Church Hopes to Expand Reach of Joseph Smith Movie on Hulu

Contributed By By Camille West, ChurchofJesusChrist.org Church News

Article Highlights The Church film Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration is now on Hulu.

It is the first Church-owned film to penetrate a major distribution channel.

Watch and rate the movie to make it more accessible to nonmembers.

“We hope members will make the movie part of their personal and family worship as well as part of their missionary efforts. Watch and rate the movie on Hulu, share the trailer on Facebook, and encourage friends and family to learn more about the founder of our faith by watching it.” —Devin Shelley, marketing director

Millions of people now have access to the Church-produced movie honoring the Prophet Joseph Smith who was born on Dec. 23, 1805.

Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration, is now available for the first time on Hulu.

The Joseph Smith movie is the first Church film to penetrate an exclusive, major distribution channel like Hulu, where some 4 million subscribers can watch on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, web content, and other new media through media devices (Roku, Apple TV), gaming consoles (Xbox, PlayStation), smartphones and tablets, and other devices that connect to the Internet.

According to Devin Shelley, marketing director for the Church’s Publishing Services Department, the availability of the film on Hulu is significant. Not only can members of the Church watch Church Internet content on their television screen, but more people who are not LDS now have an opportunity to watch and learn more about the Church.

Brother Shelley said Church members can help promote the film.

Members who watch, leave comments, and rate the movie on Hulu make it more visible and findable for nonmembers, Shelley explained. “We hope members will make the movie part of their personal and family worship as well as part of their missionary efforts. Watch and rate the movie on Hulu, share the trailer on Facebook, and encourage friends and family to learn more about the founder of our faith by watching it.”

The current version of the movie is actually an updated version of the 2005 film originally shown in many visitors’ centers. The updated version was revised to be more understandable to a wider audience. The movie explains the concept of modern prophets, the purpose of temples, the eternal nature of family relationships, and Joseph’s Smith’s life and mission as a modern-day prophet.

“Our hope is that people who aren’t familiar with the story will come away with an increased understanding of the role Joseph Smith played in restoring the Church of Jesus Christ,” said John Garbett, who produced the new movie.

The film Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration is about Joseph’s Smith’s life and mission as a modern-day prophet.

The movie, told from the viewpoint of Joseph Smith’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith, “is as much a story about a mother’s son as the founder of a major worldwide religion,” Shelley said.

“Lucy Mack Smith was an eyewitness to everything that happened,” said Garbett. “This is a mother talking about her son in her own words.”

You can find Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration on Hulu by searching in the religious section or searching for “restoration.”

You can find Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration on Hulu by searching in the religious section or searching for “restoration.”