It's Worth Mentioning

Editor’s note: This is part two of a previous conversation. Part one was published on Dec. 14 and is available here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/it-s-been-25-years-since-release-of-film-that-made-richard-dutcher-the-father-of-mormon-cinema--68984469

Richard Dutcher was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 8. In 2000, the release of his film, “God’s Army,” created a marketplace for LDS-themed movies and earned him the nickname “the father of Mormon Cinema.”

In 2007, it came as a shock to fans when Dutcher, the man behind four Mormon films, announced he was leaving the LDS Church.
This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson continues his discussion with Dutcher about his faith journey. Dutcher shares what led to the decision to leave his faith, and how that decision affected him personally and professionally.

Dutcher also discusses how he found faith again, some of his other film projects and what he’s up to now.
If you’re a person of faith and enjoy faith-based films, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

As Christmas approaches, many await the arrival of Santa.

The man who's responsible for millions of Christmas mysteries every year has been around for more than 200 years in America, but his origins date back much farther around the world.

This week on "It's Worth Mentioning," Rett Nelson speaks with Gerry Bowler, author of "Santa Claus: A Biography." They discuss Santa's origin story, including how he got started and his motivation for giving gifts. They also discuss the evolution of his image over the years. While he started as a Christian figure named Saint Nicholas who appealed primarily to adults, children's authors helped popularize him as a jolly old elf named Santa Claus who secretly delivered gifts for children with a sleigh pulled by reindeer. 

Bowler also discusses Santa's enduring appeal and why he believes Santa Claus will remain an integral part of Christmas for generations to come.

Whether you believe in Santa or not, this is an episode you don't want to miss. 

RELATED LINK: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2023/12/how-father-christmas-became-the-secret-gift-giver-for-believers-across-the-globe/

On March 10, 2000, a small, independent film premiered in theaters across Utah. "God’s Army" told the story of a rookie missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wrestling with his own conversion.

Aside from numerous films produced during the silent era and a Hollywood production called "Brigham Young," released in 1940, it was the first commercially produced film about Latter-day Saints and it was a hit. The $250,000 film grossed nearly $3 million at the box office and was the second-highest-grossing film in Utah that year. It had a similar performance when it was released in Idaho several weeks later.

The film paved the way for many others and created a marketplace for filmmakers to tell Latter-day Saint stories. Since then, hundreds of LDS-themed movies have been made, creating a genre now referred to as "Mormon Cinema."

Richard Dutcher, who wrote, produced, directed and starred in "God’s Army," is remembered today as "the father of Mormon Cinema."

On this week's episode of "It's Worth Mentioning," Rett Nelson speaks with Dutcher in the first of a two-part conversation. In part one, Dutcher reflects on the 25th anniversary of this film and the genre he created. He shares why he wanted to make a film about Latter-day Saint missionaries, and how he got interested in filmmaking.

If you're a film buff and enjoy movie trivia and history, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

RELATED LINK: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2024/06/the-father-of-mormon-cinema-reflects-on-career-industry-he-created-and-why-he-left-the-faith/

Gold had been discovered in the Sawtooth Mountains.

It was 1879, thirty years after the California Gold Rush, and dozens of people from the southern United States, had come to central Idaho seeking their fortune.

Samuel Holman was an attorney who filed one of the first gold claims in the area. He laid out the plots for a community to establish a mine. Soon after, the townsite of Custer -- named for Civil War General George Armstrong Custer -- was born.

Over the next 31 years, the small community attracted more than 300 people. By 1910, the town folded and quickly faded into history. By the 1960s, it was a historic site managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Today, the old ghost town is managed by a nonprofit called The Land of the Yankee Fork Historical Association. Custer Days, an annual event held at the townsite on the second Saturday in July, attracts a large crowd every year for tours and reenactments. Thousands of tourists visit the site every summer.

On this episode of "It's Worth Mentioning," -- a podcast about local history -- Rett Nelson makes a trip to Custer and interviews Diane Davidson, chair of the Land of the Yankee Fork Historical Association, on location. She has ancestral ties to the area dating back seven generations. They discuss the rise and fall of the short-lived community and the reasons behind it. They also get into the people and players involved in its founding, those who lived here during its heyday, and what daily life was like.

Later, they talk about what led to the town's closure, its rediscovery three decades later, and why it holds such an important place in Davidson's heart.

If you're a fan of ghost towns and Old West history, this is an episode you don't want to miss!

A desert site about 65 miles north of Las Vegas had been selected for nuclear weapons testing.

It was 1953 and 11 atomic bomb detonations took place here between March and June as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole. The largest of these detonations, a warhead known as Harry, yielded 32 kilotonnes of radioactive energy — more than double the amount produced from the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II.

About a year later, the desert near St. George, Utah, which was downwind of the nuclear fallout, was selected as the filming location for a major Hollywood film.

In his 2022 book, author Ryan Uytdewilligen highlights this brief period. On this episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with Uytdewilligen about what happened, including the reason for the testing and the government’s response to locals’ concerns, why a desert in proximity to a nuclear testing site was selected as the filming location and the long-term impact of that decision.
If you’re a cinephile and enjoy post-war history, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

Check out this related link: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2025/09/federal-act-providing-compensation-for-downwinders-reinstated-decades-after-nuclear-tests-in-idaho-and-other-states/

Jim Bridger was an early mountaineer and explorer of the Pacific Northwest. He explored areas that now include Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

Throughout his life, he had friendly associations with many groups, including members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He settled the Salt Lake Valley before they arrived and expressed concerns to Brigham Young about their ability to plant crops. This initial friendly association eventually ended in a falling out.

