PROVO — An intense June sun beat down on a group of young men dressed in ancient American costumes Friday as they stood waiting along a Nephite city wall.
“Show them this is hard work,” director Adam Anderegg reminded the actors as he walked the line. “Remember they obeyed every word of command with exactness.”
Moments later, “action” was called and cameras rolled as a portion of Helaman’s 2,000 stripling warriors, some as young as 13 and 14 years old, began heaping up mounds of dirt to fortify the Book of Mormon city of Judea.
Director Adam Anderegg works on the final filming season of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ production of the Book of Mormon videos at the LDS Motion Picture Studios South in Provo on Friday, June 17, 2022.
Laura Seitz, Deseret News
The scene, depicting one of the well-known accounts in Latter-day Saint scripture, will be featured in the fifth and final season of the Book of Mormon Video series, currently being filmed at the LDS Motion Pictures Studios of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Book of Mormon itself, along with the videos, is produced with the express purpose of bringing people closer to Jesus Christ, said Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.
“To say that its pure entertainment value would be a great misnomer,” Elder Rasband said. “My spirit is elevated. I feel closer to the Savior and I’m one of his witnesses and servants. So whether you are my 4-year-old grandchild or you are an apostle in the church, these videos bring you closer to Jesus Christ.”
The doors of the studio were opened to news media for a behind-the-scenes look, along with opportunities for interviews with church leaders, directors, cast and crew on Friday.
What is happening with Season 5?
As scores of young men filed in to pick up costumes and sit in the makeup chair, Elder Rasband walked in give everyone a fist bump and thank them for their service to the project.
“You look awesome,” the church leader told Jeremiah Rowbury, one young stripling warrior.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks with Jeremiah Rowbury in the makeup and costume room during the final filming season of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ production of the Book of Mormon videos at the LDS Motion Picture Studios South in Provo on Friday, June 17, 2022.
Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Season 5 of the Book of Mormon Videos series will feature some of the book of scripture’s classic accounts, including Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty during the war chapters, Samuel the Lamanite and the Brother of Jared, as well as the sons of Helaman.
There will be 11 episodes produced in Season 5, which will be available in 2023. Production of the final season has involved 170 crew members, more than 100 cast members with speaking parts and thousands of background extras.
Scenes were filmed near Goshen, where the church’s Jerusalem set was converted into the Book of Mormon city of Zarahelma; the motion pictures studio in Provo; and other locations.
These are the “iconic, marquee moments” of the Book of Mormon, said Elder Michael A. Dunn, a General Authority Seventy.
“These are those big, epic, really Hollywood-style moments that people who have read the Book of Mormon have long visualized,” he said. “And my hat’s off to the filmmakers because you are trying to pull something off that people have been like ‘OK, this better be as good as I always depicted it.’ So far, it’s just been amazing.”
These stories — the sons of Helaman, the Title of Liberty, Samuel the Lamanite — will resonate in a world of conflict and anger, said Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi.
“You see the action of war. You see the action of righteous men and not righteous men, and what they do,” he said. “You see inhumanity, which we are seeing today, a lot of anger in the world. And you see people that depend on God who conquer over those who do not depend on God.”
Becoming ‘Helaman’
Actor Chris Ah Sue is playing the role of Helaman, a Book of Mormon prophet and military leader of the 2,000 stripling warriors.
Chris Ah Sue portrays Helaman in the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ production of the Book of Mormon videos at the LDS Motion Picture Studios South in Provo on Friday, June 17, 2022.
Laura Seitz, Deseret News
To prepare for the role, Ah Sue studied the Book of Mormon, followed a diet that involved eating a lot of chicken and broccoli, and maintained a workout routine that helped him drop 25 pounds. He already had his experience as young mens’ leader in his Latter-day Saint congregation to help him connect with his young warriors.
“I think Helaman was like a cool young mens’ president or seminary teacher, as well as a military leader,” said the tall native Hawaiian.
