Accuracy in Children's Films: A Problem?

I have grown up watching the Animated Stories from the Book of Mormon, The Greatest Adventure Series, and other similar films and think they are amazing learning tools for children. However, I have heard it argued that such films can be problematic and even detrimental to a child’s learning because they are not completely “accurate.” I have heard one person point out that once a child in her ward bore his testimony about something or someone that was in the movie but not in the scriptures. Such people believe these films can be confusing to children and therefore shouldn't be watched.

Similarly I know people who will not watch such movies as The Patriot or Pearl Harbor because they aren’t totally "accurate." As a history major, and therefore one who is almost obsessed with facts and checking and re-checking sources, I still believe that as long as they don’t blatantly change the story or change the doctrine…WHO CARES. If movies like The Patriot and Pearl Harbor inspire me to love my country and honor those who gave their lives in battle I think the movie has done its job. Similarly, if animated scripture stories instill in me a positive outlook on and a love of the scriptures (rather than thinking they are boring as many children probably do) I believe they have accomplished their mission. Recently in class we watched the film "A Time for Sowing" in which parents were charged with the responsibility of teaching their children gospel principles rather than relying solely on church and other auxiliaries. This is nothing new. Leaders of the church have always placed this responsibility on parents. So also we should not rely on a film to teach our children what is in the scriptures. It is a parent's duty to make sure children can distinguish between the cartoon and the actual scriptures. Although I don't see much that would have to be distinguished in the first place. why are we expecting a 5 year old, or even a 10 year old, to be an expert on the scriptures and what is accurate and inaccurate?

I also know these videos can be powerful missionary tools because I have seen it first hand. For example, my former cross country coach in Las Vegas recently bought the Bible movies for his 6 year old son because he saw how much he knew about the Bible simply from watching the videos with his friends.

With these videos children begin learning the scriptures at a much younger age than they otherwise would have because they make learning fun by using mediums children enjoy. If these films can instill in my future children a love of the scriptures and of learning (which I believe they can) then I will make sure I have them in my home.

Is media needed/useful for gospel instruction and propagation?

Last week we began the fourth wave of Mormon Cinema which has been characterized as the "Mass Media Era." One of the films we watched, and the one which will serve as the catalyst for the topic of my post, was "Where Jesus Walked." This film was produced by the BYU Motion Picture Studio in 1978. Its production was the crowning event of the long film career of Director Scott Whitaker. It was filmed on location at such places as Jerusalem, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, and others. As the film goes to each location a narrator gives gives insights into the life of Jesus Christ and reads scriptures associated with each site. Paintings by Harry Anderson are also strategically used in the film to continually bring the readers mind back to the days of Jesus and picture him walking in the modern places being shown.

This brings me to the discussion we had in class and which I would like to further discuss here. The question was raised, "Is it necessary to have a film about the life of Jesus? Does it help us better understand the scriptures? What about all those people in earlier days who understood the scriptures just fine without film? It has been said that film is the language we speak today. People in all ages of the world have had a need to understand the world around them, and they used whatever means available to do so. Film is one of the mediums we use to understand our world today. Films can connect us to the past, present, and future by transporting our thoughts to something/somewhere other than our present situation. Films such as "Where Jesus Walked" can in some ways connect us to the life of Jesus and make the stories we read more meaningful. I think seeing the scenes discussed in the New Testament on screen can be helpful in my study of the gospel. For instance seeing the Sea of Galilee in a low valley with choppy waves makes the story of the disciples waking Jesus to save them from the brutal waves all the more believable.

Also, I believe the church recognizes the importance of using different mediums to help spread the message of the restored gospel. They seem to always be in the forefront of new media technologies. This is evidenced by the fact that BYU was one of the first universities to establish a motion picture studio, second only to USC. Also, they recognized immediately the success of Walt Disney studios and traveled to their headquarters to learn their techniques. Just recently at the BYU-Hawaii campus M. Russell Ballard asked students to use new media such as blogs, Facebook, YouTube, and others to participate in a worldwide conversation about the church. Many think that because the leaders of the church are often older men they don't know what's going on, well they do and they know that the media can be a powerful tool in spreading the gospel.




We also watched a 1970 film from a series entitled, "The Church in Action," a film reminiscent of the church's "World News Report" of today. The film showed members of the church from around the world, gave statistics on church membership, and introduced the viewer to new and old leaders of the church and their respective duties. The church has grown rapidly since the days of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. No longer is ours a Utah church with most of its members living in the Western United States. My great-grandfather has a couple of books given to him (and apparently the entire church) for Christmas that were signed by the First Presidency. Such a gesture would be impossible today, with membership numbering over 12 million. Today there are more members outside the United States than in and a person can go their entire life without ever seeing the prophet in person. As the church spreads and its members potentially become more disconnected than in times past, films such as "The Church in Action" can serve an important purpose in re-establishing ties with members in distant lands. It's a way for members to get to know the leaders of the church as well as be informed of the church's activities and growth. Because film is the language we speak today I think it will and must be continually used as a means for gospel instruction as well as a means to connect members of the church.