website are the property of their respective owners. Materials with copyright not held by Evergreen International, Inc. are so labeled and use of such must be handled through respective owners.

Materials may be reproduced for incidental, noncommercial church, home, or educational use with the exception of Web site use, provided that you do not modify the material in any way and you keep intact all copyright, trademark, and other proprietary notices. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the copyright owner reserves sole discretion and right to deny, revoke, or limit use, including reproduction. Nothing contained in this site shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to any copyright, patent, trademark or other proprietary interest of Evergreen International, Inc. or any third party.

This site and its contents are provided "as is" and Evergreen International, Inc. makes no representation or warranty of any kind with respect to this site or any site or service accessible through this site. Evergreen International, Inc. expressly disclaims all express and implied warranties including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. In no event will Evergreen International, Inc. be liable to any party for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, consequential, or other damages (including, but not limited to, lost profits, business interruption, loss of programs or data) without regard to the form of action and whether in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise, arising out of or in connection with this site, any content on or accessed through this site or any site service linked to, or any copying, displaying, or use thereof.

You are responsible for complying with the laws of the jurisdiction from which you are accessing this site and you agree that you will not access or use the information on this site in violation of such laws. Unless expressly stated otherwise herein, any information submitted by you through this site shall be deemed non-confidential and non-proprietary. You represent that you have the lawful right to submit such information and agree that you will not submit any information unless you are legally entitled to do so. Because of the open nature of the Internet, we recommend that you not submit information you consider confidential.

Evergreen International, Inc. maintains this site in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. and you agree that these terms of use and any legal action or proceeding relating to this site shall be governed by the laws of the State of Utah without reference to its choice of law rules. If you attempt to bring any legal proceedings against Evergreen International, Inc., you specifically acknowledge that Evergreen International, Inc. is free to choose the jurisdiction of our preference as to where such action against us may be held. As you have agreed by using this site to choose the laws of the State of Utah to govern any such proceedings, we will probably choose to defend any such action in Utah and we can make this decision entirely as it suits us, without regard to where in the world you are located, or from where in the world you visited this site.