Plates

For our RS Birthday celebration tonight we got to hear the star of several Joseph Smith movies speak about his experiences.  Dustin Harding.

He spoke about his early desires to be an actor and his parents' support in that dream.

When he was to audition for the part in the Church movie of the First Vision, he spent time fasting and praying that the actor chosen would be the one the Lord would wish to have bring the Spirit to the film.  Dustin went through many stages of audition fasting and praying not to get the role, but that the proper actor would be selected.  He was humbled to have been chosen.

He said he was directed by the General Authority who interviewed him that he would not only need to live his life in accordance with the Gospel during the filming, but that it would be his duty for the rest of his life.  He said he has felt that responsibility earnestly and has taken that direction to heart.  He wants very much for people to always feel the goodness of Joseph Smith.

Dustin Harding spoke about small miracles that occurred during filming such as how the crew was never able to get the mechanical lighting to look right in the scene when Heavenly Father and Jesus appeared in the grove.  However, on the last day of filming they relied completely on nature and the lighting was absolutely perfect for the filming.

He also said that when the director toyed with putting in the experience of being overcome by a darkness in the grove, that the clouds gathered and the rain poured keeping them from filming that part of the story completely.  They took the hint and left that out of the film altogether.

Dustin Harding
Film(s)

• [2003] The Book of Mormon Movie
• [2004] The Restoration DVD
• [2005] Praise to the Man
• [currently] Plates of Gold

He bore his testimony of the First Vision and of Joseph Smith with tears and with conviction.  It was a good evening.  A really good evening.