Meridian Magazine :: Arts : Work and the Glory: American Zion Shows Joseph as Prophet and Man

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By Rebecca Walker Clarke

The Work and the Glory: American Zion, the second film in the series, opened nationwide on October 21. It hit more than 80 markets in more than 200 theaters. I got to see it in Provo, Utah on Monday night with my husband and our seven- and four-year-old daughters. Apparently we weren’t the only ones to decide on having Family Home Evening at the movies: the theater was packed.

The Work and the Glory films, based on the novels by Gerald N. Lund, have the advantage of the largest budget to date in the popular LDS film genre. American Zion alone cost almost 7 million to produce, and entire towns were built in eastern Tennessee for the shooting.

Although the first film in the series was generally well received among LDS church members, it also received some negative press for being too preachy in spots, containing a handful of trite one-liners, and portraying Joseph Smith as somewhat aloof.

Sterling Van Wagenen, the director of American Zion and the upcoming film in the series, A House Divided, has a fresh vision for the films: to create for audiences a Joseph Smith who is both human and in communication with the divine.

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Like a candle, the film illuminates the lives of Joseph Smith and others who lived during the Prophet’s time.

Van Wagenen and screenwriter Matt Whitaker (Saints and Soldiers, 2003), both new to The Work and the Glory films, do just that. When I asked one moviegoer what stood out to him from the movie he responded, "The writer and director showed Joseph Smith as a man that you could meet on the street and not know that he was a prophet. I could see his humorous side along with his tender, caring side that he showed his wife and the saints" (Nick Smith).

American Zion consistently tightens the gap between Prophet and man. The story opens with the marriage of Lydia and Nathan Steed, where we see Joseph light-heartedly urge the groom to kiss the bride, then lean in and confide, "In the spirit of prophecy, I want to tell you that this union will one day heal your family in Zion. But that but won’t be here in Palmyra."

The movie humanizes Joseph without downplaying his power. At one point Joseph is working on the temple alongside his friends, and then he heals a woman with a "stricken" hand (this was a highlight in the movie for my children, and even to me it seemed real). Throughout the film Joseph alternately acts as Prophet and friend to the fictional Steed family.

Joshua Steed, the proverbial prodigal son and Nathan’s older brother, leads an almost parallel, albeit destructive, version of his brother’s life in this movie. Both marry, both have a child. Both hold opposing viewpoints of the Church. The story of the conflicted Steed family is set against the historical backdrop of the Saints search for Zion and their drive into the West.

And the drive West isn’t pretty. My seven-year-old whispered to me at one point, "I wish it weren’t so harsh." My four-year-old closed her eyes during some of it. The PG-13 rating on this film should have made me as wary as it does with non-LDS films. Many of scenes are dark, and the movie does cover some depressing ground. But through that grim reality of frozen and bleeding feet, and mobs and militia and tar and death, there are bright moments that lift the film to an enjoyable place.

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The drive West was described by one young viewer as “harsh.”

The audience I was a part of laughed out loud when hearing Ben Steed mistakenly refer to Brigham Young as "Bingham," and during the realistic family prayer scene where MaryAnn Steed, without skipping a beat or even opening her eyes, redirects her young son to reverence. There’s even a moment where a mob leader starts to delineate loudly how many members there are, and then gets stumped on the math. More than just giddy at all of us being together, these moments are legitimately funny.

Historical inaccuracies are a moot point to me when it comes to enjoying the movie. We know this is historical fiction, and as audience member Gene Robison said, "There’s enough fact mixed with the fiction to keep it interesting." While we may raise an eyebrow about the exact timing of baby Joseph’s death or wish some of the real-life drama with Zion’s Camp had been included, the version of the story that is told is told well.

This movie is a success. I heard one audience member express, "I just wish it wouldn’t end." The acting is solid, sets picturesque, writing strong, characters genuine. Joseph Smith comes across as Van Wagenen hoped: inspired, likeable, real.

My friend Liz Thomas said it best, "In this movie Joseph shows fury, loss, anguish, and faith ... making him seem almost like your neighbor." The Work and the Glory: American Zion works at closing up the gap between Prophet and man, and left our Monday night audience applauding.