Imagine Dragons frontman takes on LDS & LGBTQ in new film

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Las Vegas celebrity musician, Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, has a mission. He's confronting his Mormon faith and its LGBTQ policies.

It's chronicled in a documentary called "Believer." The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to a standing ovation.

Thursday night, hundreds of Las Vegans screened the film at the KA Theater inside MGM Grand.

Reynolds walked the red carpet with his wife, Aja Volkman. He said when you are given a one in a billion chance, it's what you should do.

"I want to do what my teachers taught me growing up here in Las Vegas, which is, to speak your voice," he said. "To speak your truth."

Reynolds is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. "This is not an attack on Mormonism. I am Mormon," he said. But, he said he believes there's still room for change. "Simply put, if you tell your child, I don't accept your lifestyle, they're eight times more likely to commit suicide."

The documentary follows his decision to create the organization LOVELOUD which aims to bridge the gap between the church and LGBTQ community.

Last summer he put on a music and spoken word festival in Utah with the lead singer of Neon Trees, Tyler Glenn, who was also raised Mormon. Glenn left the church after coming out and discussed his path in the film.

Reynolds said there will be another concert in the near future.

Allison Deussen is featured in the Live Nation Productions’ documentary, which will be released on HBO in June.

"Our son came out at the age of 13 and took his life at 17. We felt like we had this thing figured out. That we were accepting, advocating; his biggest cheerleaders," said Allison Duessen. "At 16-years-old, they don't want necessarily their family. They need their community. They need their peers. They need to have mentors and that was lacking in Stockton's life, a community that could rally around him."

Allison is still a member of the church even though she said she felt alone after her son's death. "I am still participating because I feel there are more Stockton's that need to be reached."

Reynolds said he hopes to give them a voice and create a conversation with star power behind him. Carrot Top, who attended the screening said, "Diversity is the most important thing in our whole society."

Volkman said, "There's a lot of people that have been paving this road before Dan." She and Reynolds agree it's a must watch for families.