A Mission Accepted

The mindset that shapes Mitt Romney's candidacy was formed in 1968 during his mission in France: One does not merely strive for leadership; he is called to it through prayer and circumstance. (Courtesy Of Romney For President)

George did not win the Republican presidential nomination, and Romney has looked back on that loss often during his own campaign. Almost 40 years later, the son has examined his father's experience and found an invaluable lesson about how and why a candidate should run.

"You know, my dad's political experience was driven entirely out of a desire to serve," Romney said. "I knew Dad was far less concerned about winning or losing than he was about expressing what he thought was right.

"There's no question that's my same philosophy. This is about getting my message across and having people understand what I think America needs to do. I'll make my message loud and clear. Of course, to be elected president would be an enormous honor. But not to be elected would be an enormous relief."

* * *

On the same day in 1968 that Duane Anderson said goodbye to Romney and flew home to bury his wife, Joseph Fielding Nelson packed a large suitcase in Geneva. Church officials had asked Nelson, president of the Mormon mission there, to provide adult supervision in Paris. He planned to stay in France for at least a week, maybe 10 days, to motivate missionaries after the tragedy.

On the evening he arrived in Paris, Nelson met with Romney and McKinnon to talk about what needed to be done. The next morning, Nelson repacked his suitcase and traveled back home.

"They didn't need me," he said. "Mitt just gave off the general impression of total confidence and calmness. He knew exactly what he was supposed to do."

In their mission-home living quarters, Romney and McKinnon considered their new responsibilities. The mission home was a four-story mansion, tended to by cooks and housekeepers who needed to be paid. Many of the 200 missionaries in France had not been contacted by mission headquarters since the uprisings began in May. Each missionary worked with a companion, and partnerships needed to be shuffled and redrawn. Homesick missionaries needed counsel. Others needed religious guidance. A dozen church members had left telephone messages with questions and requests.

Each day, McKinnon compiled a mental to-do list of 50 things. If he worked without stopping from daybreak until midnight, he found that he could accomplish about 25.

"I saw this great burden, like we've got to just batten down the hatches and hope for the best until President Anderson gets back," said McKinnon, who was a more experienced missionary than Romney. "And Mitt just thought, 'Wow, this is going to be great. We've got a real opportunity here.' He probably thought I was a real drone, a real ball and chain around his neck. It was just a completely different attitude."

Romney had thrived during his mission by defying convention and sometimes bending the rules to get results. Most of his peers in France had grown up in Utah, the bedrock of Mormonism, but Romney was comfortable in the presence of outsiders. He had attended a private school as the lone Mormon in his class and watched his father serve alcohol to visitors. He had become adept at explaining his faith -- and defending it.