LDS affirms neutrality on Romney and others

That story focused on efforts to explain the church's doctrine, whether Mormons are Christians or a "cult" as some have charged, and to counter the unrelenting questions about polygamy, which the church formally disavowed in the 19th century.

David Campbell, a political scientist at the University of Notre Dame, penned an op-ed piece for last Monday's edition of USA Today (see related opinion section story, above left) that takes on a topic frequently discussed by national media of late — the similarity between Romney's candidacy and that of a former U.S. senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy, whose Catholicism became an issue in the 1960 presidential race until he was able to issue a strongly worded statement disconnecting his decision-making from that of the Vatican.

A BYU undergrad and Harvard Ph.D., Campbell told the Deseret Morning News he regularly fields questions from reporters about the comparison between the two. He said the church's statement reflects the fact that "this is delicate and uncharted territory for the church," whose mission "is not focused on getting Romney elected. And I think the leaders are concerned that individual members are going to forget that."

Like the Catholic Church, the hierarchical structure of the LDS Church raised questions about both Kennedy's and Romney's ability to be free of that influence. Yet, the LDS Church "gives a lot of wiggle room to its members — more than many members realize," Campbell said.

With the expanded statement, he sees top church leaders concerned about how the faith itself is perceived and how it operates, and not as an attempt to help Romney along. "I'm inclined to believe this is genuine," he said. The church "walks a fine line. It's issued a statement but has not made it (widely) public. They don't want to direct too much attention to the fact that they have to say it in the first place."

Ron Hrebenar, chairman of the political science department at the University of Utah, views the church's statement differently, saying it plays well into Romney's attempt to persuade his fundamental constituency — the Christian Right — "that he would not be a puppet," he said.

LDS leaders have been "fairly oblivious to those kinds of issues in the past. If Romney becomes president, it's of enormous value to the church. It's one of those statements that try to help Romney out, I suspect," Hrebenar said.

Hrebenar said the question is not whether the church's statement plays well to a particular crowd, because skeptics won't believe it no matter who says it. Detailing the church's position likely will have its greatest impact on moderates, "and that's not the group Romney has to win over," Hrebenar said.