Ah Sue hopes young people who watch the videos will see themselves among the stripling warriors and be inspired.
“I would hope that they get that faith comes first,” he said. “They weren’t warriors when they signed up, they were just young men, but they had a lot of faith and they did the right things and obeyed what they were told to do and were blessed. So I would just hope that they see themselves in these young men and even though they likely are not going to war, they are going to war against a lot of other things and they can be strong.”
When will Season 4 be released?
The church is preparing to release Season 4 this fall, which focuses on the visit of resurrected Savior Jesus Christ to the ancient Americas.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ production of the fourth season of Book of Mormon videos is filmed near Springville on Monday, July 26, 2021.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
“The appearance of Christ in the new world is going to have such universal appeal to people everywhere,” Elder Dunn said. “I don’t care what language you speak, once you see this depiction of Jesus Christ, ministering among people, that’s going to relate and it’s really, really powerful.”
Response to Book of Mormon videos?
Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks about the filming of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ production of the Book of Mormon videos at the LDS Motion Picture Studios South in Provo on Friday, June 17, 2022.
Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Elder Rasband described the general response to the Book of Mormon Video series as “overwhelmingly favorable and positive, largely for the reason that it helps families and children and youth add to their experience of the written word,” he said.
The videos have served as “complementary” in his own family’s scripture study.
“Let’s be honest, at times reading the scriptures it’s hard for the smaller ones to stay attentive,” the apostle said. “But when you put on one of those Book of Mormon videos, they are up front and center on the screen watching what’s happening. It’s good material for families of all faiths and it has the great ultimate benefit that it brings people closer to their Savior and Heavenly Father.”
Recent Latter-day Saint converts have said the Book of Mormon videos were a part of their conversion process, said Elder LeGrand Curtis, Jr., a General Authority Seventy who also served as chair of the committee that oversees the Book of Mormon Video project.
“Some of the feedback that touches me most deeply is from people who have joined the church,” Elder Curtis said. “ I think it’s helpful to have the visual image and the sound, not as a replacement for the Book of Mormon, but being able to have it supplement and draw them into the book.”
The Book of Mormon videos have hit the mark, according to Sister Anette Dennis, recently called as the new first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency.
“Everyone I have talked to is just blown away by these videos. In my little circle, my grandchildren love them,” she said. “This helps so much our younger generation who may have trouble sitting down and reading the Book of Mormon. Even around the world, there are people that have limited reading skills, or they are visual learners, but especially for children ... it helps the Book of Mormon come to life for them.”
First assistant director Jason Allred works on the final filming season of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ production of the Book of Mormon videos at the LDS Motion Picture Studios South in Provo on Friday, June 17, 2022.
Laura Seitz, Deseret News
The overall Book of Mormon video project
Multiple church departments have collaborated under the direction of church leaders to create the Book of Mormon videos, which are intended to support and enhance study of the Book of Mormon, not detract from or replace the book. The videos should also serve as a resource for members, missionaries and friends of other faiths.
The Book of Mormon videos are and will continue to be available for free online and through the Book of Mormon app.
When completed, the Book of Mormon videos will span five seasons and include 45 episodes. They will be translated into 15 languages (Cantonese, Cebuano, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Tagalog and Tongan) with audio narration and subtitles.
Making the videos available in multiple languages was essential, Elder Rasband said.
“This is not just an English-only project,” the apostle said. “When you think of the worldwide nature of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve felt very strongly that these videos needed to be available to everyone and most of the world in its own language. ... We are a worldwide church and these videos are being done for our members and the friends of our church everywhere.”
So far the videos have received more than 50 million views online, according to ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Timeline of Book of Mormon video series
The church started filming the Book of Mormon accounts of Lehi’s family at its Jerusalem set near Goshen in the summer of 2017.
More scenes focused on Nephi, his brother Jacob and Enos were filmed in Hobble Creek Canyon, near Springville in 2018.
Book of Mormon stories involving key figures such as Abinadi and King Noah were filmed in 2019.