New Doctrine and Covenants Visual Resource DVDs Available

• 7 October 2010

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“It seems to me that one of the most unused blessings that we have in the Church are the resources that have been developed over the years.”

—Elder Stanley G. Ellis

A new set of visual resource DVDs designed to assist in studying the Doctrine and Covenants and Church history is being made available at distribution centers throughout the United States and Canada.

Produced in a joint effort between the Curriculum Department and the Church Educational System, the DVDs are intended to be used for many different purposes, beginning with seminary and institute programs for the 2010–11 school year. The DVDs will also be a supplement to the 2013 Sunday School Doctrine and Covenants course for adults.

The DVDs are designed for use in homes to help in personal study, to provide ideas for family home evening, and to offer other material for youth and children.

“It seems to me that one of the most unused blessings that we have in the Church are the resources that have been developed over the years,” said Elder Stanley G. Ellis of the Seventy. “All of these things exist in other places, but this [set of DVDs] has pulled them all together.”

Features

The set of four DVDs contains numerous videos, interactive charts, quotations from latter-day prophets and apostles, paintings, and learning activities. Seeing a video of a speaker can often have a greater impact than just reading his or her words.

“Instead of just having the written quotes, the DVDs have the video clip so you can hear President [Thomas S.] Monson say something. You can hear President [Gordon B.] Hinckley, you can hear Elder Dallin H. Oaks. You can see and hear them give their testimonies in their own words. That’s so much more powerful,” Elder Ellis said.

In addition to video clips of many apostles and prophets, the DVD set features many other Doctrine and Covenants and Church history videos such as Legacy, Mountain of the Lord, The John Tanner Story, and Only a Stonecutter, as well as a nonanimated video recording of the book Doctrine and Covenants Stories.

Most notably, the movie Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration is included. The film has been showing in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and some visitors’ centers at Church historical and temple sites since December 2005 and is now available to members for home use for the first time.

Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration

From the outset of filming, the main goal in producing Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration was to “do the greatest show we could for Brother Joseph,” said Gary Cook, the director.

The hardest part of the production was meeting so many expectations and telling enough of the stories of Joseph Smith in only 60 minutes, Brother Cook said.

The film is a collaboration of many doing their best. In addition to their efforts, all those involved in the production credit the Lord for His help. While shooting the mob scene, for example, the “mob” asked for a special prayer before close-up filming. In the prayer, they asked for help to be “really bad, really well,” Brother Cook said.

The prayers of everyone involved in the production were answered, and now members can have this great blessing in their homes.

“People have driven miles and stood in line to see the Joseph Smith video in the Legacy Theater,” Elder Ellis said. “Now they can have it in their own homes. It’s a great resource. It alone is worth the price of the DVDs, but then you’ve got all the rest of these things.”

Availability

The DVD set is available in English now and will be available in Spanish and Portuguese in January 2011. The set will cost $4.50 and can be ordered online by visiting store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org or by calling the customer service line at 1-800-537-5971. Check with local distribution centers for availability.

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