Faith, a complex and personal phenomenon

By Stephen Stromberg The Washington Post Sunday, February 25, 2007

Religion, as the truism goes, is far more influential in American politics today than it was in the 1960s...A candidate's faith, like that of an L.A. high school student or anyone else, is ultimately a complex and personal phenomenon, even in the context of a highly centralized religious organization. My experience in Mormon congregations across the country has taught me that it is impossible to tell precisely how individual Mormons will apply their religious principles to their professional lives. And beyond encouraging hard work and honesty, the church itself is hardly definitive on the subject. Stephen Stromberg is a member of The Washington Post's editorial page staff.