Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration
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| Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | T.C. Christensen Gary Cook |
| Produced by | Ron Munns |
| Written by | Gary Cook |
| Starring | Nathan Mitchell Dustin Harding Tayva Patch Rick Macy |
| Distributed by | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Release date(s) | December, 2005 |
| Running time | 60 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration is a 2005 film that focuses on some of the events during the life of Joseph Smith, Jr., founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was both filmed and distributed by the church itself. The film has been shown in the Legacy Theater of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building since Saturday, December 17, 2005 and opened in several LDS Church Visitors Centers December 24, 2005.
The film is shown at Cove Fort Historic Site, Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors Center, Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors Center, Hill Cumorah Visitors Center, Historic Kirtland Visitors Center, Historic Nauvoo Visitors Center, Idaho Falls Idaho Temple Visitors Center, Los Angeles California Temple Visitors Center, Hamilton New Zealand Temple Visitors Center, Oakland California Temple Visitors Center, St. George Utah Temple Visitors Center, Washington D.C. Temple Visitors Center, Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial, Liberty Jail Historic Site, Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters, and the San Diego Mormon Battalion Historic Site.[1]
The film used 65 mm film and is currently being projected digitally. It also took advantage of the new and developing digital intermediate process[2].
Contents |
[edit] Story
The film begins on June 21, 1844 on a riverboat named Memphis on the Mississippi River. Mary, a recent convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the British Isles is travelling to Nauvoo, Illinois with her father, who wouldn't let her make the trip by herself. He asks her if she meet Joseph Smith to know that he is a prophet of God. Mary responds that she already knows that he (Smith) is a prophet of God. She says that her father can know too by reading what he wrote.
The movie then shows Mary's father beginning to read an issue of Times and Seasons (an early LDS periodical) and the Book of Mormon. Significant parts of the life of Joseph Smith, Jr. with occasional narration from Smith are presumably from the issue of Times and Seasons shown.
The first part of Joseph's life that is shown is in 1813 when the bone in his left leg was seriously infected. Amputation was avoided by an experimental operation to remove the infected parts of the bone. Some scenes are shown of Joseph using a crutch.
Next is the family in 1819 collecting maple sap to make syrup. Two cycles of winter are shown amid scenes of family life, attending revivals, reading the Bible and discussions with the local clergy. Narration relates that the time was early in the spring of 1820. The movie and narration relate a brief version of the First Vision.
Three years later, Joseph receives a visitation from Moroni who tells him where to find the Golden Plates. After finding them, he relates that he has been told that there will be several years of training and preparation before he can take the plates. Shortly thereafter, Joseph's eldest brother, Alvin, dies. The movie has shown the close relationship that Alvin, Hyrum and Joseph had, so the death of Alvin deeply affects Joseph.
Joseph meets and marries Emma Hale, against the objections of her parents.
After a few years, Joseph is allowed to retrieve the plates and translates them. During one session of translation, a passage about the necessity of baptism is translated. Joseph and his scribe (Oliver Cowdery) pray to find out and receive a visitation from John the Baptist who confers upon them the authority to baptize. Next is a visitation of Peter, James and John who confer upon them the authority to organize the Church of Christ, which they then do (in 1830). During some night thereafter, Joseph is taken from his bed at night, tarred and feathered. Emma removes what tar she can, and Joseph preaches a sermon the next day.
Next is 1838 in Ohio where a recent convert, a widower with three children comes to town but has nowhere to live. Joseph organizes a group to build them a house. Joseph then reveals that God wants them to build a temple. After it is finised and a meeting has been held, Joseph and some others see another vision where God accepts the temple. Other personages then appear and confer additional keys (authorities) on Joseph and the others present.
Other persecutions of the members of the church founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. are shown. Several incidents of Joseph and associates being arrested and held in jails and prisons are shown intermixed with other persecutions of Joseph's followers. At one of the incarcerations, those watching over the prisoners were talking about what they had done to the "Mormons", Joseph stood up in his bonds and forcefully rebuked the men, after which they were quiet. The incarceration of Joseph, Hyrum and associates in a jail in Liberty, Missouri is shown much longer than the others. He questions God, "How long shall thy hand be stayed?"[1] It is made clear during this incarceration that Joseph is growing discouraged and having doubts about what he is doing. Joseph then hears a voice, "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high".[2]
Joseph calls several men to travel and preach the gospel. One of these pairs of men is shown preaching, where they encounter Mary and her father. (This is presumably where the story switches from the story being read to what is happenning at the movie's present time.)
The setting then shifts to Nauvoo, Illinois in the 1840s where the followers of Joseph are building a new city, again. Joseph tells the people that God has told him to build another temple. After quite a bit of the construction has been completed, Joseph and Hyrum Smith are in the basement of the temple discussing going to Carthage. Joseph tells Hyrum that if they go, they will not come back. Joseph is shown confering all of the keys and authorities that he holds on Brigham Young.
On 24 June 1844, Joseph, Hyrum and two others mount their horses and ride through the town on the way out of town. During this review, the music to "Praise to the Man" (a song commemorating Joseph Smith, Jr. written after his death) is played in the background while the people the riders pass seem to show on their faces that this is the last time they'll see Joseph alive. Meanwhile, Mary and her father have just arrived at the dock and disembarked. They attempt to follow the riders so that they can meet Joseph, but they finally give up when they ride out of town past the temple under construction. Mary's father then says, "We didn't need to meet him to know that he is a prophet."
Joseph and his associates have reported to the jail in Carthage, as requested. They are shown in an upper room of the building when men with guns begin running up the stairs. The men attempt to force their way in to the room, but the occupants hold back the door. A shot is fired through the door which hits Hyrum in the face. Hyrum says, "I am a dead man." Joseph is shown attending to Hyrum when he quickly dies. Joseph looks up at one of the windows in the room where the panes of glass are being broken by balls fired from outside. The camera (presumably Joseph's view) then moves toward the window, the entire pane is broken and the camera view pans slightly upward to where the sun is filtering through the clouds (in the right of the frame). Joseph's image is then shown on the left of the frame looking towards where the sun is filtering through the clouds, with the voice of Joseph saying, "Oh Lord, my God." Then fades to black.
A picture of the Nauvoo Temple is then shown with three sentences praising the work that Joseph Smith has done. Then again fades to black.
[edit] Reviews and criticism
Very few non-LDS church affiliated reviews of this film exist. ConcernedChristians.org, an anti-Mormon group, proved to be one of the few dissenting voices against the film, noting that "Smith's magic involvement, temper, lying, and manipulation of his followers are conveniently overlooked." Also omitted was any notion that Smith practiced polygamy, as well as his first wife Emma's disaproval of such actions. The review ends with a general critique of the film: "This feel-good rendition is so misleading, I can't imagine any devout Mormon - who knows the real history of Joseph Smith - would not be embarrassed by this deceptive portrayal." [3]
The Deseret News reported in 2005 that production on the film "was rushed" in order to meet the church's 2005 bicentennial of Smith's birthday. [4]
[edit] References
- ^ The Doctrine and Covenants, Covenant 121:2
- ^ The Doctrine and Covenants, Covenant 121:7
- ^ http://www.concernedchristians.org/newsletter/2006-08/print.html Concerned Cristians' August 2006 Newsletter
- ^ http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595100878,00.html Deseret News Article: 'Joseph Smith' filming proceeds at a fast clip
