Showing posts with label Martin Harris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martin Harris. Show all posts

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Mormon Video: The Work and Designs of God

This movie starts in Smithfield, as a young man, and recent immigrant to Utah, is hired to help work on a farm.  His name is William Pilkington.  (I knew some Pilkingtons from Cache Valley.)  He finds more than he had expected at the home where he is to stay the summer.  It is the home of Martin Harris.  Martin Harris tells of his dealings with the Book of Mormon, as witness to the book,  The title of the movie refers to the revelation Joseph received.  D&C 3: 1 "The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught."  Joseph received revelation that the pages had been stolen, and then changed by evil men, so as to prove the work false.  To thwart this effort, instead of retranslating the same place, the Small Plates of Nephi were used to tell this part of the story.  Martin was not allowed to assist in the translating after this, but Oliver Cowdery served as scribe.
Martin Harris concludes his story with his testimony of the veracity of the Book of Mormon.  "As sure as the sun is shining, I know that the book of Mormon is true."

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Movie Review: A Marvelous Work Begins (1982)

This is an early movie produced by the Church and present the coming forth of the Boo of Mormon.  This explains the Church's belief of how this book came to be.
This movie starts with Joseph Smith receiving the gold plates, and shows those persons who would attempt to steal the plates, and the efforts the family took to keep the plates safe.  It shows Joseph transporting the plates in a barrel of beans, and when stopped by the mob and a sheriff, the wagon is searched.  The mob means to crack open the barrel of beans, and Joseph volunteers to scoop them out by hand.  However he his spared this as the mob becomes inpatient. 
This movie shows the story of Martin Harris and Joseph, and the lost manuscript of the book of Mormon.  The anguish these two men exhibit brings this event more to life. 
The movie does not go into many historical details, but in the stories it tells, it provides a glimpse of the circumstances surrounding the reorganization of the Church.
I could not find any link to this movie.  However this is a shortened remake.
http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-093-a-marvelous-work-and-a-wonder?lang=eng