Among the bolder choices of directors Jared Hess and Tyler Measom in their documentary is to conceal the truth about its subject—and if readers do not want to know that truth, they are well advised to stop reading now. Early in the series we meet Mark Hofmann, Salt Lake City document dealer, awkward young Mormon father, and, as we eventually learn, forger and murderer, but we do not learn the truth about his crimes and hidden life until its second half. This is a striking choice particularly for those who, like me, were familiar with the Hofmann saga long before this documentary was made. It allows us to see with new eyes the twists and turns of the story, but also how radically disruptive Hofmann’s career was, not only to his family but to a whole host of communities.

As watchers of the series learn, Hofmann carefully guarded a door...

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