Witness film. Got your tickets?

[Hagoth]

This month's FAIR newlsetter subject is, "The Witness film needs our support."

This thing is opening in 350 theaters. Who's paying for it? I am far from blown away by the trailer.

[2bizE]

What is it about? Is it Oliver witnessing Joseph and Fanny in the barn? If it is the 3/8 witnesses, I hope it shows them using their spiritual eyes. I have no desire to see this in theaters....

[wtfluff]

Got your tickets?

Nope. Not a chance.

Well... I guess I could be persuaded to view said propaganda if I were PAID to go see it.

Mind-altering substances would help too.

[LSOF]

It will be just like God's Not Dead, except with a much smaller and more niche audience.

[jfro18]

This feels like one of those releases that will be seen by the diehards but talked about by everyone for a short period before it's forgotten.

The trailer makes it look like it will address some of the problems with the stories (it looks like they have clips of historians/apologists talking), but I have a feeling they'll do it in a way that doesn't expose anyone to the real problems.

I'm sure they'll cover the First Vision, but which one? Same with the priesthood restoration... and on and on and on.

[moksha]

I really want to see this, but I will need to wait until it is on KBYU or YouTube.

[Hagoth]

It will be just like God's Not Dead, except with a much smaller and more niche audience.

It will mostly be seen by people who are told, like the people who read the FAIR newsletter, "you need to support this." I predict a massive flop. It won't be like Meet the People Formerly Known as Mormons, where church leaders were pretty much ordering people to go, and stakes were buying out entire theaters.

[jfro18]

And not to be a jerk, but getting the movie in 350 theaters is extremely cheap and easy right now given that there are only a few new movies currently in theaters and they'd be happy to take anything that could bring in some foot traffic.

[Red Ryder]

350 theaters?

One 7:00 PM Monday night showing...

Should be a sale out in every stake in the US.


Geez, we are cynical aren’t we?

[nibbler]

Mind-altering substances would help too.

Isn't that the goal of the film?

[wtfluff]

I really want to see this, but I will need to wait until it is on KBYU or YouTube.

I'm going to hold out for the VHS release.

Isn't that the goal of the film?

I don't think reinforcing believers' confirmation bias does much mind altering TBH.

[Stig]

Battlefield Earth, Part 2.

[Ghost]

I knew that the printer's manuscript showed all of the witnesses' signatures in Oliver Cowdery's handwriting, and some have seen this as evidence that the witnesses never actually signed anything themselves. But I guess the apologetic claim is that they all signed the original manuscript, which was in the cornerstone of the Nauvoo House until water damage destroyed the part that would have included the signatures.

There's a note on the Joseph Smith Papers site that I'm not sure what to make of in light of the above:

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper ... y-1830/468

Joseph F. Smith and Orson Pratt pointed out to Whitmer in 1878 that the signatures on the witness pages were copied and not original signatures, whereupon Smith suggested “that perhaps there were two copies of the manuscript, But Mr. Whitmer replied that according to the best of his Knowledge there never was but the one copy.” Following an inspection of the manuscript in 1884, James H. Hart reported a conversation with Whitmer, wherein Hart stated “that it looked very much as though it was the original copy,” going on to explain that “it would in fact take considerable more evidence than I had seen to convince me that it was not the original and only written copy.” Whitmer responded in the affirmative, “I know, positively, that it is so.” (J. F. Smith to J. Taylor et al., 17 Sept. 1878; James H. Hart, “About the Book of Mormon,” Deseret Evening News [Salt Lake City], 25 Mar. 1884, [2].)

[lostinmiddlemormonism]

With a name like that I would have thought it might be about the Jehovah's Witnesses. I mean really, who thought of this as the name!?!

-lost

[Corsair]

Thanks for the warning. I will cautiously anticipate which extended family member is excited to see this film and wants to invite me. But why bother when it I anticipate it will be available on DVD for $15 at the FAIR conference this year? And then for free on BYUTV.com next year?

[stuck]

Daniel Petersen is one of the executive producers so you know it has a very apologetic spin on it right?

[Stig]

Daniel Petersen is one of the executive producers so you know it has a very apologetic spin on it right?

It's been his vanity project from the beginning.

[MoPag]

I hope no one mistakes it for a remake of the Harrison Ford Amish movie from like the 90s(ish?)

They are going to be so disappointed.

[moksha]

Here is a small scene from the movie involving Fanny Alger (the girl from the barn) and the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Bank. Don't look for historical accuracy or good acting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reuwmhC2i4o

[græy]

Here is a small scene from the movie involving Fanny Alger (the girl from the barn) and the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Bank. Don't look for historical accuracy or good acting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reuwmhC2i4o

Awww man. I was going to look for the historical inaccuracy and bad acting. But the video has been taken down!