{"id":101801,"date":"2023-09-14T17:52:22","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T23:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=101801"},"modified":"2023-09-14T22:30:05","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T04:30:05","slug":"actual-photographs-of-early-latter-day-saint-history-and-other-treats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2023\/09\/actual-photographs-of-early-latter-day-saint-history-and-other-treats.html","title":{"rendered":"Actual Photographs of Early Latter-day Saint History, and Other Treats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"BY,<\/a>
Brigham Young, not yet a Latter-day Saint, working in the pail shop of Mr. Parks prior to escorting Miriam, his first-wife-to-be, home<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

As I say, the game is afoot. \u00a0Today marked the fourth day of filming for the Interpreter Foundation\u2019s new movie project, Six Days in August<\/em>. \u00a0Our crew and our actors are hard at work, filling long days, in Upper Canada Village, which is located on the northern bank of the St. Lawrence River in the province of Ontario. \u00a0Thanks to the kindness of our producer, Russell M. Richins, I\u2019m very pleased to be able to share still photographs with you from the film sets.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve begun. to hear good reports from Canada, that things are going well, that the performances are good. \u00a0This is a relief. \u00a0It allays worries.<\/p>\n

When I was about to have my first look at the first complete rough cut of Witnesses \u2014 <\/em>before the sound had been \u201csweetened\u201d (as professionals in the industry term it) and before the colors had been evened out \u2014\u00a0I remember thinking, \u201cBut what if I don\u2019t like it? \u00a0What if I hate it? \u00a0What if it\u2019s terrible<\/em>? \u00a0What then<\/em>?\u201d \u00a0I haven\u2019t been an enthusiastic fan of some Latter-day Saint filmmaking, and I worried that this effort of ours might just be one more addition to list of mediocre, amateurish movies. \u00a0I knew that our filmmakers were conscientious, meticulous professionals but, still, what if it simply fell flat?<\/p>\n

My wife and I had been present on set for some of the filming. \u00a0We had been over the script multiple times, suggesting alterations here and there, and reading subsequent revisions. \u00a0We had been involved in several of the principal casting decisions. It was such a relief, when it concluded, to be able to say to myself \u201cThat was pretty darn good<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"GAS,<\/a>
George A. Smith (left) and Brigham Young are dinner guests of Vilate and Heber C. Kimball sometime after the death of Brigham\u2019s first wife, Miriam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve just been on the phone with Neal Rappleye, who, among other things, told me about the paper that he\u2019s finishing up for presentation at the rapidly approaching FAIR \u201c2023 Defending the Book of Mormon Conference.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 I want to call that conference to your attention. \u00a0I\u2019m looking forward to hearing Neal\u2019s paper, which promises to be quite exciting and important, and indeed to the entire conference. \u00a0I hope that I can, that my schedule will permit it. \u00a0The conference looks to be very, very good. \u00a0What a line-up!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Back<\/a>
From left to right, Elders Wilford Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball, and Brigham Young return home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been gradually reading a new volume, edited by Shirley S Ricks, Stephen D. Ricks, and Louis C Midgley, entitled Steadfast in the Defense of Faith<\/em><\/a>, and I want to report here on the first five essays in the book, all of which I commend to your attention.<\/p>\n