On this episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson interviews Bill Markley, the author of a new book titled, “The Life and Times of Jim Bridger.” They discuss this turbulent relationship.

Markley also addresses Bridger’s chaotic upbringing, what led him to become an explorer and the popular belief that Bridger is one of two men that left Hugh Glass, another mountaineer, for dead after Glass was mauled by a grizzly bear. Although the mauling actually happened, history isn’t clear about Bridger’s involvement.
If you enjoy history about the American West, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Stewart Petersen has no regrets living out of the spotlight.

The 64-year-old Cokeville, Wyoming man was cast as Billy Coleman in the 1974 film, “Where the Red Fern Grows.” He was only 13 at the time and went on to appear in half a dozen family-friendly films over the next six years. He left the film industry for good at that point.

In an interview with Rett Nelson on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” the former child actor says it was never his desire or intention to get into the film business, and it’s only through a family connection that he had the opportunity in the first place.
In this episode, Petersen shares how the opportunity came to him and his memories of working on “Red Fern” and other film projects. He also discusses his faith, unique ties to eastern Idaho and what he’s up to now.

If you’ve ever wondered what happened to Petersen, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Check out these related articles: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2023/03/former-child-actor-with-ties-to-eastern-idaho-has-no-regrets-living-out-of-the-spotlight/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2025/11/sculpture-in-downtown-idaho-falls-pays-tribute-to-popular-childrens-author-who-once-lived-here/

Monica Church is nearly a year into her first term as a state legislator. The Boise Democrat is the granddaughter of two former beloved politicians from Idaho.

Frank Church, who served in the U.S. Senate from 1957-1981 and is the namesake for the Frank Church Wilderness Area, is her grandfather on her mother’s side.

Her paternal grandfather is Cecil Andrus, the state’s only four-term governor who served nonconsecutive terms. He was first elected in 1970 and served until 1977. His second term was interrupted with a nomination to serve as U.S. Secretary of Interior. He successfully ran for governor again in 1987 and served until 1995. The White Clouds Wilderness Area was renamed the Cecil Andrus Wilderness Management Area in 2018.

Monica’s political roots in Idaho go back even further to Chase and Barzilla Clark, two brothers who both served as mayor of Idaho Falls and Governor of Idaho at separate times during the 1930s and 40s.

Following an exciting election week, we thought it was worth catching up with Monica about her rich, political heritage. On this week’s episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning,” she discusses how Frank got involved in politics, Andrus’ chaotic beginnings as a major political figure, and the time he spent five days on the Salmon River with President Jimmy Carter.

It’s an election-themed show you don’t want to miss!

Check out these related articles: https://www.eastidahonews.com/2025/01/remembering-jfks-visit-to-eastern-idaho-amid-trumps-effort-to-declassify-assassination-files/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2024/09/idahos-last-democratic-governor-left-office-30-years-ago-a-look-back-at-left-wing-leadership-in-one-of-americas-most-republican-states/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2025/01/remembering-jimmy-carters-trips-to-idaho-and-his-friendship-with-former-governor-cecil-andrus/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2025/04/remembering-two-of-idahos-most-decisive-elections-and-how-they-changed-the-political-landscape/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/05/how-an-idaho-falls-democrat-became-the-states-16th-governor-and-started-a-political-dynasty/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/07/the-story-of-idahos-18th-governor-and-the-political-statement-that-denied-him-a-second-term/

Daylight Saving Time has officially ended … again.

Although most of us probably appreciated the extra hour of sleep, this twice-yearly ritual of adjusting the time leaves many people asking, “Why do we do this?”

There have been numerous efforts over the years to eliminate the practice. Earlier this year, Congress introduced the Sunshine Protection Act. It aims to make daylight saving time — the time schedule from March to November — the permanent time. It has yet to be voted on.
Similar legislation has been introduced in the past and nothing has ever come of it because the concept of daylight saving time, like many other things, is contentious and political.

On this week’s episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with David Prerau, the nation’s foremost authority on this topic. He’s the author of a book called “Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious History of Daylight Saving Time.”

We get into the origins of DST, how it’s evolved over the years and why it’s such a debated topic. We also discuss Prerau’s motivation for writing the book and his take on DST.

Ronnie Kerbs is one of many who believe spirits roam the old Virginia Theater in Shelley.

She and her husband, Devon, own Bacon and Bleu Family Restaurant at 688 North Holmes Avenue in Idaho Falls, but the couple once owned the old theater, which is now a haunted attraction.

During her time as the owner, Kerbs says she had numerous encounters with spirits. Although she never saw anything, she’s heard voices and says one spirit even followed her home. She says her husband saw the ghost of a little girl in the theater late one night.
This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” a podcast about local history, Ronnie speaks with Rett Nelson about her ghostly encounters. She also discusses the history of the 115-year-old building, including the mysterious disappearance of one of its former owners.

It’s a timely episode just in time for Halloween!