Meet the Mormons

This is a documentary made by Mormons about Mormons. So naturally it is designed to leave the audience with a favorable taste in its mouth toward the religion. Given those expectations it's not nearly as preachy as you might expect. It is fascinating to see the way in which Mormons tell their own story. The stories of the 6 featured people in the documentary could probably be told about good people of any other Christian faith. The question the film seeks to answer is why these intelligent, normal, believing people choose to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and not some other Christian denomination.  The production value is high and there are some breathtaking settings, particularly the segments from Costa Rica and Nepal. The narrator's script was sadly weak and trite. It might have been better altogether without any narration at all. The greatest measure of this film though, is the state of mind you leave with. Did I want to be better because of the message I felt in this film? Absolutely. Overwhelmingly. I want the absolute selflessness of The Candy Bomber and The   Humanitarian. My life would be much richer with the hope and resilience of The Missionary Mom. And that is exactly what I was hoping to get from Meet the Mormons.

I brought my wife and kids to this movie hoping to give my kids a broader view of the world, and the people who live in it. This movie was excellent, highlighting the stories, and lives of six ordinary people from around the world, who have done amazing things just by being good. They didn't set out to be amazing, they just choose good. These people also happen to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ or Latter Day Saints (or Mormons).

I, and my children, came away realizing that the daily choices we make can have great effect. That acts of good can touch others and have a profound effect on their lives. I do not agree with some critics that this was a movie trying to convert me to Mormonism. I think that the church wanted people to realize that their members are normal people trying to be good. That accomplished that goal, in an inspiring movie that made me want to help others in the world.

MEET THE MORMONS was directed by Blair Treu who has done some work for Disney and did the 2001 feature film LITTLE SECRETS, which Ebert & Rooper gave "Two Thumbs Up!" I mention this film because I absolutely loved it and have wondered from time to time what future films Blair Treu would do. What he has done with MEET THE MORMONS is to create an insight into the lives of several members of the LDS faith in different parts of the world. The documentary is beautifully recorded and he has captured his subjects in a meaningful way that lets the viewer feel the wonder of having faith in God and striving to to use that faith in raising a good family and of serving mankind. Professional critics will find fault with it for not addressing beliefs of the LDS Church that non-members don't understand, but that's not what this film is trying to do. Members of the Mormon Church are not members of some cult group -- they are Christians who are trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ -- and their stories are as varied as each person is different. The film lets us share the lives of six different families who each meet the challenges of life by serving their loved ones and enriching lives of people they come in contact with. Members of the Mormon Church will be inspired by this film and people who know little or nothing about the LDS Church should feel a love and kinship with the people shown because they are men and woman striving to live good lives and serve their fellow-man. Blair Treu and the talents behind the camera have done a magnificent job of visually sharing the lives of some interesting people.

Meet the Mormons is a 2014 American documentary film directed by Blair Treu and produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The film documents the lives of six devout Mormons living in the United States, Costa Rica, and Nepal. The LDS Church donated all net proceeds from the theatrical release of film to the American Red Cross.

The film features Jermaine Sullivan, "The Bishop", and his family. Sullivan is an African-American who is an academic counselor at the University of Phoenix. He was bishop of a ward in Atlanta, Georgia when the film was made, and now serves as a stake president. The film also covers Sullivan's wife and children. Darius Gray was among the associates of Sullivan interviewed.

"The Coach", Ken Niumatalolo, head football coach at the United States Naval Academy.

"The Fighter", Carolina Muñoz Marin, an MMA fighter from Costa Rica who had a chance to go pro international, but she and her husband decided it would separate their family too much.

"The Humanitarian", Bishnu Adhikari, a man from Nepal, with a degree in engineering who is the country director for Choice Humanitarian in Nepal. The organization works to improve the living situation in rural parts of Nepal.

"The Candy Bomber", Gail Halvorsen.

"The Missionary Mom", Dawn Armstrong, her story is chronicled from the birth of a son when she was a teenager, abandonment by his biological father, meeting her current husband - who had both her oldest son and her deceased next oldest son sealed to him when they were married in the temple, to her oldest son leaving to serve as a mission.

It is good to be a Mormon and to respect and estimate every person and every religion from Judaism To Islam.

Full disclosure: I'm a Mormon.

I saw Meet the Mormons over the weekend and I really enjoyed it. The idea of the movie is to showcase a few individuals who are faithful members, showing what their daily life is like and how their choices are affected by living the gospel. So in that sense it is rather like an extended set of "I'm a Mormon" vignettes. Having said that, there are some pretty remarkable stories told here.

For myself, the introduction felt a little awkward to me--it wasn't a really smooth transition into the vignettes. But that is alleviated by showing a number of humorous clips and comments about Mormons from various shows.

Rather than digging into the doctrines of the Church's faith, what I believe the show is really trying to put across is that the very basic tenets of faith, love, service, fellowship, and family are the driving day-to-day forces in a Mormon who is honestly living their religion as best they can. And the vignettes show that in spades.

Especially for a first theater release from the LDS Church, I am very impressed and would recommend this film to others. I hope they make and release more feature films.