Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration
Encyclopedia
Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration is a 2005 film that focuses on some of the events during the life of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
, which was both filmed and distributed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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 used 65 mm film and is currently being projected digitally. It also took advantage of the new and developing digital intermediate
process. In March 2011 the Church released a revised cut of the film, which is available to watch in select visitors' centers and online.
named Memphis on the Mississippi River
. Mary, a recent convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has travelled over 4,000 miles to Nauvoo, Illinois
with her father, who wouldn't let her make the trip by herself. He asks her if she intends to 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 1836 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 finished 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?" 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".
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 happening 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 conferring 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.
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, Independence Missouri Visitors Center, Mormon Trail
Center at Historic Winter Quarters
, London England Temple
Visitors Center, and the San Diego Mormon Battalion
Historic Site.
, while 40 percent of the film is new content, and it is also five minutes shorter than the original. Because of the level of new content added, some new filming was required. The revised film is available online, on the Church's YouTube
channel—Mormon Messages—and is available for download on their radio service website, the Mormon Channel
. The revised film is also now being shown in the Legacy Theater and at select Church visitors' centers. There are no plans to release the revised edition on DVD since it is available to download.
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
, which was both filmed and distributed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The film has been shown in the Legacy Theater of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building
Joseph Smith Memorial Building
The Joseph Smith Memorial Building is named in honor of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. It is located on the corner of Main Street and South Temple in Salt Lake City. Previously the Hotel Utah, it is now an administrative building...
since Saturday, December 17, 2005 and opened in several LDS Church Visitors Centers December 24, 2005.
The film used 65 mm film and is currently being projected digitally. It also took advantage of the new and developing digital intermediate
Digital intermediate
Digital intermediate is a motion picture finishing process which classically involves digitizing a motion picture and manipulating the color and other image characteristics. It often replaces or augments the photochemical timing process and is usually the final creative adjustment to a movie...
process. In March 2011 the Church released a revised cut of the film, which is available to watch in select visitors' centers and online.
Story
The film begins on June 21, 1844 on a riverboatRiverboat
A riverboat is a ship built boat designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such...
named Memphis on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Mary, a recent convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has travelled over 4,000 miles to Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
with her father, who wouldn't let her make the trip by herself. He asks her if she intends to 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
Times and Seasons
Times and Seasons was a 19th-century Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly or twice-monthly at Nauvoo, Illinois, from November 1839 to February 15, 1846...
(an early LDS periodical) and the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
. 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
First Vision
The First Vision refers to a vision that Joseph Smith, Jr. said he received as a youth in a wooded area in Manchester, New York, which his followers call the Sacred Grove. Smith described it as a personal theophany in which he received a forgiveness of sins...
.
Three years later, Joseph receives a visitation from Moroni who tells him where to find the Golden Plates
Golden Plates
According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith...
. 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
Emma Hale Smith
Emma Hale Smith Bidamon was married to Joseph Smith, Jr., until his death in 1844, and was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, during Joseph Smith's lifetime and afterward as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...
, 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
Oliver Cowdery
Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
) pray to find out and receive a visitation from John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
who confers upon them the authority to baptize. Next is a visitation of Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, James
Saint James the Great
James, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
and John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
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
Tarring and feathering
Tarring and feathering is a physical punishment, used to enforce unofficial justice or revenge. It was used in feudal Europe and its colonies in the early modern period, as well as the early American frontier, mostly as a type of mob vengeance .-Description:In a typical tar-and-feathers attack, the...
. Emma removes what tar she can, and Joseph preaches a sermon the next day.
Next is 1836 in Ohio
Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census. Kirtland is famous for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Origins of Kirtland:...
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
Kirtland Temple
The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark in Kirtland, Ohio, USA, on the eastern edge of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Owned and operated by the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , the house of worship was the first temple to be...
. After it is finished 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
Liberty Jail
Liberty Jail is a former jail in Liberty, Missouri, USA where Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of Latter Day Saint movement, and other associates were imprisoned from December 1, 1838 to April 6, 1839 during the 1838 Mormon War...
in Liberty, Missouri
Liberty, Missouri
Liberty is a city in Clay County, Missouri and is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. At the 2007 population estimate, the city population was 29,993...
is shown much longer than the others. He questions God, "How long shall thy hand be stayed?" 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".
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 happening 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
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
. 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
Carthage, Illinois
Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hancock County. Carthage is most famous for being the site of the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844.- History :...
. Joseph tells Hyrum that if they go, they will not come back. Joseph is shown conferring all of the keys and authorities that he holds on Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
.
