I was more curious by the reaction of the only other reviewer to this film than the film itself. 16 Stones is a film about three young Mormons who go out on a pilgrimage to recover lost artifacts to prove that a civilization existed here in North America of pilgrims who came from the Middle East.
Not reading the book of Mormon I can't answer for what's there. But one of the miracles described is the finger of God touching 16 ordinary rocks and giving them an incandescent glow the better to see by night on that long ocean voyage. Brother and sister Aubrey Reynolds and Mason Davis travel with Ben Isaacs to hunt for one of the stones being given directions by an Indian who's seen it.
The trio have their problems with the usual gang of gentile type thieves who hate Mormons. The story takes place in the State of Missouri during the Andrew Jackson presidency and the Missourians raised Mormon persecution to an almost Nazi like level. The Governor of Missouri of the time one Lilburn Boggs issued a shoot on sight order against Mormons a one of its kind order in our history.
One thing I've always liked about films showing the early church is the great attention to detail showing 19th century America. Whatever else the Church of Latter Day Saints is, it is a great repository for history and documentation of the early LDS church. Every film produced by the LDS church is like that and 16 Stones is no different.
But the problem is that this is a work of fiction, plainly so. That seemed to upset the other reviewer who is a member of the church. In plain fact I think that Mormons would welcome some independent archaeological verification of the Book Of Mormon. That's rather pooh pooed by Brad Johnson who plays Joseph Smith in 16 Stones. I don't think the real Joseph Smith would have done that.
I enjoyed the film, I take it for what it is.
