Born in Missouri at the height of mob persecution, denied fatherly guidance at age five and the love of his mother at age thirteen, Joseph F. Smith was reared by the hand of the Lord from orphaned boy to sixth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Witness the faith, devotion and struggles required to drive a team of oxen across the plains, serve numerous missions abroad, withstand the mistreatment of an intolerant nation, and ultimately rise to be a Prophet of God.
In the lead up to the 1956 Olympic games, a group of missionaries are tasked with helping the fledgling Australian basketball team compete in their first ever Olympics, and in doing so, unite a nation still coming to grips after the war.
Phyllis Coates, TV's erstwhile Lois Lane, essays one of her largest film roles in Blood Arrow. Coates is cast as a devout Mormon girl whose mission is to transport smallpox vaccine to her friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, this requires her to journey through hostile Indian territory. Appointing themselves as the girl's unofficial protectors are Indian scout Scott Brady, trapper Don Haggerty and (reluctantly) gambler Paul Richards.
A self-destructive ex-Mormon finds out her estranged, abusive father is on his deathbed in Provo, Utah – so she road trips across the country to reckon with her past, current friend-with-benefits in tow.
Let your Child of God travel with Baby Mormon from his heavenly home to earth! Baby Mormon visits four different regions of the world (United States, South America, Japan, Africa) through a constant showcase of dazzling colors and lively images.
Travel with Baby Mormon on this adventure as we organize and construct the earth. Beginning with dividing the light from the darkness to the final day of rest, watch as the great plan of happiness is set in motion. Narrated by children using scriptures and set to beloved primary songs and popular classical music. This entirely live DVD beautifully depicts the creation of this magnificent planet.
Born just nine days prior to the death of his father, Heber J. Grant was reared by his mother Rachel. As a child of prophecy, Heber emerged from humble beginnings to become a successful businessman and servant of God. Persistence and dedication were his lifetime mottos, and he worked hard to overcome obstacles set in his path. His incredible abilities and business sense saved the Church from near financial ruin. Upon becoming the seventh President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints his charity and foresight were imperative as he oversaw the founding of the Welfare Program.
A long odyssey from a humble, Idaho farm boy in overalls, Harold B Lee's maturation was steady and unwavering. Born in 1899 to Samuel Marion and Louisa Bingham Lee, Harold received a typical country education. Always ahead of his time, he became the teacher of a one-room school at age 17 and a principal at 18. His progress lifted him from near poverty and obscurity to fulfill his destiny and he became Prophet and seer, God's spokesman to the inhabitants of the world - the eleventh President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Born in 1895, Spencer W Kimball learned to work hard and love the gospel. Called as an apostle in 1943, Spencer worked increasingly, despite many severe health problems. After helping troubled Saints overcome grievous sin, Elder Kimball wrote "The Miracle of Forgiveness", which has become a virtual textbook for those seeking spiritual healing. Called as the 12th President of the Church in 1973, Spencer adopted the mottoes of "Do It" and "Lengthen Your Stride". His love for all peoples of the earth led to the 1978 revelation allowing all worthy male Church members to receive the Priesthood.
Ezra Taft Benson, Statesman, Patriot and Prophet ... Born in the farmlands of Whitney, Idaho, Ezra Taft Benson learned to love the land. The work ethic and dedication to farming Ezra gained in his youth carried him through a lifetime of service and leadership. Loyalty to God, family and country guided his thoughts and actions always. As a missionary, leader of the nation's farmers, US Cabinet member, apostle, prophet and father, he left no doubt as to his ethics and beliefs. He was an influential champion of liberty and freedom, and became the greatest advocate of the Book of Mormon in our day.
Life as a Mormon missionary isn't what 19-year-old Brandon Allen expected: so many rules and so few successes. Los Angeles is as unrepentant as Sodom and Gomorrah. He's forced to share a small apartment with five young prank-loving missionaries and, to top it off, his first companion, 29-year-old Marcus Dalton, proves to be a harsh mentor. After only one day as a missionary, Allen is ready to hang up his necktie and go home. Allen becomes a part of the drama occurring under the everyday surface of missionary life. After only a few intense days, Allen finds faith he didn't know he had, and courage he didn't know he lacked. He learns that the time has come to put away childish things, and to become more than just a man--to become a man of God.
