The LDS Church's mission is "to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ," LDS spokesman Scott Trotter said Friday. "As a church we are politically neutral and have instructed our missionaries to focus on that mission and to respectfully decline any invitations to discuss politics."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bans all political discussion from its pulpits and young missionaries are not allowed to read newspapers or watch television, so they may not even know of the intense political debates swirling about them. They likely know little about Romney's candidacy or positions on issues.
But curious people probably ask them about it every day, says Ron Scott, a Boston-based journalist who has followed Romney's campaign closely. "I'm sure it's in their face everywhere they go."
Scott served a two-year LDS mission to New England from 1965-1967, while Romney's father, George Romney, made his abortive attempt to win the White House.
"I talked about his dad when I was on my mission," Scott said. "I was quite proud to talk about his dad. He was my personal hero. He was everything I wanted to be."
Scott and his missionary colleagues set up a street display in college towns, asking people what they knew about famous Mormons.
The King Sisters was a Mormon singing group touring the country at the time, and Lorraine Day was a well-known actress.
George Romney was on the list.
Today's missionaries cannot mention Romney, arguably the most visible Mormon in the country.
''If I was a missionary now, I'd talk about Mitt,'' Scott said. "It will not hurt the church's tax status unless some silly mission president instructs his charges to talk up Mitt's candidacy."
