liwib525 This movie was beautifully made. It made me cry. Joseph Smith truly was the prophet of the last dispensation.Watching this movie genuinely increased my testimony and my faith in Jesus Christ. While watching this movie, I realized the struggles that Joseph Smith went through in his life. Not only did he struggle, but the pain and suffering his family went through as well is truly inspiring.By watching this I know that I can have a stronger faith to emulate the strength of Joseph Smith.I highly recommend this movie.

smith-emma12 Excellent film if you want to understand the like of Joseph Smith and the context of his life experiences. A very moving film about an incredible and unique American figure that is not well understood. Regardless of your faith, you will come away with a newfound appreciation for the devotion and resilience of early Mormon concerts and their dedication to what they believed to be true, in spite of intense persecution and suffering. Mob attacks, their homes and cities burned to the ground, women raped, children shout and killed and yet they were devoted still. Smith himself endured mockery and scorn from even good friends , tar and feathering, beatings, jail time without trial and much more.Excellent script, beautiful cinematography, and you will find yourself laughing more than once. Watch it, you won't regret it.

carrie-163 This is one of the most spiritual movies I have ever seen. I headed up with about 150 people to St. George and we saw this movie in the visiting center of the St. George temple.. Not one person had dry eyes in the audience. Also, there were some non- religious and anti-Mormon people in the audience who felt the spirit of the movie and were touched by the captivating music and reenactment of the story of the pioneers and the hardships they faced because of their beliefs.I recommend this movie for anyone who wishes to understand more about Joseph and the hardships that the pioneers went through. After all, it is apart of American History.

dpeters911 I personally loved how crisp the picture was and how beautiful many of the nature shots were. The cinematography was simply superb.Acting was quite well done: especially for the younger Joseph Smith, Jr. and his brother Alvin. Emma plays her role in the film quite beautifully.However, this is film was woefully short of historical accuracy. I cannot recommend it for serious students of the LDS Church and the life of Joseph Smith.My three big gripes: 1) Portrayal of Joseph and Emma's Marriage In reality, Joseph and Emma's marriage was severely strained (quite early in the relationship I might add). Polygamy deeply drove a rift between Emma and Joseph. As early as 1833, Joseph Smith began practicing polygamy. The first incident set a pattern for following relationships:Around 1833, Emma and Joseph adopted a young Fanny Alger into their household. Emma loved the dear girl and -for a while- everyone approved of the Smith household. However, Joseph took Fanny Alger as his wife in private. When Emma discovered this, she threw the girl out of the house. Many of the townsfolk had already grown suspicious of Joseph's behaviour with the young girl and were confirmed by Emma's broken heart.A more accurate portrayal of Emma would have acknowledge her personal suffering and loss. Not a word creeps into the film that confirms Joseph was involved in polygamy - despite having married around 31 women in his lifetime.2) Joseph's Character The film, especially in regards to my last statement, avoids the questionable aspects of Joseph's character and history. I understand why the LDS church does this but I am dismayed. Joseph's illegal bank at Kirtland, failed presidency attempt, his personal pride (read the Official History of the Church for examples), criminal history as a youth (he was charged with fraud and glass-looking after conning a near-by farmer as a youth), etc. Very little of the film shows a balanced portrayal of Joseph Smith, Jr. The best history is accurate history: not such a whitewashed presentation.In all, the film is beautiful... but is a beautiful fiction. As a film that in many respects was trying to portray a historical Joseph Smith, it failed.