Reactions to Brandon Flowers' Mormon.org video

The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers is a Mormon.

Surprised? Most people aren’t. But there’s definitely quite a bit of buzz about his new video and profile on Mormon.org.

“His connection to the LDS Church has never been a secret and he is certainly not the only star with a current or former tie to the Mormon faith — like Gladys Knight, Katherine Heigl and Ryan Gosling — but for the 'I’m a Mormon' campaign, to feature such a recognizable artist is unprecedented,” reads an article on Entertainment Weekly’s website.

Search “Brandon Flowers” on Facebook, and you’ll find that 44,525 people have shared the video, not to mention the more than 2,000 who have “liked” it so far.

Websites including PopCrush, Gossip Cop, Winnipeg Free Press, Contact Music and Slate have picked up on the video, many sources leaving the video open to comments. Not everyone is happy about Flowers’ move or the “I’m a Mormon” campaign in general.

The Slate blog referred to a quote from the video: “A lot of people love to come up to me and tell me they were raised in the church, and they expect there to be this camaraderie of, ‘Oh, we’ve outgrown it now. We’re smart enough now not to be in it.’”

“One can understand why this would happen,” the blog reads, referencing a 2004 interview with Spin Magazine. “But as the existence of this video suggests, Flowers doesn’t see himself as an ex-Mormon, at least not anymore.”

The blog also pointed to an article from The Telegraph last year, in which Flowers was candid about his past.

“And I believe that because of what I believe, and because of the way that I was raised, and as I’ve got older, I’ve lean(ed) towards — I’ve pushed towards being that positive force that I always talk about. That’s kind of where I’d rather be,” Flowers told The Telegraph.

Flowers said almost exactly the same thing in the Mormon.org video.

There is a difference between the band’s “Mr. Brightside” days and its 2004 album, “Hot Fuss," compared to more recent works like “Day and Age” and Flowers' first solo venture, “Flamingo.”

“Tell the devil he can go back from where he came. His fiery arrows drew their bead in vain,” read the lyrics to his solo hit “Crossfire.”

Being married for six years and having three children has shifted his priorities. In the video, he detailed the joys of being a father.

“It’s just been such a great experience and overflowing of that love that I didn’t know was there before,” he said. “That’s what is important to me. In a lot of ways I guess it’s kind of surpassed the music for me.”

In the introduction of the video, Flowers simply says he makes music and sings songs, rather than playing up the fact that he’s the lead singer for a band that has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.

Through the roller coaster of fame, fortune and fatherhood that Flowers has been on, one fact remains true.

“There’s still a fire burning in there,” he said.

Email: hbowler@desnews.com