Mormon Temple Endowment Movie - Salamander Society

Temple Movie Characters	Original Actors 1969* Version also known as Project #134	Actors in more recent versions From mid 1970s to present	Dream Team Stand Ins
	Lena Tulaunen Rogers lives in Provo, Utah	Marilee runs marathons and lives in New York with husband Jon and has three children. ___________ Laurel Pugmire (seeking image for)	or
	Hank Kester played baseball for BYU	Jon Moe, originally from Orem, Utah, moved to New York to work as a model and to go to school at Columbia University where he graduated in English Literature and Fine Art. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, Marilee Moe (see her above) and has three children. His photographs have graced the pages of Glamour, Zink, and GQ. His fashion photography clients include Givenchy, Zoran, Cynthia Rowley, Danskin and Jockey. His photographs have been published in The Fashion Book, a 150 year survey of fashion (phaidon press) and Fashion Today by Colin McDowell, an illustrated survey of modern fashion, as well as the book, Fathers. ___________ James Adamson (seeking image for)
	Ron Fredrickson	Michael serves as General Director of the Utah Festival Opera, a company he founded in 1993. It has become one of the nation's major summer festivals, with growing national critical acclaim. Sterling is the co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival and has produced, directed and written many films. He co-produced "The Trip to Bountiful," which won an Academy Award for best actress for Geraldine Page and a nomination for best adapted screenplay.

	Spencer Palmer	Keith M Engar (seeking image of) Keith's activities in commercial radio in Salt Lake City, Utah led him into early television efforts there. Director of Radio and Television Services, University of Utah. 1954 - was in charge of the activation of KUED which he then managed. Served as the first head of the Educational Television Branch of the Federal Communications Commission.
	Gordon Jump deceased	Craig costello (seeking image of)
	Charles Metten works for Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City	Ivan Crosland (seeking image of)
	R. LeRoi Nelson	Bruce Moffit (seeking image of) 1990 John was played by Fred Hunting.
	Jesse runs Stay N' Alive - The Life and World of Jesse Stay and Came2Pass	Jesse also starred in later versions of the temple film.
	Lael J. Woodbury was dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications at BYU around 1974.	Lael J. Woodbury repeated voice in later versions
	Bryce Chamberlain	(Seeking names and images of Jehova's voice)

	Glen Shaw (Seeking image for)	Glen Shaw Also narrated later versions of temple film
	Directed by Judge Whitaker aka Wetzel O. Whitaker 1908 to 1985	Judge Whitaker also directed later versions of the film. Both the 1988 and the 1990 version of the film were directed by Peter Johnson, the head of the LDS Motion Picture Studio at the time.	or

* Before being retired, this film was shown during the Mormon temple endowment ceremony, one of the religious rites of the LDS Church. Since only Latter-Day Saints are allowed in LDS temples, very few people who are not members of the LDS church have seen this film, and younger Mormons never had the opportunity to see it either. It has not been used in a long time and should not be confused with the video-taped versions that replaced it. The current version not only has a completely different cast, its content has been considerably altered to conform with changes in the endowment ceremony made in 1990.

The first of the ‘newest’ temple films was made in 1988, entirely on stage at the LDS Motion Picture Studio in Provo, Utah.Before going into production, the studio built a complete film processing lab in order to avoid outsiders seeing the footage when the film was processed. It was an astronomically expensive undertaking, and for a number of years afterward they kept the lab running to process church stuff, but eventually the costs WAY outweighed the benefits, and they have since shut it down (smart since everything is moving digital anyway).The entire studio was dedicated by Hinckley as a Temple, and no one was allowed on the lot without a recommend.I think once both projects were done it was assumed the studio was "un-dedicated" since no one came back to remove the official designation as a "temple."The original concept and design of the “heaven” set was completely different from the one you see in the movie. In the original version, the set consisted of three ellipticalshapes, covered in gold shiny material, stacked on each other against a void of stars. When the set was completed and camera tests were done, it looked too much like Star Trek and the set was scrapped, and replaced by the painted ‘marble’ columns that exist in both versions of the film.

