[5] Professionally, Jensen was an attorney in private practice in Ogden, Utah, specializing in business and estate planning.

Not a trained historian or academic, Jensen brought a passion to his work; reading widely, gathering scholars, and implementing changes.

In January 2012, it was announced that, after a transition period, Steven E. Snow would replace Jensen as the Church Historian and Recorder later in the year.

LDS Church practice is to release Seventies from service following their 70th birthdays, which Jensen had observed in May of that year.

He felt that good Latter-day Saints will have conflicts with either party's platform, from which they must selectively pick and choose.

[11] Coming from a church official on assignment from the First Presidency, the comments surprised many prominent Utah politicians and Latter-day Saints.

[32] On February 13, 2008, Jensen urged the Utah State Legislature to show compassion in considering laws that would affect undocumented immigrants.

[34] Several bills were under debate to block undocumented access to jobs and public benefits, such as in-state tuition and driving privilege cards.

[35] On behalf of the First Presidency[36] at Westminster College's Interfaith Dialogue on Immigration, Jensen said lawmakers should "take a step back" since this "deal[s] with God's children" and "a more humane approach is warranted".

On May 5, 2008, Jensen officially responded to Timothy Egan's New York Times op-ed piece which claimed that FLDS polygamy "is a look back at some of the behavior of Mormonism's founding fathers".

[37] Jensen strongly disagreed and pointed out that by 19th-century norms a 15-year-old bride was not unusual nor considered abused and the "common-law marriage age for women was 12".

After several recounted their painful experiences, Jensen responded with empathy and a personal apology, saying, "To the full extent of my capacity, I say that I am sorry ....

"[27][39] At the invitation of Utah State University professor Philip Barlow, Jensen held a "Q&A" with a Mormon Studies student group on November 11, 2011.

Jensen responded that top church leaders "realize that, maybe, since Kirtland we've never had a period of, I'll call it apostasy, like we're having right now, largely over these issues."

He said a new church initiative would give answers to troubling questions, and such issues should be discussed more openly with the new internet-savvy generation.