Produced and directed by filmmaker Adam Christing, the film will be released in the heat of a presidential campaign that includes Romney and is part of a movie-making trend of examining the history of the Mormon religion, which includes the forthcoming September Dawn, the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857, and PBS’s The Mormons.

Christing, who grew up in the Reorganized Latter Day Saint Church and is a member of the Mormon History Association, says he is not producing a “hit” piece or a “puff” piece about the Mormon Prophet. “This film may be upsetting to”anti-Mormons“because it shows what a generous man and visionary leader Joseph Smith was,” he noted. “It may shock some Mormons because it documents the untold story of Smith’s secret marriages to more than 30 women and his campaign for President which led directly to his murder in 1844.”

Christing who studied theology at Biola University in Los Angeles says his movies tend to focus on the intersection of faith and power. His most recent film Change Your Life! is a mockumentary about the wacky world of multi-level marketing, and is now in post production.

Romney’s candidacy has heightened interest in issues related to Mormons and politics and created what Christing calls a “focus moment.” “Focus moments are when events and ideas connect to create interest in a particular topic that may have been previously neglected,” commented Christing. “We experienced similar moments about Catholicism and Judaism when Kennedy and Lieberman ran for office. Because of Romney we are now in a focus moment about Mormonism. People are becoming very interested in the history of the Mormon church and its connection to the political culture of our nation.”

Christing promises to deliver a film that will be both educational and entertaining:

“This is a serious piece, but it will be very engaging,” he noted. “I’ve been fascinated by Joseph Smith’s story ever since I was a kid. Here’s a man who started a religion, built a city bigger than Chicago in its day, became a Master Mason, and ran for President. He packed more adventure into 3 years than most people experience in a lifetime.”