The second film, made in 1990, was partially filmed on state at the motion picture studio, and partially filmed out on location.The logistics of filming such a secret project on location were staggering. In order to get the best light, we left for location VERY early in the morning, would take a long break in the middle of the day, then resume filming in theafternoon. the hours were horrendous. There was so much tension on set. Everyone was constantly on edge, and tempers flared all the time. It was the closest I haveever come to quitting a show in my career, because the vibe on set was so terrible.At the time, everyone felt it was “the adversary” trying toprevent the film from being made. In retrospect, however, I think it was that the energy was just not liningup. I was constantly being yelled at for no reason my myimmediate supervisor. Everything that could go wrong, did.Some scenes were filmed on a church-owned ranch on the Utah-Wyoming border. The ranch was so vast you could look horizon-to-horizon and see only church property. It was a cattle ranch, and one day a stampede of mad cows came crashing through base camp, sending us all running to the trailers for cover. We had code-names for all the characters so that anyone picking up our walkie-talkie broadcasts would have no clue what we were doing. Adam and Eve were referred toas "Jack and Jill" and Peter James and John were called "The Three Bears." We nicknamed the film itself "Chronicles." God and Jesus were "the shiny guys."

The scripts, wigs, and other props were kept in a large vault (pretty much exactly like the big bank vaults you see in movies) and every morning we had to count every page of every script to make sure none were missing; scripts were never set around anywhere but were always in someone's personal possession; at the end of the day we again went through every copy of every script to count pages. (Forget that anyone could have taken a script to the copy machine down the hall and made 50 copies; no one really admitted that at the time!) But it was almost freakish how terrifically important we all were. You would have thought Armageddon was on the verge of happening if we slipped up on one thing.We filmed the altar for Adam and Eve on a private ranch here in Utah, but when we made contact of course no one told the owners what film it was. One morning after we had built the set but before we started filming, we gota call from the owners, completely unhinged and upset because they had found a stone altar on their property and thought we were doing satan-worship!! At that point,the church told us to let them know about the project so they would not freak out again. That location was awful; deep mud everywhere, and we had to make new roads toget our equipment to the set. Then of course the helicopter was a nightmare, because of the wind it created....The couples playing Adam and Eve in both films were required to be actual married couples. For one of the two films, the couple were literally whisked home from their honeymoon by church officials who wanted them to play the roles in the film. I thought it was bizarre that it was so urgent they literally had to end their own honeymoon early -- but of course, having covenanted to give everything to the church, they were thrilled.

The set was, as you can imagine, VERY modest.As I mentioned before, the first film was done all on stage, with everything created from scratch. The art department spent HOURS gluing fake leaves to the tree branches to create the garden of Eden. And the huge set backdrop for the heaven set was outfitted with thousandsand thousands of fiber-optic lights to create the 'stars'. Behind the cyc, there were rows of projectors supplying the light to the tiny cables, which were stuck through little holes in the back of the cyc. This was a NIGHTMARE to create and maintain. A few years after the films were done, they were finally removed. (Of course today the stars would be digital effects, not physical creations on set.)The funny thing is, before we went into production, Gordon B. Hinckley came to the studio and gave a fireside, in which he instructed everyone involved to never divulge the behind-the-scenes stuff of the films, because it would 'ruin the experience' for temple-goers. But no sooner were the films 'released' than the animal wrangler on the films went all over the place doing firesides, talking about the role of the animals in the films, and told some stories I never recognized from the production!!! All in the spirit of testimony-strengthening embellishment, I suppose!All in all, I can say it was a wild adventure. And we thought at the time we were practically deserving of exaltation for making God's Greatest Movies Ever. But when we prayed for good weather and it was a downpour instead, no one got mad at God for ignoring us, or for letting Satan drench us in his anger. It just made us all the more determined.

His story was the same as far as the in-fighting and bickering and misery of being a part of that project. Not sure if he stayed in the church after that or not, but it was definitely a testimony buster.

