“BibleVideos.LDS.org Is Church’s Gift to the World,” Ensign, Feb. 2012, 74–75
BibleVideos.LDS.org Is Church’s Gift to the World
During the December 4, 2011, First Presidency Christmas Devotional, Church leaders presented The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos website, a gift to the world for the coming holiday season.
BibleVideos.lds.org is a repository for original short videos that depict scenes from Christ’s life, ranging from the angel foretelling Christ’s birth to the Savior’s Resurrection.
President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, announced the site during his talk at the devotional.
“Like the scriptures which these short films follow faithfully they may seem to you quiet,” he said. “Your faith and the Holy Ghost will create the emotion these world-changing events deserve.”
A nine-minute video shown during the devotional revealed a sampling of the content that is now available on the website or will be coming soon.
Material for the videos is being provided from footage shot at the Church’s new LDS Motion Picture Studio South Campus in Goshen, Utah, where filming for the New Testament Scripture Library Project began in August 2011.
The project will yield more than 100 vignettes portraying the life of Christ, taken directly from the text of the King James Version of the Bible. Over time, each video will be posted to BibleVideos.lds.org along with the scriptural text from which it is taken. The goal is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ by assembling one of the finest collections of Bible videos in the world.
“We intend for these videos to be used freely by individuals, families, and groups,” said Elder Lynn G. Robbins, Executive Director of the Media Services Department. “We want to help our own members strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ, and we offer this freely to other churches who may wish to use these videos in a similar way. The message of the Lord Jesus Christ needs to be shared as widely as possible throughout the world.”
Subscription options, including RSS and e-mail, are available in the footer of the website for users to receive updates when new videos are provided.
The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos website is intended to provide members and their families with a new and meaningful way to learn about and share the teachings of Jesus Christ. Through these videos, individuals can explore biblical environments, watch scripture-based stories come to life, view slideshows, and discover additional insights into biblical accounts.
“It is our hope that these New Testament videos will help people to visualize what they have only been able to imagine, and to more deeply feel the truths of the New Testament as they witness the Savior’s life and not just as they read about it,” Elder Robbins said. “Hopefully, there will be entirely new insights into the Savior’s character that will help viewers feel of His love and inspire them to want to be more like Him.”
The website enables individuals to share the content in order to extend the videos’ reach and impact. Items on the website can be shared through Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.
“You can give a great and wonderful Christmas if you will remember the gifts God has given you, and as best you can, offer them to others as He would,” President Eyring stated.
The website has a mobile-friendly design and is available in English (BibleVideos.lds.org), Spanish (videosdelabiblia.org), and Portuguese (videosdabiblia.org). A free iPad app is also available, offering a new way to experience Bible stories through sight, sound, and touch.