The Joseph Smith Papers (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Joseph Smith Papers: Television Documentary Series is a documentary
television series produced by Ronald O. Barney and the Larry H. Miller
Communications Corporation. The series documented the creation of, and work involved in, the Joseph Smith Papers Project
. It also discussed the history of Joseph Smith, the founder and first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), as well as the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement
.
. Jessee, along with LDS Historian Leonard J. Arrington
, wanted to collect and publish all the known works of Joseph Smith, so they could be more easily accessed by scholars and the public. His first attempts at the project were The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, in 1984, and the two volume Papers of Joseph Smith, the first in 1989 and the second in 1992. In 2001 Jessee's project became a joint venture between Brigham Young University
and the LDS Church Archives, and was named the Joseph Smith Papers Project. A large amount of funding for the project was donated by Larry H. and Gail Miller
the owners of KJZZ-TV
, the station which would later air the television series. The project was then moved from BYU to the LDS Church Archives
in Salt Lake City, Utah
.
As the project progressed, and the time neared for the publication of the first volume, the Larry H. Miller Communications Corporation decided to produce an hour-long introduction to the project, to air on KJZZ-TV. This introduction aired November 5, 2007, and became the pilot for the series
. Eventually it was decided to create a weekly series, to document the project, and to discuss the history of Joseph Smith using original documents. The pilot would differ from the remaining episodes of the series because of changes to the production team and broadcast format. All the episodes were produced in cooperation with the LDS Church Historical Department.
The first season of the series premiered early in 2008 and concluded on February 22, 2009. The second season began airing in 2009 and ended later that year. Following the completion of each season, the episodes were rebroadcast on BYU-TV
(to receive exposure outside the Salt Lake City market). Both seasons were later released on region-all
DVD.
. The second season covered many of the same topics, but went into more detail, using a topical approach versus the chronological approach of the first season. The second season also covered the potentially troubling issues in Joseph Smith's history more thoroughly.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television series produced by Ronald O. Barney and the Larry H. Miller
Larry H. Miller
Lawrence Horne "Larry H." Miller was a Utah businessman and philanthropist who was well known as the owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz and the of Triple-A baseball team, the Salt Lake Bees, 41 automotive dealerships throughout the Western United States , and a variety of other business ventures...
Communications Corporation. The series documented the creation of, and work involved in, the Joseph Smith Papers Project
The Joseph Smith Papers
The Joseph Smith Papers is a project researching, collecting, and publishing all manuscripts and documents created by, or under the direction of, Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. The documents will be published with transcriptions and annotations online and in...
. It also discussed the history of Joseph Smith, the founder and first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), as well as the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
.
Production
The history of the Joseph Smith Papers Project began with the work of Dean C. JesseeDean C. Jessee
Dean Cornell Jessee is a historian of the early Latter Day Saint movement and leading expert on the writings of Joseph Smith, Jr.-Biography:...
. Jessee, along with LDS Historian Leonard J. Arrington
Leonard J. Arrington
Leonard James Arrington was an author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History" because of his many influential contributions to the field.-Biographical background:Arrington was born in Twin Falls,...
, wanted to collect and publish all the known works of Joseph Smith, so they could be more easily accessed by scholars and the public. His first attempts at the project were The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, in 1984, and the two volume Papers of Joseph Smith, the first in 1989 and the second in 1992. In 2001 Jessee's project became a joint venture between Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
and the LDS Church Archives, and was named the Joseph Smith Papers Project. A large amount of funding for the project was donated by Larry H. and Gail Miller
Larry H. Miller
Lawrence Horne "Larry H." Miller was a Utah businessman and philanthropist who was well known as the owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz and the of Triple-A baseball team, the Salt Lake Bees, 41 automotive dealerships throughout the Western United States , and a variety of other business ventures...
the owners of KJZZ-TV
KJZZ-TV
KJZZ-TV, virtual channel 14, is a full-service Independent television station serving Salt Lake City, Utah, USA and surrounding areas, broadcasting in digital on UHF channel 46. The KJZZ transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains...
, the station which would later air the television series. The project was then moved from BYU to the LDS Church Archives
Church History Library
The Church History Library in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah houses materials chronicling the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
As the project progressed, and the time neared for the publication of the first volume, the Larry H. Miller Communications Corporation decided to produce an hour-long introduction to the project, to air on KJZZ-TV. This introduction aired November 5, 2007, and became the pilot for the series
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
. Eventually it was decided to create a weekly series, to document the project, and to discuss the history of Joseph Smith using original documents. The pilot would differ from the remaining episodes of the series because of changes to the production team and broadcast format. All the episodes were produced in cooperation with the LDS Church Historical Department.
The first season of the series premiered early in 2008 and concluded on February 22, 2009. The second season began airing in 2009 and ended later that year. Following the completion of each season, the episodes were rebroadcast on BYU-TV
BYU Television
__NOEDITSECTION__Brigham Young University Television is a cable/satellite television channel operated by Brigham Young University...
(to receive exposure outside the Salt Lake City market). Both seasons were later released on region-all
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD.
Plot synopsis and episode list
The first season documented the creation of, and work involved in, the Joseph Smith Papers Project. It also discussed the history of Joseph Smith, the founder and first prophet of the LDS Church (using original documents); beginning with his ancestral roots and ending with the condition of the Church following his deathDeath of Joseph Smith, Jr.
The death of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844 marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was attacked and killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States...
. The second season covered many of the same topics, but went into more detail, using a topical approach versus the chronological approach of the first season. The second season also covered the potentially troubling issues in Joseph Smith's history more thoroughly.
See also
- The Joseph Smith PapersThe Joseph Smith PapersThe Joseph Smith Papers is a project researching, collecting, and publishing all manuscripts and documents created by, or under the direction of, Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. The documents will be published with transcriptions and annotations online and in...
- History of the SaintsHistory of the Saints (TV series)The History of the Saints: Gathering to the West is a television documentary series produced by Dennis Lyman and Glenn Rawson. It focuses on the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members following the death of Joseph Smith...