What Filming the Book of Mormon Videos Taught Me about God’s Love

Serving a mission in India was a special experience for me, in part because my mom is Indian. Although my mission required a lot of adjustments, adapting to the culture wasn’t one of them—and I knew that India was the place where I was supposed to serve.

But as much as I knew about the culture, it was still eye-opening to see both the faith and the struggles of the Church members in India. Their culture is heavily based in oral traditions, and they are a very visual people in their communication and learning, so the Book of Mormon videos formed the basis of their scripture study. They could feel the truthfulness of the stories as they watched them.

What I saw on my mission was a series of small, personal miracles that testified that Heavenly Father knows and loves each of us individually. The Book of Mormon videos were inspired—a way for Heavenly Father’s message to reach His children who wouldn’t be able to receive it any other way.

So when my sister emailed me while I was still on my mission and asked if I wanted to apply to be an extra in later videos, I knew that it would be a great opportunity to learn more about the project that had helped those I taught gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon.

Scenes about the Savior

I’ve imagined Christ’s visit to the Nephites countless times, so it’s no surprise that filming this amazing part of 3 Nephi was my favorite moment on set. The actor portrayed Christ just as the scriptures described him: reaching out to the people “one by one until they had all gone forth” (3 Nephi 11:15). He lifted them; He wiped away their tears; He reached out to embrace the little children—He did whatever each person needed in that moment.

Participating in that scene helped me gain a greater appreciation of Christ’s love for the Nephites. Although I was acting as just a background character, I tried to accurately depict what someone back then would have felt to be in the presence of the Savior. The people we read about in the Book of Mormon were real people with real struggles. I tried to imagine what they went through, what losses they might have suffered, and how these miracles might have showed them that God really does love all His children.

Feeling God’s Love

Stepping into the shoes of a Nephite strengthened my testimony and understanding of Book of Mormon stories. But perhaps just as important to my testimony was learning from the other actors. As a cast from all different backgrounds, we found that our paths crossed in miraculous ways and by divine design—showing me how God truly knows and loves us.

I felt His love for the Nephites as I learned more about them and their stories. I felt His love for His children in India, who He knew needed a way to learn more about the Book of Mormon. And I felt His love for every member of the cast as we came together and did our best to share our testimonies and bring these truths to life.

The powerful Spirit and love that permeated across the set gave me a real glimpse into what Zion is like (see 4 Nephi 1:17). It truly felt like heaven on earth to me.

My time on set taught me that we can minister the same way Christ did—to the one. As President Russell M. Nelson expressed, “A hallmark of the Lord’s true and living Church will always be an organized, directed effort to minister to individual children of God and their families.”¹

As we do what is right, knowing that we are children of God and knowing that everyone deserves to feel His love, we won’t ostracize people because of what they look like or because of how different they are from us. We can share with them what we know and be instruments in the Lord’s hands, sharing His love with everyone.

Note

1. Russell M. Nelson, “Ministering with the Power and Authority of God,” Liahona, May 2018, 69.