Elder Rigby is a young Mormon from Utah serving a mission in northern Idaho, though to him it's more like serving a prison sentence. He and his partner, Elder Crews, do their best to fill their days with meaningful work, but there are only so many doorbells in a small town like Bonners Ferry.

Then, between the boredom and broken rules, they meet Minnie, an elderly Russian Jew scarred by some of the worst atrocities of the early 20th century, and Elder Rigby must confront the bleakness of his own existence, and the limits of faith.