--- description: In this week's cover story, Jon Meacham looks at how Romney's identity was shaped by his Mormon roots. To illustrate this formative time in the presidential candidate's life, we turned to a surprising photo found in the archives. title: A Young Mitt Romney's Other Mission: Romance image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3c8d7f8a1cec6eb2/69879f8f2dce017b729df91e/146562.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) ## LightBox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Young Mitt Romney's Other Mission: Romance  by [Paul Moakley](/author/paul-moakley/)  ## Paul Moakley Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 27, 2012 12:00 PM CUT  Romney in France circa 1968\. He made a series of photographs for Ann with the help of his friends while serving as a Mormon missionary in France. Romney in France circa 1968\. He made a series of photographs for Ann with the help of his friends while serving as a Mormon missionary in France.Courtesy of Mitt Romney  by [Paul Moakley](/author/paul-moakley/)  ## Paul Moakley Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 27, 2012 12:00 PM CUT Before there was Romney the presidential candidate, there was Romney the romantic. In this week’s cover story, Jon Meacham looks at how Romney’s identity was shaped by his Mormon roots. To illustrate this formative time in the presidential candidate’s life, we turned to a surprising photo found in the archives that shows the rarely-seen personal side of the candidate. On a recent cover shoot I asked Romney about the image and found out that around 1968, while serving as a Mormon missionary in France, a young Mitt made several photographs with the help of his LDS friends. He described how the photo was taken, explaining that it was playfully staged for his high school girlfriend and soon-to-be wife, Ann Davies. Romney revealed that the photo is actually one of a series made during his time abroad. The pictoral gesture worked. Davies joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prior to marrying Romney in 1969, only months after Romney returned to the U.S. The pair later attended Brigham Young University before settling in Massachusetts, where they raised five sons together. [_Paul Moakley_ ](https://twitter.com/paulmoakley "undefined")_is the Deputy photo editor of TIME._  Romney in France circa 1968\. He made a series of photographs for Ann with the help of his friends while serving as a Mormon missionary in France. 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