A Mormon President, a documentary produced by filmmaker Adam Christing, recently completed principal filming and is scheduled for a 2008 release. Christing hopes that his film will help modern Americans understand the history of the Mormon Church and the relationship between Joseph Smith's candidacy for the Presidency in 1844 and how it is shaping current events including Mitt Romney's run.

As a result of the presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney, the Mormon Church, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has been under scrutiny and millions of Americans have become increasingly interested in the Church, its history and beliefs. And Hollywood has not been far behind. Two films in particular, September Dawn and A Mormon President, have garnered attention for their respective takes on the Mormon question.

September Dawn, released on August 24 and starring actors Jon Voight, Trent Ford and Tamara Hope, is set against a backdrop of historical events involving the early Mormon Church and the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

In contrast, the film A Mormon President, produced by filmmaker Adam Christing was made as a documentary rather than a feature film and includes on-location shooting at historical landmarks and interviews with Mormon leaders and secular historians -- all to help insure the accuracy of the film. The goal of the film is to offer sound biographical information on the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith and his run for the presidency. It has become, in addition, an exploration of anti-Mormon feeling in America.

"I want to give each viewer as much information as possible and avoid biased testimony on both ends," said Christing, who studied theology at Biola University, "I'm not here to slander or demean any person or faith. I wouldn't dismiss the Mormon Church for what happened at the Mountain Meadows Massacre just as I wouldn't dismiss the Catholic Church for the Crusades or The Inquisition. Nevertheless it is important to understand the tides of history and the only way to understand Mitt Romney and his run for the highest office in the land is to go back to the roots of his faith and the first Mormon to run for president, Joseph Smith." Christing, who is not a Mormon but a member of the Mormon History Association, is getting heat from both Evangelicals and Latter Day Saints. Conservative Christians fear that he is going soft on Mormonism. Mormons worry that he is attacking Joseph Smith's character.