Charles W. Dunn, dean of Regent's Robertson School of Government, said in Rhode Island's Providence Journal that "Romney must negate America's anti-Mormon prejudice, especially among evangelical Christians" in part by "following the Kennedy script that the best defense is a good offense ...."

And Newsweek contributing editor Kenneth Woodward wrote in an op-ed piece in the New York Times last month that "Romney faces ignorance as well as fear of his church and its political influence" from liberals as well as evangelicals and must "be their teacher, whether he likes that role or not."

There are advantages to taking advantage of what Woodward calls "the presidency's Mormon moment" to address negative views about the LDS Church that he said are held by many Americans, such as the clannishness and secretiveness of its members, as well as about how much authority the head of the church would have over an LDS president.

"The reason to do it early is to get it behind everyone," said Kirk Jowers, director of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics and a Romney supporter. Then the focus can shift from religion to which candidate is best qualified to be president, Jowers said, a discussion that shouldn't include religion.

Plus, Jowers said, an audience of evangelical Christians would be ideal. Especially because of their sway over the Republican vote. "That is the audience leading up to the primaries that seems to talk about it the most, the influence that the Mormon Church may or may not have," he said.

So, just as Kennedy chose an audience of Southern Baptist leaders to talk about why the country should be able to elect its first Catholic president without concern, Romney may want to deliver the same message about a Mormon president to evangelical Christians.

But there are also good arguments against making such a speech Saturday.

"It's not obvious that speech ever needs to be given," Jowers said. None of the other multiple Republican and Democratic candidates are being pressured to pledge they won't be beholden to their church leaders.

"Maybe everyone would hope the country has evolved beyond that kind of speech at this point," Jowers said. "Giving that speech potentially allows everyone to discuss it, parse it, and dissect it. ... There could be nervousness this elevates religion beyond what it should or needs to be."

Romney has another commencement address scheduled, at Hillsdale College in Michigan, founded by Freewill Baptists in 1844. Romney's father, the late George Romney, served as governor of Michigan and himself was a GOP presidential candidate in 1968.

And another top-tier Republican presidential candidate is also set to appear at Regent University. Next month, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will speak at an executive leadership series luncheon.

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