The Utah delegation is quick to point out that religious fidelity is no indicator of whether a member of Congress will be a Republican. And on that point, they defend Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, a faithful member of the LDS Church who also takes up liberal causes as the Senate minority leader.

And Utah's Bennett, a Republican, refers to Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., as one of the most religiously observant members of Congress for whom he has tremendous respect. And there are many other Democrats who are active in their faiths, many of whom lead a bipartisan Senate prayer group.

"I would never say that Democrats cannot be believers," said Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah.

But while there are exceptions in every sample, the Republican members of the delegation have noticed the trends, in Congress and at the voting booths, that indicate religion has become increasingly important, and that those who practice their religion tend to vote more conservatively.

Bennett points to 2004 exit polls that showed the historic economic distinction between Republican and Democratic voters has largely disappeared. Now, he said, the demographics show that single people, those without children, those who don't regularly go to church and those who live in areas where the population is stagnant or declining are more likely to vote Democratic.

Those who are married with families, who go to church and live in growth areas are more likely to vote Republican.

"Those results describe the state of Utah," Bennett said, adding that the dominance of Republicans in the Beehive State has "less to do with the Mormon Church and is more a reflection of a normal national trend."

'Mind-set and philosophy'

But Washington, D.C., is a melting pot of religious faiths and philosophies, and religious beliefs remain topics typically shared in private discussions with other members of Congress rather than in committee hearings or in floor debate.

"The most frequent discussions of religion come at dinners where people sit next to me," Bishop added. "They know I am Mormon, and they want to sit next to me so they can have my alcohol, too."

Bishop, who still teaches Sunday School in Brigham City every weekend, said the House is a diverse bunch when it comes to religion, with some members being overtly religious, some quietly spiritual and others clearly secular.

"What you don't hear is speeches where the religious vocabulary is used," he said.

The Utah members say they do not wear their religion on their sleeves, even though most other members know of their Mormon faith. And they freely admit religion does play a factor in how they cast their votes.