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In the News

Mitt Romney, Mormons and South Carolina

In a state where the GOP base is largely composed of evangelical Protestants, presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints became an issue in the 2008 campaign. So far in 2012, the story is different.

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Jan. 11, 2012

Mormon missionaries Jacob Martin, left, and Shea Sego, right, attach their bikes to a stop sign before proceeding on foot in Camden, S.C. As part of their mission, Sego and Martin go door to door spreading the word of the Book of Mormon. Mormons say in the South particularly, it can be difficult to highlight their "otherness."

Jeff Blake / For The Washington Post

Mormon missionaries Shea Sego, left, and Jacob Martin shake hands with Willie Fair Sr. after knocking on his door in Camden, S.C. Sego and Martin have visited with Fair at least a dozen times since September, and Fair is now considering converting from Baptist to Mormon. Compared with 2008, the issue of Romney's Mormon faith has been subdued.

Jan. 11, 2012

Mormon missionaries Shea Sego, left, and Jacob Martin shake hands with Willie Fair Sr. after knocking on his door in Camden, S.C. Sego and Martin have visited with Fair at least a dozen times since September, and Fair is now considering converting from Baptist to Mormon. Compared with 2008, the issue of Romney's Mormon faith has been subdued.

Jeff Blake / For The Washington Post

Mormon missionary Jacob Martin, left, reads aloud from the Book of Mormon while visiting with Willie Fair Sr. in Camden, S.C. Many Mormons in South Carolina say faith should not be a factor in voting.

Jan. 11, 2012

Mormon missionary Jacob Martin, left, reads aloud from the Book of Mormon while visiting with Willie Fair Sr. in Camden, S.C. Many Mormons in South Carolina say faith should not be a factor in voting.

Jeff Blake / For The Washington Post

The Book of Mormon sits on a coffee table. Minority religious groups have been growing in South Carolina, leading, some Mormons hope, to a greater tolerance of other faiths.

Jan. 11, 2012

The Book of Mormon sits on a coffee table. Minority religious groups have been growing in South Carolina, leading, some Mormons hope, to a greater tolerance of other faiths.

Jeff Blake / For The Washington Post

Mormon missionary Jacob Martin, left, and Willie Fair Sr. kneel to pray in Camden, S.C., a town about a half-hour from Columbia that has a Mormon church.

Jan. 11, 2012

Mormon missionary Jacob Martin, left, and Willie Fair Sr. kneel to pray in Camden, S.C., a town about a half-hour from Columbia that has a Mormon church.

Jeff Blake / For The Washington Post

Mormon missionaries Jacob Martin, left, and Shea Sego ride their bikes in Camden, S.C. Mormons in South Carolina frequently have stories of getting cold shoulders from neighbors when people learn of their faith, but this year's primary may be a sign of growing tolerance.

Jan. 11, 2012

Mormon missionaries Jacob Martin, left, and Shea Sego ride their bikes in Camden, S.C. Mormons in South Carolina frequently have stories of getting cold shoulders from neighbors when people learn of their faith, but this year's primary may be a sign of growing tolerance.

Jeff Blake / For The Washington Post

Camden, S.C., residents Michelle Swails, her husband Derick Swails and their daughter Hailey Swails, 8, are Mormons. Michelle Swails says she believes Mormonism is less likely to be a factor in this year's presidential primary than in 2008, if only because everyone is focused on improving the economy.

Jan. 11, 2012

Camden, S.C., residents Michelle Swails, her husband Derick Swails and their daughter Hailey Swails, 8, are Mormons. Michelle Swails says she believes Mormonism is less likely to be a factor in this year's presidential primary than in 2008, if only because everyone is focused on improving the economy.

Jeff Blake / For The Washington Post

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