A relation of Mormon presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, is manager of the recently opened LifeWay Christian Store not far from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) headquarters in Salt Lake City.

Robert Romney, whose late father was a cousin and childhood playmate of the man seeking the Republican nomination for the 2008 election, told Lifeway.com that the new store he oversees is "an oasis in the desert for Christians here."

The store in Murray is the only LifeWay outlet in the state, where the Salt Lake Baptist Association has 32 churches, most of which have less than 100 members. The store stocks additional resources on world religions, especially Mormonism, to help other customers share their faith with LDS members.

"Stores like this help us reach out to nontraditional markets where there are not a lot of Southern Baptists," David Pigg, director of western region store operations for the 143-strong chain told Lifeway.com. "This is a mission field in a sense and we have a great opportunity to reach a lot of people for the Lord. That's our goal. That's really the heart of the staff here."

Robert Romney's parents were involved with the LDS church before making commitments to Christ. A LifeWay Christian Store employee for nine years and manager for three, Romney said that he saw the new store-relocated from its former location in Ogden-as "a mission opportunity."

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