We were also friends with Michael Ballam at that time and when we were staying with him in Logan before the 1991 release, he was all about how spiritual it was, how secretive and rewarding and all. (He couldn't tell us exactly what it was but encouraged us strongly to keep attending the temple.) But he was also about to make MILLION$ because being Satan in that film made him Mormon-Famous, so people would by tickets to his shows/concerts and feel so wicked. He went into this whole stage where he revived all the Mephisto/Devil arias and those "in the know" could get the joke. Kind of cynical, but it paid for his pink house on the hill in Logan. Probably several pair of his pink socks that he wears with his suits as well.

It's just interesting that the crew had the experience they had and MB had his. But my take is that Michael is not living a life that is completely aware and that is probably painful for him beneath the mask of contentment he's perfected.

I'm in the film (now video) business and the BYU MPS use to do commercial work. - by Old Memory

This was back in the seventies. I was going to do a sound mix up on the 2nd floor, but I needed some 16MM full coat magnetic sound stock to fill in the empty areas on my E and F sound reels. The studio had a bin in one editing room where old erased 16 mm sound stock could be reused as filler.

I took a bunch of it to complete my job and went in the next day for the mix. To my surprise the fill stock had NOT been erased from a previous project. When we openewd the sound for those tracks we heard German (I think it was German). Ten minutes later the place was swarming!

I acted like I didn't know what the problem was. I had not been through the Temple at the time, but it was obvious what had happened. These folks were totally peranoid, but they couldn't let me know why.

I had a friend in New York who said his bishop was Adam from the newer film. He said that the bishop's wife was indeed Eve from the film. I wish I could have visited his ward. It would have been kind of neat to see Adam and Eve in person. I'm sure I would have stared at Eve too long, undressing her in my mind. :)

Since its introduction in 1842, the endowment has been presented within a theatrical setting. The earliest known comment by the First Presidency regarding the use of motion pictures in the ceremony came in 1927, when they affirmed that they had no intention of using them. (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, and Charles W. Nibley to Pearl W. Peterson, 27 August 1927, First Presidency Letterpress Copybooks, LDS Archives.)

This attitude changed by late 1953, however, when President David O. McKay asked Gordon B. Hinckley to chair a committee to create an endowment presentation for the new one room Swiss temple. (Based on Frank S. Wise, Oral History, interviewed by Gordon Irving, 1980-81, James H. Moyle Oral History Project, and Frank S. Wise, “A New Concept in Temple Building and Operation,” 18 February 1983, attached to Wise’s oral history. Wise edited all endowment films.)

Other committee members included Richard L. Evans, Edward O. Anderson, and Joseph Fielding Smith. (David O. McKay Diary, 29 October 1953, in Francis M. Gibbons, David O. McKay: Apostle to the World, Prophet of God - Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1986)

The outgrowth was a 16-millimeter film directed by Harold I. Hansen, filmed mostly in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple, and shot over a period of one year. Due to inclement weather, outside photography was done in the southern United States, while lava-flowing scenes accompanying the creation portion came from Walt Disney Studios which granted permission to use 350 feet from the film Fantasia. (Correspondence of the First Presidency, BYU president Ernest L. Wilkenson and Wetzel O. Whitaker in Richard L. Evans Collection, LDS Archives.)

Different casts were used for versions in English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish. A year later additional casts produced Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, and Maori films, for use in the New Zealand temple.

In these early films, there was no real acting, no scenery, and no attempt at sophistication; the temple workers simply enacted a live endowment session. This conservative use of the technology was not an effort to produce an art form but a means of efficiency allowing sessions to take place in a single room rather than moving from one room to another. (Spencer Palmer, interview, 1 August 1979; Wise, Oral History, 53. Palmer was an actor in the third endowment movie, 1969.)

The wide screen concept introduced in early 1960s American movies influenced architect Harold Burton in designing the Oakland temple’s two endowment rooms. He planned huge projection areas that required the use of 35-millimeter film, although curtains reduced the total screen size.

