For Beltway Mormons, Religion Key

Whether or not Mitt Romney straps the dog onto the family car and heads down to take up residence in the White House after this year, there are already a good number of Mormons who hold prominent government positions, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. Across the Potomac from the capital, the town of Crystal City is sometimes colloquially known as “Little Provo” for the number of young Mormon professionals who have settled there. And while the number of Mormon political professionals in Washington is not disproportionate to the 2 percent of the population who claim to be adherents, many say that their faith helps drive their interest in civic involvement.