This list of films of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) includes the non-commercial
motion pictures commissioned by or officially produced by the church. Such films were originally used in the homes or worship services of church members, or in visitors' centers on
Temple Square
Temple Square is a complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately ...
or near one of the church's
temples
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
. Most church films were produced by
LDS Motion Picture Studios
LDS Motion Picture Studios (MPS) is a film studio based in Provo, Utah, and is a directly-managed division of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
The MPS is part of the LDS Church's media production division, which inclu ...
. Since the opening of the
Joseph Smith Memorial Building
The Joseph Smith Memorial Building, originally called the Hotel Utah, is a social center located on the corner of Main Street and South Temple in Salt Lake City. It is named in honor of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. I ...
in downtown
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
in 1993, some feature-length films were premiered and exclusively shown in its Legacy Theatre, prior to release for broader use. In the 1970s, the church also commissioned
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
(BYU) to produce short films for use in the
Church Educational System. These films, shown mostly in the
seminaries
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
and
institutes of religion
An Institute of Religion is a local organization that provides religious education for young adults (ages 18–30) who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Local institutes may function in church meetinghous ...
, teach religious principles, church history, and general kindness. Released on
VHS (and increasingly on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
), they became popular home entertainment. A wide variety of these films are now available through BYU's Creative Works Office.
These films differ from those of
Mormon cinema
Mormon cinema usually refers to films with themes relevant to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The term has also been used to refer to films that do not necessarily reflect Mormon themes but have been made ...
, which are produced without official church involvement.
Feature films
Bible Videos
In 2011, the LDS Church began producing a series of
live-action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
adaptations
In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the ...
of various stories, titled ''Bible Videos'', which it distributed on its website and
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel.
Book of Mormon Videos
In 2019, the LDS Church began producing a series of live-action adaptations of various stories, titled ''Book of Mormon Videos'', which it distributed on its website and YouTube channel.
References
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Further reading
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External links
* Brigham Young University'
Creative Works OfficeNew Video Honoring Scriptures Legacy Now on churchofjesuschrist.orgHard to Find Mormon VideosYouTube channel
Book of Mormon Videos- produced by
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
{{Latter-day Saints
Films
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The c ...
Mormon literature