After the temple was dedicated in 1964, 4” by 5” slide projectors were used to produce photo murals depicting room changes found in live endowment presentations.

The second film of the endowment ceremony was produced in 1966. (The cast for the film was Adam: Max Mason Brown; Eve: Marielen Wadley Christiansen; Lucifer: Lael Woodbury; Minister: Morris Clinger; Peter: Harold I. Hansen; James: Douglas Clawson; John: Max Golightly; Elohim: unknown; Elohim voice: Dan Keeler; Jehova: unknown; Jehovah voice: Carl Pope; Narrator: Glen Shaw; Editing: Frank S.Wise; and Director: Wetzel O. Whitaker.)

Due to space limitation in the Salt Lake temple, the First Presidency authorized this production (known as Project#100) to take place in the motion pictures studio on the campus of Brigham Young University.

A new studio stage constructed for this purpose was formerly opened on 24 April 1966 with a prayer by Gordon B. Hinckley.

This film was used for several years in Oakland; 16-millimeter reduction prints were prepared for English-speaking patrons in foreign temples.

In a successful effort to condense the presentation to about ninety minutes, a third motion picture was filmed at the BYU studio during October and November 1969.

Like the second film, this professional effort (known as Project #134) was directed by Wetzel O. Whitaker. The cast included both professional and amateur actors (See table above) as well as elaborate scenery.

Much of the outside scenery was filmed on the West Coast. Actors and production staff had to have temple recommends and receive prior worthiness clearance through their bishops before being asked to participate.

The portions filmed in studio were shot between ten at night and midnight to ensure privacy.

Actors were required to memorize their lines in a room just off the set and could not take he script home for study. Prompt cards were used.

This film was completed by November 1971 when the Provo and Ogden temples opened. Due to its shorter playing time, it replaced the second film originally used in the Oakland temple.

Primarily because of President Harold B. Lee’s discomfort with the long hair and beards of a few cast members in the third film, a fourth endowment movie (Project #198) was produced at BYU during the early to mid 1970’s.

Again, directed by Wetzel Whitaker, this film used a predominantly new cast. (see above) A major goal for this production was to create foreign sound tracks without re-filming that did not look obviously dubbed.

Since some languages such as Finnish and Japanese require substantially more time than the English equivalents, this aspect was challenging. Moreover, theological concerns required translations to be literal in nature, and not merely approximate as they often are in general entertainment films.

This synchronization was partially accomplished through techniques such as speeded up sound track playback and step-printing every third frame twice to expand film length. Voice actors for the dubbings were local nationals.

Production crews recorded audio sequences for European nationals in the London Temple in June 1972 and for Pacific nationals in a secured sound room at the BYU-Hawaii campus in June 1973.

In early 1976 the church’s Temple Committee transferred all endowment film and sound operations from BYU to new facilities in the Salt Lake temple basement. While the film continues to be processed in a California lab, all sound tracks are now produced in this basement facility. Sound track duplication facilities also exist in some other temples.

Because of recommendations made by Harold B.Lee, of the First Presidency, and a committee including Howard W. Hunter (president of the Genealogical Society) working from 1968 to 1972 to investigate endowment procedures, several phrases used in ceremony film scripts were subsequently dubbed out in the mid 1970s.

For example, the preacher’s reference to Satan having black skin was omitted. Another omission was the preacher leading the audience in a Protestant hymn. Satan and the preacher no long fix a specific salary to proselytize the audience for converts.

According to Spencer Palmer who portrayed the minister in the third filmed version, the role of Satan was to have originally been filled by an African-American, but due to protests by LDS Polynesians , a Caucasian filled the role.

Although this film was intended as an interim production, both the third and fourth films remained in use for nearly two decades. Reportedly, the third film was not phased out as soon as expected because people preferred it over the fourth film.

Film two was cut down to the same length as that of films three and four to provide diversity for frequent temple-goers.

