At the urging of their church leaders, Latter-day Saints were vigorous proponents of Proposition 8, the California campaign to outlaw gay marriage. Members in California and Utah gave about $16 million and the church itself, nearly $300,000. A backlash of protests, which were directed in part at Utah, seemed to baffle the church.

And while Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman, who is Mormon, this year endorsed civil unions and related rights, his position was very nearly drowned out by the inflammatory remarks of a state legislator.