Film about Joseph Smith Now Available Online
Film about Joseph Smith Now Available Online
29 March 2011 - AUCKLAND, New Zealand
News Release
People
around the world now have a new way to learn about Joseph
Smith
A similar film has been shown since 2005 in
Salt Lake City
Ron Munns, who produced the original film, said, "The first Joseph Smith film was excellent and was well received by many. However, some parts were not easily understood if you did not already know the story.
Everyone comes to the film with different backgrounds and knowledge, and we wanted to make sure that every person who sees the film walks away with a better understanding of the Prophet Joseph and what he did."
[cid:image001.jpg@01CBEDF1.96667770] An actor portrays Joseph Smith in a film about his life that is now available on the Internet. (c) 2011 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved
The film will also help
people better understand Latter-day Saint belief in modern
prophets
"Our hope is that people who aren't familiar
with the story will come away with an increased
understanding of the role Joseph Smith played in restoring
Garbett said this focus on Joseph's prophetic role prompted many of the changes. For example, a scene showing a leg operation Joseph had as a young boy was removed because it was less essential to the purpose of the film.
"There is less focus on Joseph the man and more focus on Joseph the prophet It's the same story, just with a different emphasis," Garbett said. "There are some things in the old version that people might miss, but there are things in the new version that people will be thrilled to see."
Those who have seen the film will notice that the revised version has a new narrator: an actress representing Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph's mother.
"We chose this device to tell the story because Lucy Mack Smith was an eyewitness to everything that happened," Garbett said. "This is a mother talking about her son in her own words."
The revised version is five minutes shorter than the original, and about 40 percent of the movie is new. Footage from the first version was re-edited to fit the revised storyline, and Garbett and his team also shot some new scenes. Regardless of where the footage came from, the crew took great care to ensure that every moment of the film has the same look and feel.
"Someone who sees the movie will not be able to tell what was shot then and what was shot now," Garbett said.
David Nielson, managing director of the Church's Media Services Department, said he is thrilled that the movie will now be available online.
"The beauty of having the new Joseph film available on the Internet is that you can see it at home at a time that is convenient for you," Nielson said "Even if you have seen the previous version, don't miss the opportunity to see the new one. It will help enhance your understanding of the life and mission of Joseph Smith."
Munns too is excited to have the film seen by a wider audience.
"This is a version that can be easily shared by Church members with their friends not of our faith," he said.
The full-length version of Joseph Smith:
The Prophet of the Restoration can be seen on
MormonChannel.org/Joseph
"Many people I meet have heard of Joseph Smith, but don't know a lot about him," says Paul Bennallack, Information and Communication Services Manager for the Church in the Pacific Area. "Having the entire film available online means that more people will have a chance to learn about his life and his accomplishments. It will also clear up a lot of misunderstandings some people have about him."
ends