The most recent modifications to the temple ceremony occurred in April 1990. Following several in-house studies, including a national survey of some 3.400 members, a number of changes were implemented to soften the ritual’s treatment of women, non-Mormon clergy, use of Masonic elements, and violence of the penalties. According to the Los Angeles Times:

“The central temple ceremony has been altered to eliminate the woman’s vow to obey her husband… Two other features dropped were a dramatization suggesting that Satan beguiles Christian clergy to teach false doctrine and the requirement that members make throat slitting and disemboweling gestures as signs that they will not reveal the ceremony’s contents… Also dropped is an ‘embrace’ of a man representing God, who stands behind a ceiling-to-floor veil. Reaching through a slit in the veil, the church member puts his or her hand to the back of the deity and presses against him at the cheek, shoulders, knees and feet with the veil between them. The contact as ‘five points of fellowship’ including the hand to his back, has been omitted, although the member must still give a secret handshake and repeat a lengthy password.” (“Mormons Modify Temple Rites,” Los Angeles Times, 5 May 1990, F20)

I'm not Mormon, but have at times been attracted to the Theology (I'm Born-Again/Evangelical). Since the Endowment Transcript has become available on-line I have had time to analyze it, and for the most part (the silly things aside that you all have mentioned) - it kinda makes sense - for example: IF Adam and Eve had NOT sinned, they would have created children in Eden, and eventually run out of space, so God would logically have had to put mankind on other planets, especially since death would not have entered our experience - we would have run out of room on Earth w/o any death here...so the whole "Adam and Eve restored to their original pre-fall duties" through us, their descendents, seems pretty Biblical to me. LDS missionaries have pointed out to me that God has a body - well, Abraham saw three personages who identified as "God" referred to in the singular - Moses also spoke to God face to face, and Steven the Martyr saw Jesus sitting at God's right hand, apparently both are physical. LDS deny that Jesus lives in man's heart - but when you analyze this, they are partially right, because Jesus' BODY ascended into heaven to make mansions for us (is that why outer space is ever-expanding, so that after eternity begins we will all have a galaxy to inherit and glorify God with by continuing on with God's original plan for Adam and Eve - to multiply and fill the earth? Anyway - Jesus "BODY can not be in our hearts, though his SPIRIT obviously is. I have recently checked NON-Mormon archeology and apparently the American Indians really did have a deity they called "Lost White Brother" (Pahana) who fits the description of Jesus (his other names are Quetzalcoatl, & Kukulkan depending on where the tribe existed...and there have also been several universities that have located archeological evidences of Hebrews or at least near-easterners, having traveled to the Americas around 600 BC - for example there is a strange writing in New Mexico on a large desert Rock - it's been known since the 1800's, but only recently did language scholars discover a form of ancient Hebrew Language, and after being shown this, identified this rock and its writings as the 10 commandments...NON-Mormon experts have dated this inscription to 600 bc...so some things "seem" to match up. I think the BOM is not a real history, but more of an "Archetype" that has pieced together American Indian stories that match Jesus Christ's character, along with The whole Idea that mankind was supposed to pro-create the earth and obey God instead of disobey and fall from grace - which would obviously land us all in a position to have our own planet, had that plan operated right.

I do very much wish for one thing - does anyone actually HAVE the Temple Film? I'd so very much love to see it without having to join the LDS Church - my husband will not let me join up because he fears they will want all of our hard earned money. I'm personally not afraid of faith issues - I'm a Born-Again Evangelical Christian, and nothing can cause me to believe that Lucifer has power over me, or that I have to have handshakes to get into heaven (though Jesus did show his wounded hands to his disciples in the LOCKED upper room...that very easily could have become a sacrament of one type or another had past Church Bishops been creative with that portion of the Bible...

Anyway,, IF ANYONE HAS A COPY OF THE FILM PLEASE POST IT ON GOOGLE VIDEO, SOME OF US ON THE OUTSIDE WOULD DEARLY LOVE TO ENJOY IT - it sounds like alot of people went to alot of trouble to make that film, and for that it is valuable.

