Romney speech touches on faith

By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor

Tampa, Florida (CNN) - In a few hours the spotlight will shine on Mitt Romney at the Tampa Bay Times Forum and in excerpts released of his acceptance speech the GOP presidential nominee is shedding light on his personal faith.

In the excerpts, Romney a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, plans to speak often of his faith although the excepts make no mention of the LDS Church or Mormonism by name.

But Romney, who has both led a Mormon congregation as a bishop and a regional group of churches as stake president, will speak to specific practices of his church and his experiences.

"Like a lot of families in a new place with no family, we found kinship with a wide circle of friends through our church. When we were new to the community it was welcoming and as the years went by, it was a joy to help others who had just moved to town or just joined our church," the excepts say.

A common practice in Mormon churches is to organize local congregants to help church members move, both in packing up at the old location and moving into the new one.

Convention’s Mormon speakers expected to shed light on Romney’s faith life

"We had remarkably vibrant and diverse congregations of all walks of life and many who were new to America. We prayed together, our kids played together and we always stood ready to help each other out in different ways," Romney also says.

Attendance at Mormon services is based on location as opposed to preference. Unlike many other denominations in the United States, there is no church-shopping among Mormons. Members are assigned to wards near their homes. As a result wards, or church meeting houses, can be much more reflective of the neighborhoods where they reside.

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"And that’s how it is in America. We look to our communities, our faiths, our families for our joy, our support, in good times and bad. It is both how we live our lives and why we live our lives. The strength and power and goodness of America has always been based on the strength and power and goodness of our communities, our families, our faiths," the campaign said Romney will also say.

Before Romney delivers his speech, other Mormons will be featured in the evening's events. Ken and Priscilla Hutchins, who served with Romney at the same ward in Massachusetts will deliver the invocation to begin the evening.

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