GOP rivals have different takes on Mormon faith

Elder L. Whitney Clayton, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, a council of worldwide Mormon leaders, said in an interview that strength of religious conviction among individual Mormons varies, but those who are active tend to be firmly grounded in the faith - he said he had never heard the term “cafeteria Mormon’’ or anything similar.

But, he said, “it’s not like we have belief police running around.’’

“The only place where we’d really draw a line is when members have feelings and beliefs that are at odds with what we officially teach and begin to talk about those feelings and beliefs in a way that is a hindrance to the operation of the church,’’ he said.

A “Mormon Stories’’ gathering in Salt Lake City this summer vividly illustrated the difficulty some Mormons encounter in negotiating what conference organizers called “an open approach to Mormonism.’’ A number of participants broke down in tears as they described the conflict they felt between their attachment to, and differences with, the church.

“There is something about the community and the tradition,’’ said one woman who spoke. “Something you can’t wash out.’’

How Huntsman’s less orthodox Mormonism will affect him politically remains unclear. Romney, for instance, has faced skepticism from some evangelical Christians who are uncomfortable with his Mormonism.

In Huntsman’s case, some political observers believe his more moderate approach could help him in a general election among socially progressive independents who associate Mormonism with conservative politics. But the GOP primaries come first, and it is less clear that evangelical Christian voters who have theological differences with Mormons will find Huntsman’s brand of Mormonism reassuring.

“That probably helps in Boston; it doesn’t help down here,’’ said J. David Woodard, a political scientist at Clemson University in South Carolina, whose early Republican contest draws a heavy evangelical turnout. “They respect you if you’re Catholic, if you’re Jewish, if you’re Mormon. But if you’re kind of postmodern-spiritualist, then you’re really in trouble.’’

Kenneth Foster, a communications professor at the University of Utah, thinks most voters will miss the nuance altogether.

“To the outside world, which knows nothing about Mormonism, how are you going to delineate ‘I’m a sort-of-active Mormon?’ ’’ he said. “We can’t even delineate that internally. It’s going to be, ‘Are you, or are you not?’ ’’

Lisa Wangsness can be reached at LWangsness@globe.com.