So now everyone knows a friend to a cousin to a maid to a brother of someone in this movie and has juicy details on something related to this movie. Get a life! or a job. - 03/25/2009 - Jake Mann

I feel bad you are so bitter...You can leave the church, but you can't leave it alone.. Really sad. - 03/24/2009 - anon

Clearly also no one believes that God has any standards or rules, or they would understand why He wants to exclude the likes of you from the Temples so long as you have this dis-respectful and profane attitude. - 03/24/2009 - dismayed

you guys are just jack asses to belittle the faith of others, I could argue with you all day but it's not worth it, hey I have an idea, why don't you make a website about why the Pope wears a funny beanny or why pentecostals talk funny and roll around on the floor or why the wacky Jews leave a place at the table for Elisha on Passover, how about passing the collection plate, whats up with that? Just sad.... - 03/24/2009 - Dave

Sherman Hemsley as LDS temple movie minister.

For the all-black version, bring back the Minister, and give the role to Sherman Hemsley, AMEN! - 02/27/2008 - survivor

Robert Peterson is Peter in the Brunette Eve movie! Who is Craig Costello? - 02/01/2008 - anon

Charles Metten. He was in my ward and hometeacher for awhile, before my mission. He always struck me as a fake mormon. Was shocked to see him in the temple movie. He taught drama, I believe at BYU. Bet he is no-believer. Just my opinion. Nice guy. Hope this helps. - 10/05/2007 - Mike

The Jessie Stay you have linked on your temple movie page is probably the son of the Jessie Stay who appeared in the temple movie.

The real Jessie Stay was my mission pres. in Argentina in 1984-5. He would be well into his 80's now.

He had just retired from teaching at BYU where he was involved in film production for BYU and church movies. I knew he had appeared in some old church movies and filmstrips but he didn't mention his involvement in the temple movie, I'm sure for obvious reasons.

I spent time working in the mission office and grew to appreciate him as a sincere, easygoing, good hearted man who really cared about the missionaries and their welfare more than making the numbers and brown-nosing his superiors.

YOU GUYS DO NOT HAVE A CLUE!!!! ONE DAY YOU WILL FEEL VERY DISAPOINTED MAKING FUN OF AND MOCKING ABOUT THINK YOU OBVIOULY DO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT, I REALLY FEEL SORRY FOR YOU, SOMETIMES THE TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION - 10/05/2007 - FELLOW BROTHER

The 1990 version of the temple movie which stars Michael Ballam as Lucifer offers an interesting revelation! - When Peter James and John dismiss Lucifer from their presence - as Lucifer turns to leave we get a quick glimpse of his REEBOK trainers! - Fantastic!!! - 10/01/2007 - anon

You've got the wrong Jon Moe pictured - you've got a photo of a Norweigian engineer. FYI. See www.jonmoe.net - 09/29/2007 - Wrong

Really now. The voice of Elohim should be none other than James Earl Jones. - 09/01/2007 - D. P. gumby

LDS Church Releases Temple Film As Outreach to Youth by Uncle Mo - 02/22/2007

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - In an unexpected move the LDS Church announced today that they will distribute the Temple Endowment Film as part of an outreach to today's youth. In a special distribution deal with Warner Bros. the film will show in theaters near college campuses as a double feature along with "Rocky Horror Picture Show" (RHPS).

LDS Church Representative Elder Darvane G. Midgeley explained the program. "Youth activity rates have been dwindling for some time due to Satan's outreach through the internet. It's time to reclaim God's lost children so we're pulling out all the stops. We looked at what youth respond to and couldn't help see the parallels between the Temple Film and 'Rocky Horror Picture Show.' Both are costumed interactive film events that pit good guys against bad guys. This is something that youth can really relate to."

Specially called missionary couples will be present at every event. As part of their training they will memorize the entire script and choreography of "Rocky Horror Picture Show". With the proper training they will be able to perform the dance numbers in their Temple robes in concert with RHPS fans.

