What if the U.S. president were a Mormon?

SANDY — What if the president of the United States were a Mormon?

If the scenario were true, Peter Watkins says, members of the media would scrutinize his tax returns and wonder why 10 percent went directly to his church. Devoting three or more hours to church meetings and other duties, home teaching and national coverage of Sister Johnson's sacrament meeting talk might turn some heads. General conference would be a major media event. Attending the temple would become complicated.

And think of the possible political satire. "Saturday Night Live" would have a field day.

The U.S. president is typically the most newsworthy person on the planet, so imagine if he were a Mormon. Picture his 14-person entourage following him into church, said Watkins.

"Interest in the church would be off the charts," Watkins told hundreds gathered recently for the 12th Annual Mormon Apologetics Conference. "If a Mormon gets elected to the White House, there would be exponential exposure. People that don't know Mormons now will, if not personally, one could be in the White House."

The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, which sponsored the conference, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of Mormon doctrine, belief and practice.

Watkins, who graduated from the University of Utah with a communication degree, gained his unique political perspective while serving former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush in various media related capacities over a five-year span, including as White House spokesman and deputy press secretary to the first lady. He also served as the primary media liaison, from the White House to foreign embassies, during visits of foreign heads of state or government.

As an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and returned missionary who served in Italy, he came to realize the challenges a Mormon president might face.

"I had a unique perspective of something that could potentially be the biggest thing that ever happened to the church from a public perception standpoint," Watkins said.

The president of Watkins Global Strategies, a strategic communication consulting firm in Salt Lake City, shared two experiences from his time in Washington, D.C., to illustrate his points and perspective.