LDS movies

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LDS movies refers to non-commercial motion pictures commissioned by or officially produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This differs from LDS cinema where members of the church produce films without official church involvement.

1 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints movies

[edit] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints movies

[edit] Early films

The earliest movie produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Man's Search for Happiness. This short film was produced for the 1964 New York World's Fair and is a very brief overview of The Plan of Salvation.

[edit] CES films

In the 1970s, the church commissioned Brigham Young University to produce short films for use in the Church Educational System. These films, shown mostly in the seminaries and institutes of religion, taught religious principles, church history, and general kindness.

One of the most well remembered of these films is The Legend of Johnny Lingo. This film was based on a book that one of the producers at BYU had read. At about half of an hour in length, this Johnny Lingo film is an example of the later type and does not mention the church or its teachings (except kindness and self-worth) at all. The short film of The Legend of Johnny Lingo was later made in to a full length motion picture by LDS producers and the motion picture would be classified as LDS cinema in spite of its pedigree.

[edit] Recent films

The latest group of LDS movies are produced by the church to be shown in the Legacy Theater in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, and at some other visitor centers. These films are approximately one hour each and are produced on 70 mm film. The three that have been produced so far are:

Legacy follows the life and struggles of a small group of converts to the church, beginning with their conversion in the eastern United States through their journey and settlement in Utah.
The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd portrays events that occurred in the Book of Mormon from shortly before Jesus' birth until shortly after His visit to the peoples of the Americas.
Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration portrays the life of Joseph Smith, Jr.. The debut of this film was during December 2005, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Smith, Jr.