The Mormons

Gr 9 Up-The religion of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints is explored in this documentary through interviews with church members and historians as well as reenactment footage. The film begins with the religion's founding by Joseph Smith and covers the dark times of 19th-century persecution, the Mormons' exodus across the Great Plains, and the political turmoil against the United States as the Mormons attempted to create independent religious communities in the Utah Territory. Church leaders address controversies of the religion's past, including polygamy, and also explain some of the faith's unique concepts. The production sheds light on a group of people not well known to many viewers and presents their struggle for the right to practice their faith against an historical backdrop of intolerance and violence. The ample running time affords the opportunity for many viewpoints in the interviews, including elders of the church, student missionaries, converts from Ghana, as well as former members who were excommunicated for offenses ranging from questioning church history to practicing homosexuality. Production values are excellent with good picture and sound. The male narration is clear and easy to understand. While the length of the film makes it impractical for a classroom setting, there are many issues that would make good topics for group discussion, such as the balance between the separation of church and state and the protection of the individual's right to practice a religion. This documentary brings the Mormon experience to life and would be a good addition to religious studies collections.-Ryan Henry, Daviess County Public Library, Owensboro, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.