Elder Midgeley is excited about the potential. "When kids see grandma doing the 'Time Warp' it will be easy to see that the Church is where it's at."

A showing of the Temple Film immediately follows RHPS and all participants are invited to stay.

A trial run of the program took place in Denver, CO at midnight last Friday Night. Attendee and non-Mormon Lindsay Olson thought it was a lot of fun. "I am a long-time 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' fan and I thought the Temple film was a natural extension of it - the costumes, the interactivity, and Brad and Janet are totally a modern day Adam and Eve."

Film critic Robert Eggbert was also enthusiastic. "The quality of the writing is almost identical. If I didn't know any better I would say that Joseph Smith Jr. wrote 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' himself."

Avid RHPC participants who like to dress up are excited about the costuming potential. RHPC fan, Brent LaFleur could hardly curb his enthusiasm. "The whiteness of the Temple robes is a refreshing addition to the RHPC costumes that run toward the darker tones. A little cross-fertilization between the films could go a long way. I can definitely see a baker's hat on Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Eve in a leather bustier and fishnet stockings would be smashing."

Dancers are also excited. Participant Brittany DeLong chimed in. "A lot of the dance moves in RHPS are large gestures without much subtlety. Throwing in a Patriarchal Grip or Sure Sign of the Nail move will add a lot of nuance that wasn't there before."

Based on the test audience reactions Elder Midgeley says things look promising. "'Rocky Horror Picture Show' is undoubtedly a cult classic. We're going to place the Temple Film in that same arena. In fact, by the time we're done with this we will have given the word 'cult' a whole new meaning!"

Steven Spielberg to Do Major Motion Picture Based on Temple Film - by Primus - 02/14/2007

Encouraged by Mitt Romney to search the net to see what this 'Temple Ceremony' thing is, Steven Spielberg decides to create a major motion picture based on the plot.

I asked Steven why he had decided to do a motion picture based only a film generally only seen by the most faithful Mormons.

"I was watching TV, browsing through the networks while eating a snack one evening. I was trying to see if any of my movies were playing. I came across CNN and saw Mitt Romney taking questions. Before I continued on, I heard the reporter say the word temple. Well of course I figured that they were talking about my Temple of Doom movies and asking Mitt if he had ever seen that one. I created it you know."

"So he said that if people wanted to know about the LDS Temple Ceremony they could go find out on the internet. So I did just that! What a great plot that was. It has a young couple who are actually brother and sister in an incestious relation ship with each other. They must escape from God almighty and Satan. It even talks about flaming swords. It will make a great scifi movie."

"But don't you feel bad about mocking the teachings of millions of people?" I asked.

"Not really. I usually end up offending some wacko or other with my movies. With ET I offended the phone company, and the M & M company. Their lose. With my Indiana Jones Movie, I offended Fedora wearers and then heart surgeons. You just can't please people."

Did you think it was weird that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared in the temple videos? - 02/03/2007 - by SusieQ#1

This is probably the #1, most bizarre thing the Mormon Church does: make a video for their temples that has Heavenly Father--Elohim and Jesus Chris--Jehovah looking like twins with long white curly hair, bare foot, in white robes, standing in the air glowing, talking. Well, only Heavenly Father talks. Jesus Christ is silent, as I recall.

Yup. The Mormons are a "peculiar" people, all right! And that is putting it mildly!

Of course, the one that is a total crack up is Peter, James and John replying to Elohim: we will go down. At least, they cleaned it up a little, and only Peter says it once in the newer video!

Anyone else blown away about this stuff? Anyone else break out in giggles just thinking about the silly stuff the Mormon Church used to do and get us to do??

Note to costumers; "If you've seen me you've see the father" make sure they look identical, dressed alike, etc.

I always felt what made the movie drag was there was no music. - by Mr. Happy

I mean, when Satan turns to the camera with that sneer and babbles something about not living up to the covenants made and being under his power....how cool would it have been if that was followed up musically with a "Dunh, dunh, duuuuuuuuuh."

