Relaunching Mormon Cinema

On Richard Dutcher's Classic: God's Army

Mormon Cinema: Origins to 1952

Mormon cinema is an obscure niche even for most Mormons.

The definition of what constitutes Mormon cinema is itself disputed.

Nevertheless, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I enjoy a wide variety of Mormon films and videos, some of my favorites of which include:

• Man’s Search for Happiness

• Greater Love

• Johnny Lingo

• The Last Leaf

• The Pump

• How Rare a Possession

• Together Forever

• Labor of Love

• The Testaments

• New York Doll

• The Other Side of Heaven

• The Best Two Years

• The Saratov Approach

How Rare a Possession

I recently watched the Mormon movie that in many ways launched or relaunched Mormon cinema, namely Richard Dutcher’s classic God’s Army. God’s Army is the story of a young missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Allen, and his companion Elder Dalton. As LDS missionaries in Los Angeles California, Elders Allen and Dalton learn to do good together and to lead souls unto Jesus Christ. God’s Army is a powerful film that doesn’t shy away from sensitive and controversial topics such as blacks and the Priesthood (see here), abuse (see here), excommunication, father and son relationships, prostitution, doubt, disease, cancer, and death.

There are many great scenes in God’s Army that are just as relevant today (if not more so) as they were when the film was released in 2000. One thing that impressed me about the film is that Dutcher includes scenes with prayers offered in the name of Jesus Christ, testimonies of the Book of Mormon and the Standard Works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, baptisms, and even Priesthood blessings and healing miracles:

• Missionary group prayer

• Companionship prayer

• Breakfast prayer

• Scriptures and prayer

• Personal prayer

• Father in Heaven

• Prayer with Investigator

• Baptism

• Healing blessing

Sister Fronk and Elder Allen

I enjoyed the conversation between Elder Allen and the beautiful Sister Fronk about the three greatest books ever written, because Sister Fronk mentions the book that we are currently reading in the Provo Great Books Club (see also here and here): Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. I also enjoyed Sandoval the Lamanite’s rebuke of Hollywood.

If you ever want to catch a glimpse of what it is like to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or if you just want to watch the film that launched or relaunched Mormon cinema, I recommend Richard Dutcher’s God’s Army. In fact, after watching God’s Army and reviewing other LDS films and videos, I think that it may be time for another relaunching of Mormon Cinema.