With a divine answer to a humble prayer at age 14, Joseph Smith began to fulfill his inspired mission. He translated the ancient Book of Mormon and restored the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. Many flocked to the American frontier to worship with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, lead by the Prophet Joseph's dynamic and courageous example. Unstopped by his martyrdom at age 38, Joseph's legacy continues today in the dedicated lives of Saints throughout the world who still sing "praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!"
A young Wilford Woodruff would not join any religion, believing the true church did not exist on the earth. But, upon hearing his first Mormon sermon, the Spirit of God bore witness to him and he was immediately baptized. As a dedicated new convert, Wilford successfully spread the gospel, overcame tragedies throughout his life and was preserved by divine intervention to become the fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Obeying revelation from God, he ended the era of plural marriage, and dedicated both the Manti and Salt Lake temples.
Lorenzo Snow was born in 1814, in Mantua, Ohio. A student of the Bible, Lorenzo sought the truth and was baptized in 1836. Having military aspirations in his youth, they were quickly abandoned as Lorenzo eagerly spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. He opened the missionary work in Italy and was blessed with many spiritual gifts, including the gift of healing. As the leader of Brigham City, Lorenzo successfully ran several co-ops, providing for the temporal welfare of the Saints. His great spiritual strength and humility were blessings to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he became its fifth President and reiterated the importance of the law of tithing.
Two boys, still grieving the death of their mother, find themselves the unwitting benefactors of a bag of bank robbery loot in the week before the United Kingdom switches its official currency to the Euro. What's a kid to do?
The birth of Christ as recorded in the second chapter of Luke in the King James version of The Holy Bible.
John H. Groberg, a middle class kid from Idaho Falls, crosses the Pacific to become a Mormon missionary in the remote and exotic Tongan island kingdom during the 1950's. He leaves behind a loving family and the true love of his life, Jean. Through letters and musings across the miles, John shares his humbling and sometimes hilarious adventures with "the girl back home", and her letters buoy up his spirits in difficult times. John must struggle to overcome language barriers, physical hardship and deep-rooted suspicion to earn the trust and love of the Tongan people he has come to serve. Throughout his adventure-filled three years on the islands, he discovers friends and wisdom in the most unlikely places. John H. Groberg's Tongan odyssey will change his life forever.
Unofficial lawman John Corbett hunts down Cuchillo Sanchez, a Mexican peasant accused of raping and killing a 12-year-old girl.
Two pairs of Mormon missionaries from America live in a beaten-up apartment in the Dutch city of Haarlem. Their personalities are distinctly different. Elder Johnson is the District Leader and oversees their efforts. His companion, the vain Elder Van Pelt, seeks to become the assistant to the mission president (the top post available) as soon as possible. The capable Elder Rogers has become disillusioned and inattentive to his duties ever since a previous missionary companion returned to America and married Elder Roger's girlfriend. The three meet Elder Roger's new companion, Elder Calhoun, in the train station. This new elder is a nerdy but enthusiastic "greenie" that has just arrived from the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Utah. Unfortunately, his training did not give him much fluency in the Dutch language. But as luck would have it, the first person he approaches to proselytize is a fellow American named Kyle.
"The Work and The Glory: American Zion" sets the story of the fictional Steed family against the historically factual backdrop of the Mormon people's move into the West. Divided by their diverse reactions to a nascent ideology, the Steeds struggle to hold together as the strength of their convictions and their filial bonds are tested. The stirring narrative of the faith that led a persecuted people to Missouri and beyond is one of the most poignant untold tales of American history. It is the account of a valiant struggle to exercise the rights promised by a fledgling nation. "The Work and the Glory: American Zion" unearths the story of the passion behind the movement which eventually launched the largest American migration and the colonization of the West: the vision of a promised land in America.