A Walk in Her Sandals: Creating BoM Videos

As Nephite and Lamanite warriors filming the “Book of Mormon Videos” on Oahu last August 2022, BYU-Hawaii students and staff recalled their experiences as great witnesses. They said that portraying their characters and depicting the young warriors' battle scene allowed them to get into their shoes and appreciate the biblical event more.

The film is now uploaded to YouTube and is titled “Helaman's Stripling Soldiers Fight for Freedom.” The students said filming lasted four days from Aug. 24 to 27 at Gunstock Ranch in Kahuku. They encouraged everyone to use the video for their personal study of the Book of Mormon.

Representation of the young warriors

Zach Stackhouse, a political science major from Utah, said being cast as a young warrior scout deepened his understanding of what it's like to be in the role of a young warrior.

“We were given sandals and [animallike] Skin clothing to wear,” he said as they prepared to film the battle scene between the young warriors and the Lamanites. “To be honest, it wasn’t pleasant,” he said. “I remember filming a marching scene and a running scene about 20 times. “These sandals were not comfortable while running and were cutting into my feet,” he explained.

Stackhouse said he initially thought how horrific his experience was, but shortly afterward he received a glimpse of the ghost. “I felt the spirit telling me, 'Now imagine how much worse it was for them when they were actually running for their lives from the Lamanites,'” he said.

Stackhouse said he was physically tired, not from running for his life, but from filming. He said the exhaustion he felt helped him understand the thoughts of the warriors.

BYUH Student Life Vice President Kala Kau said filming the biblical event with the students was unforgettable for him. “I knew what a difference it could make to be able to not only read the scriptures but also visualize them and engage in these scenes,” he said.

As a Lamanite warrior, Kau said the experience strengthened his testimony of the Book of Mormon and made him appreciate the young warriors. “Watching these fight scenes firsthand, even though it was just acting, made me think of their sacrifices,” he said.

“They were defenders of their faith and fought for their families and their God, even in the face of opposition and mortal danger,” he said. Seeing how it was staged and portrayed was impressive, he added.

Sirawit Kitwongpak, a BYUH graduate majoring in accounting, said he enjoyed being a part of the film even though he was young and inexperienced for the role. As one of the young warriors, Kitwongpak said the role inspired him to be more loyal. Just like them: “I dare to be courageous, obey the Prophet and trust in God even when I face difficult situations,” he said.

Gain new perspectives

Stackhouse said he was given a few lines in the scene telling the character portraying Helaman that the Nephites would no longer be persecuted by the Lamanites. “I remember the directors explaining to me the scene where the Nephites knelt in prayer and thanked God for their preservation,” he said.

He said the directors told him how the Nephites were saved thanks to mothers and perhaps sisters who prayed that they would be well and not be killed. “It was something I never gave much thought to, and it affected me deeply,” he said.

“We place so much value on the young men coming out of the war, and we have no idea what was going through the minds of their mothers who had already lost their husbands to the Lamanites,” Stackhouse said. “Now they are afraid that they might lose their sons too,” he continued.

According to Stackhouse, when people read the story of the 2,060 young warriors as one of the greatest events in scripture in the Book of Mormon, they end up getting used to hearing the miracle. When he filmed the battle scene, he said the directors told them that the young warriors, who were probably between 12 and 16 years old at the time, were going up against full-grown adult Lamanites.

“We had another actor and nicknamed him 'Smalls.' He was really young, like a 12-year-old boy,” Stackhouse said. He said they shot a scene where the boy fought one of the biggest Polynesian boys they had on set.

“As I stood there preparing for these fake battle scenes, I realized how much bigger and stronger all the Lamanites seemed to me. I remember looking at us and saying, 'We look like ants running to attack a giant,'” Stackhouse said.

He said the scene made him visualize and put into perspective how powerful the miracle was that not a single one of the young warriors was killed.

A great resource for scripture study

Kau said, “The reason for this [the Church] does that [Book of Mormon videos] is to bear witness to Jesus Christ and help spread the message of the book.”

“I really appreciate the church putting so much effort into producing this [Book of Mormon] “We want to improve videos and make them more accessible,” he said. “These are great resources and high quality production,” he added.

Kitwongpak shared that he also used the Book of Mormon videos for his personal study and family home evenings. He said it was also more entertaining to watch than read.

“I felt like the videos allowed people to do that sometimes [ponder] and the background music makes me feel better,” he said.

Stackhouse said he wants his fellow students to remember that these stories are not fiction. The Book of Mormon videos allow students to better understand the event and empathize with the situation, he said. “I think a blessing that would come from using it is the ability to personalize it.”

“We are taught to compare the scriptures with ourselves,” Stackhouse said. “When we watch a movie and we can see the emotions on a character's face, we can put ourselves in their shoes and maybe think about what I would have done here, what I would have done differently, and think about all of that.” Help that the Lord gives,” he said.