Editor's note: This article was originally published in May 2022 and has been updated.
In a notice sent to bishoprics and branch presidencies in the Nauvoo Temple District, Los Angeles Area, New York Area, and Chicago Area, the Church has announced auditions for a new film about the story of the building of the Nauvoo Temple. This new film will follow the struggles and triumphs of the Saints through the eyes of Church members in Nauvoo in the 1840s who lived the temple-building experience on a daily basis.
Principal characters in the new film will include:
Bithia Fordham: Her father, Elijah Fordham, was one of the original carvers of the Nauvoo Temple baptismal oxen. She was one of the first Church members to receive her endowments in the temple and eventually moved west to Utah.
Elijah Fordham: Bithia’s father and an early member of the Church who lost his wife and raised his daughter in Nauvoo while assisting with the construction of the temple.
William Jones: He carved the first moonstone for the temple and worked on the temple until the exterior was finished.
Elizabeth Jones: She was the wife of William Jones and one of the earliest members of the Relief Society. She was known for her work supporting the temple builders and their families.
William Clayton: He emigrated to Nauvoo from England in 1840 and served as a clerk and scribe to Joseph Smith from 1842 to 1844. His journals and writings were key in documenting the early church in Nauvoo.
The film will be shot on location in Nauvoo in Fall 2022 and early 2023 and will be directed by the filmmaker behind other Church projects like The Hope of God’s Light and Your Great Adventure.
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