Mitt Romney addresses a touchy subject about his religion [View all]

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http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2012/0421/Mitt-Romney-addresses-a-touchy-subject-about-his-religion

Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer says Mitt Romney’s family 'came from a polygamy commune in Mexico.' That’s not the whole story about Romney’s Mormon ancestors, but it forces him to talk about his religion, which he’d rather not do.


By Brad Knickerbocker, Staff writer / April 21, 2012



Mitt Romney’s religion, a subject he prefers not to talk about so far in the 2012 presidential campaign, inevitably comes up in political discourse. It did again this week in a way that forced him to respond.

Discussing the likely Republican presidential nominee's difficulty in attracting Latino voters, Montana's Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer, pointed out that Romney’s family “came from a polygamy commune in Mexico.”

Mr. Romney is Mormon, descended from English converts to Mormonism who immigrated to the United States in the 19th century. The denomination (also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) encouraged polygamy or the taking of “plural wives” by Mormon men until the practice was officially ended in 1890.

At a time when Mormonism was under attack in the United States, resulting in state and federal legislation against polygamy, some Mormon groups – including Romney’s ancestors – fled to Mexico where they were able to continue the practice until the Mexican Revolution forced them to return to the United States.

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