It's called "The Mormons" and it's billed as one of the "great neglected American narratives."

The four-hour documentary premieres on PBS on Monday.

Documentary filmmaker Helen Whitney produced the ambitious three-year project that takes an in-depth look at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Though few have seen the documentary, it promises to be a sweeping tale that discusses both the positive and negative in the world that comprises the church. The filmmakers describe it as a film that traces the church from its roots as an outcast band to a major player in politics and business.

The project begins with the turbulent early history of the church, the persecution of its members and the Mormon pioneers drive west. The story eventually reaches the world where the LDS Church is a highly influential organization, one of the fastest-growing religions, and per capita arguably one of the wealthiest churches in the world.

Along the way, Whitney explores the church's theology and history through the lens of church leaders and supporters, as well as church critics. Whitney describes it as "a complex film, a respectful film, but not an uncritical film."

Among those interviewed for the film were church leaders, church historians, members, former members and various critics of the church.

Church leaders are careful to note that they neither endorse nor discourage people from seeing it. Rob Howell, spokesman for the church, said that beyond what has been posted on its Web site, lds.org, the church is reserving comment until the documentary has been aired and seen in full.

Nevertheless, the church's official release on the film notes the belief of some that certain critical views of the church may be presented in an "unbalanced" manner and that a "disproportionate amount of time (is) given to topics that are not central to the church's faith."

Specific criticism is noted by the church in regards to the film's treatment of modern polygamy by offshoots of the church as well as the infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre.

"The time devoted to portrayals of modern fundamentalist polygamy seems inconsistent with the filmmaker's stated purposes of getting inside the LDS experience, and of exploding, rather than reinforcing, stereotypes," reads the official church statement.

The church has held a long-standing policy that there is no such thing as a "Mormon fundamentalist," and has banned polygamy.

Another church spokesman, Michael Purdy, said, "The big question that members of the church are asking is whether these programs will come close to capturing the essence of how Latter-day Saints define and see themselves.

"Will members look at these films and say, 'Yes, that's me.' Or will they look at it and say, 'Even after four hours, they missed the point.' It comes down to both content and context and it is important that those closest to the faith see themselves in the portrayal," Purdy said.

The film is a first-time collaboration between PBS's "Frontline" and "American Experience" programs.

Some of Whitney's former projects include "Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero" and "John Paul II: The Millennial Pope."

The documentary will be split into two 8 p.m. air dates. The first two hours of the documentary air Monday and the second two hours will air Tuesday on KBYU and KUED.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1.