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
Praise to the Man
"Praise to the Man" is a poem written as a tribute to Joseph Smith, Jr. by Latter Day Saint leader and hymn writer William W. Phelps. The poem was composed soon after Smith's death, and was later set to music and adopted as a hymn of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
" (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.
Release
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.The film is shown at Cove Fort
Cove Fort, Utah
Cove Fort is a fort and historical site located in Millard County, Utah. It was founded in 1867 by Ira Hinckley at the request of Brigham Young. One of its distinctive features is the use of volcanic rock in the construction of the walls, rather than the wood used in many mid-19th century...
Historic Site, Mesa Arizona Temple
Mesa Arizona Temple
The Mesa Arizona Temple is the seventh operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Mesa, Arizona, it is the first of five LDS temples built or planned in the state.-History:...
Visitors Center, Laie Hawaii Temple
Laie Hawaii Temple
Laie Hawaii Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located on the northeast shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The temple sits on a small hill a half-mile from the Pacific Ocean in the town of Lāie, from Honolulu...
Visitors Center, Hill Cumorah Visitors Center, Historic Kirtland
Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census. Kirtland is famous for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Origins of Kirtland:...
Visitors Center, Historic Nauvoo
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
Visitors Center, Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple is the tenth constructed and eighth operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Idaho Falls, Idaho it was the first LDS temple built in Idaho, and the first temple built with a modern single-spire design.The LDS temple...
Visitors Center, Los Angeles California Temple
Los Angeles California Temple
The Los Angeles California Temple , the tenth operating and the second-largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood district of Los Angeles, California...
Visitors Center, Hamilton New Zealand Temple
Hamilton New Zealand Temple
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple is the 13th constructed and 11th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
Visitors Center, Oakland California Temple
Oakland California Temple
The Oakland California Temple is the 15th constructed and 13th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS temple in Oakland, California was announced on May 26, 1962, and dedicated on November 19, 1964 by David O...
Visitors Center, St. George Utah Temple
St. George Utah Temple
The St. George Utah Temple is the first temple completed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after the forced exodus of the body of the Church from Nauvoo, Illinois, after the death of its founder Joseph Smith, Jr.-Description:The building is located in the SW Utah city of St....
Visitors Center, Washington D.C. Temple
Washington D.C. Temple
The Washington D.C. Temple is the 18th constructed and 16th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Kensington, Maryland, USA, near the Capital Beltway just north of Washington, D.C...
Visitors Center, Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial, Liberty Jail
Liberty Jail
Liberty Jail is a former jail in Liberty, Missouri, USA where Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of Latter Day Saint movement, and other associates were imprisoned from December 1, 1838 to April 6, 1839 during the 1838 Mormon War...
Historic Site, Independence Missouri Visitors Center, Mormon Trail
Mormon Trail
The Mormon Trail or Mormon Pioneer Trail is the 1,300 mile route that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled from 1846 to 1868...
Center at Historic Winter Quarters
Winter Quarters, Nebraska
Winter Quarters was an encampment formed by approximately 2,500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they waited during the winter of 1846–47 for better conditions for their trek westward. It followed a preliminary tent settlement some 3½ miles west at Cutler's Park. The...
, London England Temple
London England Temple
The London England Temple is the 12th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Newchapel, Surrey, England....
Visitors Center, and the San Diego Mormon Battalion
Mormon Battalion
The Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in United States military history, and it served from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The battalion was a volunteer unit of between 534 and 559 Latter-day Saints men led by Mormon company officers, commanded by regular...
Historic Site.
DVD
The original film was released on DVD through the Church's Distribution Services on October 1, 2010 as part of the DVD set "Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Visual Resource DVDS."2011 Revision
In March 2011 the Church released a new version of the film. The revised cut is expected to help those unfamiliar with Smith's story understand it better than the original did. The revisions to the film included a new narration given by Smith's mother, Lucy Mack SmithLucy Mack Smith
Lucy Mack Smith was the mother of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. She is most noted for writing an award-winning memoir: Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and His Progenitors for Many Generations. She was an important leader of the movement during...
, while 40 percent of the film is new content, and it is also five minutes shorter than the original. Because of the level of new content added, some new filming was required. The revised film is available online, on the Church's YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel—Mormon Messages—and is available for download on their radio service website, the Mormon Channel
Mormon Channel
Mormon Channel is an over the air and Internet radio station owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is based in Salt Lake City, Utah....
. The revised film is also now being shown in the Legacy Theater and at select Church visitors' centers. There are no plans to release the revised edition on DVD since it is available to download.
External links
- Watch online on the Mormon Channel
- New Joseph Smith movie to replace "The Testaments" - BYU NewsNet