An Adventure with the Missionaries

Last Saturday, Rose and I gave the missionaries and a young woman they are teaching a ride to the DC Temple visitor's center for a tour and to see the Joseph Smith movie. In order for this to make sense, you must first know that the young woman is living with a member of our ward and is here from Japan to study English.

Not at all by coincidence, there was a Japanese sister at the visitor's center. So, we had the tour in Japanese and saw the movie in Japanese.

Most of the movies I've seen in Japanese usually involve ninjas, samurai, or a combination of the two. So it was difficult for me not to be disappointed/confused about some of the things that happened in the film. For example, the scene where Joseph rebukes the guards in Liberty Jail is a famous story that depicts the power of the prophet as he silenced the men while he stood behind bars and in chains.

Well, for me, the Japanese voices they choice for the goons, and the powerful voice they chose for the prophet, combined with the camera angles they chose, made me expect the chains to snap, Joseph to karate chop his way out of the bars and then samurai slash the goons ala Beatrice Kiddo. Of course, that didn't happen. That period of American history and costumery combined with the Japanese dubbing also got me thinking that it was a steampunk, alternate universe where the Japanese had conquered the world and so everyone in 19th century america spoke Japanese, but looked like anglos. Anyway, this probably has more to do with the kinds of Japanese movies I like, rather than anything about the Joseph Smith movie.

One more thing about the film that doesn't have anything to do with the Japanese dubbing. The film ended with the assassination in Carthage jail, which was (and always is) quite a moving scene because it reminds me of who Joseph was and what he did for the world through the power of Christ. I think everyone who believes feels some sort of special attachment to the prophet, and so reevaluating his death is usually an emotional and spiritual experience. However, the last scene cut the feeling short for me.

As the scene is ending, the camera goes towards and then out the window, pointing up into the sky and the sun while heroic music plays in the background. For me, the emotional effect was great. I felt a connection, I remembered my testimony of Joseph, but then a transparent profile of Joseph's head appears in the clouds and then turns and looks into the camera. This instantly made me think of this...

... which made me laugh.

Even still, there was a lovely spirit throughout the whole film, and we had a good conversation afterwards where we got to tell the young woman why we were members of the church, and why we believed in God. It was nice to bear testimony and share what I believe and what makes me happy with someone else. I think she really enjoyed the visit and the Japanese sister is going to begin teaching her, so I think that will be a huge help. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.