The Work and the Glory II: American Zion

Author Gerald N. Lund wrote a series of novels about the founding and expansion of Mormon Church entitled "Like a Fire is Burning." The Work and the Glory: American Zion is the second part in what will be a trilogy of films based on Lund's novels. American Zion is the Empire Strikes Back of the Mormon Church, if you will. But in all seriousness, religion or no religion (and I'm personally of no religious persuasion), it's a well-done, well-made, superbly-acted film that's a lot better than a majority of the crap that comes out of Hollywood these days.

The prologue briefly discusses everything that happened in the previous film, so even if you didn't see The Work and the Glory (Part 1), you can still jump into this movie and more or less figure out what's going on. In Part 1, the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith (played by a brooding-but-gorgeous Jonathan Scarfe… am I going to hell for calling a prophet hot?) forms the Church of Latter Day Saints. In American Zion (Part 2) we witness their brutal history of oppression and learn why the Mormons kept migrating west. Everywhere they went, they were attacked, threatened, and forcefully removed. It's gut wrenching to watch. Men are whipped or covered in boiling tar, while women and children are sent on death marches through the snow. The early Mormons experienced a fate similar to the Native Americans and the Jews.

Look, I'm not Mormon, but this is a great movie. Every character is believable and the story really does suck you in. After seeing the first two films, I'm now totally invested in this story. And it ends on such a cliffhanger that I honestly can't wait to see the next film – The Work and the Glory: A House Divided. This is top-quality historical drama, and any movie lover can enjoy it, not matter what their religion.