POLITICO's Reid Epstein reports:

Confronted in Howard, Wis., by a Ron Paul supporter about a Book of Mormon passage that says dark-skinned people were cursed, Mitt Romney used the episode as an opportunity to discuss work he did as a bishop for his church.

"I guess a lot of people say that your Mormon faith cannot be a concern in the election. But I think, it might be, as well as I found these verses from the Mormon book. Moses 7:8 says," said Bret Hatch, 28, of Green Bay, before he was cut off by a Romney aide.

"Why don't you give me a question," Romney asked. But Hatch continued: "Ok, well, in the Mormon book it says there were a blight cast on all the children of Canaan.”

Romney cut him off again. “I’m sorry," he said. "We’re just not going to have a discussion about religion in my view, but if you have a question, I’ll be happy to answer your question.”

Hatch then asked, "Do you believe it’s a sin for a white man to marry and procreate with a black?”

Romney answered with a curt: "No, next question."

Eight minutes later, the former Massachusetts governor returned to the subject of Mormonism on his own volition while answering a question about how he will seek to connect with "average Americans."

“I’ve had an unusual experience," he said. "This gentleman wanted to talk about the doctrines of my religion. I’ll talk about the practices of my faith. I had the occasion in my church to be asked to be the pastor, if you will, of a congregation. And I’ve served in that kind of role for about 10 years. And that gave me the occasion to work with people on a very personal basis that were dealing with unemployment, with marital difficulties, with health difficulties of their own and with their kids.”

UPDATE: The lines Hatch cited is from the Pearl of Great Price, a separate piece of Mormon scripture, and not from the Book of Mormon. The LDS church in 1978 changed its policies on race, allowing men of all ethnic backgrounds to become church bishops and serve in positions of authority.