May 18, 2013
LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) --Mitt Romney is steering clear of the fight over gay marriage and talking about his commitments to his own family in a commencement address at a conservative Christian university.
The presumptive Republican nominee for president doesn't plan extensive remarks Saturday about his Mormon faith, a religion viewed with skepticism by some conservative Christians.
Instead, he will tell graduates at Liberty University that marriage is an institution that should be defended and will urge them to follow through on commitments to their own families.
Liberty University is the evangelical school in Lynchburg, Va., founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. For Romney, his appearance presents an opportunity to address the kind of socially conservative audience that had been wary of him during the prolonged GOP primary fight.
