SALT LAKE CITY -- Once considered a fringe candidate with bold positions, Texas Congressman Ron Paul is increasingly making a name for himself as a viable candidate to obtain the Republican nomination, garnering top votes in both Iowa and New Hampshire. As Paul's support around the United States continually increases, a coalition of members from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are making a case for Paul's nomination.

With presidential candidate Mitt Romney a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Paul's campaign recently announced new members of the "Latter-day Saints for Ron Paul" nationwide coalition, including Utahns Connor Boyack, author and political economist, and Darcy Van Orden, chair of the Utah Republican Liberty Caucus.

Paul's campaign organized the nationwide coalition as a way for members of the LDS church to consider another "conservative alternative to Mitt Romney and demonstrate that no presidential candidate has a monopoly on (the) crucial western states voter segment."

Romney, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, appears to have an early stranglehold on Utah and several of the surrounding states. In 2008, Romney easily won in Utah, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Wyoming, and would likely have done well in Idaho had he not suspended his presidential bid. Current state polls indicate a similar showing for the former Massachusetts governor, but Paul's support is continually growing.

Prior to the 2012 presidential election cycle, Paul's message failed to resonate with mainstream voters in 2008, with many casting him off as a fringe candidate opposing many Republican ideals. However, in 2012, Paul's message has attracted a significantly larger following, with many Republican candidates accepting long held positions of the Paul campaign, including U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Paul's message of Constitutional constraint and protection of liberty has many established Republicans looking into his message, with many now backing his campaign, including several members of the LDS church.

"As Latter-day Saints (Mormons), we strongly support the Constitution and revere the founding fathers of this country," Boyack said. "We are commanded in our scripture to seek out and support good, honest, and wise men for public office -- those who will support and defend the Constitution. In the 2012 presidential campaign, only one candidate clearly meets these criteria."

Although members of the LDS church are not called on to vote for a particular candidate, even with a practicing member running for president, many members support Romney's campaign. However, Boyack said LDS members should review Paul's record, saying his consistent voting record and principles of liberty should be a great reason for supporting Paul's campaign over fellow LDS member Mitt Romney.

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GOP presidential candidates on the issues

The following is only a brief understanding of where each candidate stands on the issues. An attempt has been made to provide as much information as possible.

"He, more than any other candidate, has repeatedly demonstrated an unwavering, consistent commitment to keeping his sacred oath of office," Boyack said. "Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would do well to seriously study the public record and personal life of Ron Paul, and take advantage of the wonderful opportunity we have to support for President our very own modern founding father."

"If there was ever a time in our nation's history to make a change in the trajectory of America, that time is now and the candidate to do it is Ron Paul," added Van Orden. "He is the only candidate who can roll back the unrestrained growth in the federal government, returning our nation to liberty and prosperity. Dr. Paul is a statesman who has inspired me to study the time-honored principles of freedom and recognize how great this nation can be once again as we embrace the Constitution, free markets, sound money, a strong national defense, and ending the Federal Reserve."

Boyack and Van Orden, along with two of Paul's campaign staffers who are also LDS, joined the coalition as national advisory board members. Boyack is the author of "Latter-day Liberty: A Gospel Approach to Government and Politics," which explores liberty and the Gospel's role in life. Boyack is also chair of the Utah Tenth Amendment Center.

Van Orden works as an advocate of states' rights and individual liberty, working with coalitions to support pro-liberty candidates.

For those wanting to join the "Latter-day Saints for Ron Paul" coalition, the Paul campaign encourages people to visit their official website.

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Monday night, Paul's campaign announced the endorsement of overstock.com President Jonathan Johnson, who will also join the "Latter-day Saints for Ron Paul" nationwide coalition.

"The federal government has run roughshod on the Constitution and now intrudes into too many areas of our lives," Johnson said. "Ron Paul's staunch adherence to the Constitution, defense of individual liberty and vision of a smaller government are the right prescription for our time."

Johnson made it clear the endorsement is personal and not an endorsement of the company or its affiliates.

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