Huntsman says his Mormon church membership is 'tough to define'

Still, Monson said, Huntsman may end up having to be more specific about his relationship with the Mormon church, given the attention paid to Romney's faith in the last election.

"I'm not sure if he can successfully become less overtly religious enough as a Mormon to do away with some of the bias we saw," Monson said. "We'll have to see."

It's not the first time Huntsman has been vague about his religious beliefs. 

Last year, a Fortune magazine interview that appeared on CNNMoney.com, called Huntsman's Mormon "soft," unlike his more devout family. His father, Jon Huntsman Sr., is an Area Seventy and his grandfather was the late Apostle David B. Haight in the LDS Church.

"I can't say I am overly religious," Huntsman is quoted as saying by Fortune. "I get satisfaction from many different types of religions and philosophies." 

Huntsman also said then that his children attend Catholic schools, and his adopted daughters come from different religious cultures, one Buddhist, the other Hindu.

Kirk Jowers, head of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics and a longtime Romney supporter, said it's too early in the race to judge Huntsman's comments on religion.

"Huntsman is a very spiritual man and certainly is respectful of a lot of the world's religions and ideas," Jowers said. "It's always difficult for candidates to discuss such personal issues. If you profess your religion too loudly, people will call you self-righteous."

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

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