A new documentary short film detailing the Vision of the Redemption of the Dead as received by sixth Church president Joseph F. Smith will premiere on BYUtv at 9 a.m. on April 7, 2019.
“I Saw the Hosts of the Dead,” created by BYU professor Kevin Kelly and a host of talented students and actors, explores the life of President Smith and how his personal grief and tragedies were deeply connected to the revelation, now canonized the Doctrine and Covenants. President M. Russell Ballard, the great-grandson of President Smith, was interviewed for the film, alongside many others.
Kelly told the BYU School of Communications he hoped viewers would be able to find comfort and peace, just as President Smith did.
“I hope they can really place themselves in the shoes of President Smith and understand what he was going through and get a sense of that time a hundred years ago,” he said. “With all that suffering and all that sadness, this beautiful vision of life and hope was given.”
The 30-minute piece airing on BYUtv is a shortened version for General Conference weekend; no news is available on if the longer feature will be made available at another time.
You can watch the trailer for the documentary below.
