The Monarchs’ vivid colors, their perfectly shaped satin wings, their humble, unavoidable flaunting of transformation—from an egg to a worm to a time of solitude and silence as the transformation prepares them for new beginnings and unspeakable elegance—are all miraculous.

Sure, I could have used more Bible teaching. But these women are REAL women, being loving and transparent and allowing millions of women into their private lives in order to bring glory to God. And that’s the bottom line, isn’t it?

This film tracks the journey of Sam and Luke, the two eldest brothers in a tightly-knit Mormon family, and takes us from their childhood through their church-mandated missions. It is a sensitive walk.

From the opening scene of a “Jesus Movement”-era gathering where numerous baptisms are occurring, Higher Ground unflinchingly exposes the heights and depths of a faith unfulfilled and doggedly searching for something more.

I look forward to seeing it again, preferably immediately following a viewing of the first installment. For those who casually appreciate the series, you may be slightly disappointed that the storyline is somewhat awkward.

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