We are all going to be learning about the Latter Day Saints, should Mitt Romney gain the nomination. One side benefit of a Mormon candidacy for the president would be sustained attention to a fascinating religious group, comprising a distinctive thread in the American tapestry. To be blunt, this is a group of people who stick to traditional values and thrive brilliantly. Their success speaks for itself, epitomized by Romney himself. The more people who look closely at the Mormons, the better off we will be. There are implications to be drawn, and nothing teaches like example. Work hard, be thrifty, save, give, emphasize family, and have kids are values that transcend any one religion.

Over and over, he [Smith] assured the committee that he had no intention of dictating Smoot's votes in the Senate--until, eventually, Theodore Roosevelt stepped in and swung the balance in Smoot's favor.    ...

[The Church] explicitly releases Mormon politicians from compliance with the church's political positions. According to the church's website,

"Elected officials who are Latter-day Saints make their own decisions and may not necessarily be in agreement with one another or even with a publicly stated Church position. While the Church may communicate its views to them, as it may to any other elected official, it recognizes that these officials still must make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent."