Posted by:
baura
(
)
Date: July 15, 2012 12:20AM
I have a fantasy of a three-part miniseries about the life of JS. I even have the title: "Lust for Glory."
First night, 2 hours: Palmyra, treasure digging, Claiming the angel Nephi appeared to him (yes, you read it right). Alvin's death, the big revival of 1924-25, his 1826 trial for being a "glass looker," marrying Emma, "translating" the Book of Mormon and starting the Church. I would make sure that it was shown that the Indians being of Jewish descent was a popular idea of the time (View of the Hebrews etc.) but would not actually show Joseph reading VOTH.
Second night. 2 hours. Ohio and Missouri: Sidney Rigdon. move to Kirtland, move to Missouri, Missouri war, extermination order, escape from Liberty jail, Kirtland temple (which would be nothing like current "temple" practices--dancing in the temple for example), "polygamy" starting with Fanny Alger, buying the mummies and papyri and beginning "translating" the Book of Abraham. Kirtland anti-Banking scandal, The great apostasy from the Church over it and JS changing revelations, and leaving the area for . . .
Third night: Nauvoo. John C. Bennet, William Law. Nauvoo Legion, introducing polygamy to his confidents. The anointed Quorum, secretly talking teen-age girls into his "polygamy" practice, Masonry-Endowment ceremony, the lid comes off polygamy, Joseph's bragadoccio speeches, Nauvoo Enquirer, Trouble with Emma, Joseph goes to Carthage and dies in a gun battle.
I would try to make everything as historically accurate as possible. I would not show any actual visitations or plates (except under a cloth) and have all miraculous occurances happen "offstage" so the viewer can make up their mind if it was real or not. However there would be NO mention of the first vision in episode 1 since the historical record doesn't mention it until much later.
I think non-Mormons would find it fascinating and find Joseph Smith a flawed but symphathetic character (kinda like Tony Soprano). Mormons would call it a hatchet job. Either way it would be one hell of a series and all of it historical! There's enough sex, violence, intrigue and passionate action to easily fill 7 hours.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2012 12:24AM by baura.