Wesley Avery and Dr. Eric Dursteler, History Department
In the late-1980’s, a film was made about a murder among the Amish, and an FBI special agent sent to investigate. The Italian translation to the movie used the term mormoni for the Amish. As a missionary for the LDS Church in Italy, I often encountered those who believed Mormons to be people who do not use electricity, who have large beards, etc.
A picture is worth a thousand words. While that may be cliché, it is valid when speaking of well-made documentaries. In a generation that gets their information from late-night talk shows, it is hard to find those with a good grasp on factual history. With good research and a well thought-out script, a documentary can be made that will accurately and interestingly present the history of the LDS Church in Italy to audiences here, there, and throughout the world.
I approached the research with the intention of writing in an academic style. I think proceeding as though I were writing a research paper gave me a more solid ground from which I could begin writing. I used primary sources heavily, leaving myself as writer/director as transparent as possible in the storytelling process. By doing so, I hoped to be able to tell the history in a faith-promoting way, but also so that those who are not LDS will gain an understanding of the church and its members. I rather enjoyed such an idea. Journals are usually quite descriptive. Lorenzo Snow, while serving as the first missionary in Italy, wrote letters to his sister. Many of these letters have been compiled in a booklet, and they convey first-hand his feelings as a missionary. Personal stories give viewers the opportunity to relate to the subject matter on a more personal level. It makes the development of the church in Italy more relevant to their own lives, regardless of cultural heritage or religious affiliation.
After careful consideration of the historical data, I became a bit frustrated. There were many good stories to tell, and it was difficult to narrow it down to only a few, while still giving an accurate historical picture. I decided to divide the idea into four main categories: The arrival of the church in Italy (also known as the first mission), influential Italian members of the early church, the second mission, and the future of the church, providing examples of each.
Recent developments in the LDS Church in Italy deserve, I feel, considerable attention. Missionaries old and more recent have longed to see the day that a temple would be built in Italy. While serving as a missionary in Milan, Italy, it was a daily goal to do our part in bringing a temple to Italy. Five stakes are required for a temple to be built and, at the time, Italy had only three stakes. In the summer of 2005, a stake was announced and created in Rome. Another is expected to be announced soon in Turin. The growth of the LDS Church in Italy is increasing exponentially. It seems now that the goal of a temple is a possibility. This is an exciting and important time in the development of the LDS Church in Italy.
The purpose of this grant was to make it possible for me to write a script and plan the production of a documentary on the history of the LDS Church in Italy. That purpose was fulfilled. The ultimate goal of the script was to carry out the production of such a documentary. Unfortunately, the actual production and completion of such a documentary is still financially out of reach. It would require months of work, as well as equipment and travel. I do not have enough resources to put the grant to use at this time, but hopefully in the near future I can reach my