September Dawn in theaters May 4th (moved to June 22)

To see the movie trailer, you will need Quicktime Player installed on your computer.

http://septemberdawn.net/trailer_medium.html

This movie is about the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the role that the Mormons played in it, particularly what Brigham Young had to do with it. Based on and inspired by actual events, this movie will also portray the temple endowment ceremonies, washings and anointings, the temple clothing,and reveal the signs and tokens given the saints in 1857. There will be major fallout from this movie, as thousands of non-Mormon, and never-Mormons see it, and connect it to the current LDS church, and the Fundamentalist Mormons living in Southern Utah. The fact that the LDS church has hidden this from its members, and downplayed Brigham Young's involvement, and even outright denied any blame for this massacre, (which coincidentally happened on Sept 11 by the way) is not going to help the current members remain faithful to their church and to their belief that Brigham Young was a prophet of God.

In my small town, when the Da Vinci Code came through here, the Catholic church printed information sheets and distributed them out to attendees, (after attempting to thwart its viewing by purchasing all of the seats available so that no one would be able to view it). The result of their involvement was to cause this movie to play an ADDITIONAL week!!! Boy, I really hope to see this movie played here in my home town. I wonder what the members will do here in this state so far removed from Utah, where it is UNLIKELY to see the light of day. Maybe they will try the same tactics here, purchase up all the seats, distribute information setting the record straight, etc. The thing about this is: it is based on historical events, diaries and first hand accounts of those who lived there and were subject to the rule of Brigham Young. It is NOT "poetic license". It is not a fabrication of events. 120 men women and children REALLY died and Mormons really participated in it. The only thing that can possibly be spun about this historical event is the WHY it happened. I can't WAIT to see how the Mormon church tries to justify the murder of women and children over the age of 8. (viable witnesses) The rest of the babies were adopted by Mormon families, and the whole mess caused a U.S. military inquiry to determine if Utah should be invaded and brought under control, and Brigham Young removed as territorial governor. The only thing that saved him was the silence of the church, and the unwillingness to rat out their fellow members in what can be called the first event of domestic terrorism in the U.S. (and it was perpetuated by a religion!)

The official stance of the LDS church is that, allegedly, Brigham Young sent a horseback rider messenger to call off the attack, but alas, he arrived too late to stop the bloody siege. My question is, why were the Mormons set to attack the wagon train in the first place, after they had shown no aggression towards the Mormons the whole time they travelled through Utah?

The Occam's Razor answer: Brigham Young saw the wealth of the wagon train, and wanted it. He told the members that these people were from Arkansas and Missouri and were loudly bragging about chasing the Mormons out of Missouri. He incensed the members into mob violence and then commanded their silence and obedience to the blood atonement and vengeance oaths they promised in their temple ordinances.

Still think the Branch Davidians might of had it coming when they hunkered down and refused to surrender? Maybe the Scientologists are a little wacko when they talk about Xenu? Oh, sure, they are REAL cults aren't they? Well, let's see what folks think when this movie starts playing all around the country.

I think the Mormons have some 'splainin' to do...

New York Times has some remarks about the film and its director Christopher Cain and his reasons for bringing this story to the public view. Like the Da Vinci code, this will bring some controversy in its wake, and also create even more staunch believers from within the system. Those most completely devout will most certainly never see the movie, and try to sway all others from seeing it. They will choose to believe their leaders and their sanitized whitewashed version of events, calling this movie an Anti-Mormon portrayal. The thing is, it isn't made specifically to call the Mormon church a fraud in its entirety. This is only one historical event, an example of what the LDS church tries to call "not useful" truth and place all the blame on one man, so that their beloved prophet Brigham Young continues to be portrayed in a good light.

The members that see this movie will be those who aren't satisfied with the explanation of the church, or those who simply insist on discovering the truth on their own, without settling for a steady diet of milk...