Honorably Released

"HONORABLY RELEASED"

A documentary film about when "the best two years" becomes "the best six months"

Geoffrey McIntire

~~Early RM~~

Sometimes if you leave your mission, for whatever reason, people are just not going to want to associate with you. That’s the honest, solid truth. I would come to places where I used to hang out and see people I knew, and it was like I wasn’t even there. That’s how bad it is sometimes.

Dr. Kris Doty

~~Chair, Department of Behavioral Science, Utah Valley University~~

Something we really need to look at.... This cultural stigma they are stuck with is 'failure' and 'unworthiness.' And those hit the very core of our very being. The core of our own personal value. Everyone wants to feel loved and accepted. And if you don’t feel those things, boy, your self esteem takes a huge hit.

Casey Treu

~~Served 9 Months~~

When I got sick, I thought to myself, “You know what, I think I’m sick because I’ve done something wrong. Maybe I’m not worthy enough. Maybe I’ve made a mistake. Maybe I’ve committed a sin and Heavenly Father’s going, ‘You shouldn’t be a missionary right now because you’ve made some sort of mistake.'"

Please reload

"Honorably Released" (working title) is a documentary film about LDS missionaries who enexpectedly return home early due to depression, anxiety, etc. As one early RM said, "The mission was rough, but coming home early was harder than actually going on a mission."

Shot and directed by BYU senior Jessica Bowles, and produced by Dr. Quint Randle, the film is being funded through a grant from the BYU School of Communications/College of Fine Arts.

We are scheduled to beging filming again in January. If you or your family have experienced this in some way, please email us wtih your story or information.

QUINT RANDLE