Even though its their own house. If the temple isn't good enough for them to make regular appearances then where is? These guys are total no-shows.

I was baffled by that as well but perhaps most of all about the whole money thing at the time of the creation. I wasn't aware you could have a currency exchange system between just 2 people in the entire galaxy.

ADAM: I have them, but I do not sell them for money. I hold them sacred. I am looking for the further light and knowledge Father promised to send me.

PETER: That is right. We commend you for your integrity. Good day. We shall probably visit you again.

My question is WHY would the LDS Church think it was necessary to show their stylized notions of Elohim and Jehovah as personages in the temple videos?

My problem with the temple was that I saw it all metaphorically. by GQ Cannonball

This included the tokens and penalties. So with that in mind, the whole thing seemed weird, but not worth trying to understand point for point. When I first went through in the early '80s, there was a phrase to the effect of "these things are figurative so far as the man and woman are concerned," which made the whole thing less literal and more palatable to me. It wasn't until I started reading the history of the church, and the reality of the penalties in the case of 19th century Utah apostates, that I realized I needed to take the whole thing a little more seriously.

At that point, I started picking things apart, would get pissed off about tying the apron on when satan commanded us to, etc., and finally realized how screwed up the whole thing was. The clincher was doing a live session at the SLC temple...that was so damn weird it was the last time I ever went.

Jehovah has been in several other mormon movies - 01/25/2007 - Huckleberry Hinckley

It must be weird watching "Man's Search for Happiness" and seeing Jehovah being the father in the movie.

All the TBMs are definitely going to be weirded out when they see him as grandpa in the new mormon movie "Passage to Zarahemla."

This list looks like the 1969 film. The new film (films?) will be 1990 and after. - 01/25/2007 - Jenny

All the actors, directors, set people, costumers, make-up people etc. are mormon. Making the film works like a calling that they can't talk to anyone about. Not even their spouses. I imagine that talking happens.

We knew one of the actors during this time and his wife didn't know and, as the story goes, his precocious and talkative 1 year-old daughter guessed and told the mother. It was weird. This actor said the experience was very spiritual and he was very excited about it all. He was telling us the broad outlines of the story before the film was released and told us to watch for "Big News" from the church. He was right to be excited. He was able to capitalize bigtime off his role in the film. Made millions.

We also knew one of the assistant directors who said it was a bit of a bitchfest working on that film. The crew was petty and picky and bitchy, according to this other friend.

I wish it was. Funny that the cast of the 1969 is online but the newer one isn't.

The acting, sets, and costumes were excellent but these things can never compensate for the lame screen play by Joseph Smith, Jr. This is so despite significant rewrites through the years by other writers. The story itself is like a bad version of Milton's "Paradise Lost" which ties in closely with Masonic Temple ceremonies.

The viewings I attended were very interactive with a costumed audience and not unlike "Rocky Horror Picture Show" in that regard although the participants only wore white and were much more sober than a typical RHP crowd. Both are definitely cult classics considering the many viewings they receive.

The acting is decent. Lena Tulaunen Rogers is totally steamy in the role of Eve. She left me wanting to see more. Ron Frederickson as Lucifer chilled my blood in one scene in which he turns to the audience and warns them about disclosing the secrets revealed in the film. I liked Gordon Jump (in the role of Peter) much better as the inept boss in "WKRP in Cincinnati". Definitely a poor casting choice.

This film can only be viewed as a sort of cult classic. If you can't enjoy it on that level my advice is steer clear of it.

I've met the actors in the version where Eve has dark hair. She is a model, lives in NYC--married to Adam (who is a really good photographer). Still mormon as far as I know.

Adam (Jon Moe) is quite "non-mormony" in his job - 01/25/2007 - Huckleberry Hinckley

Bruce Chamberlain who played Jehovah in the 1969 temple video did a one man show - 01/25/2007 - SusieQ#1

I spoke with one of the cast members on the phone who said working in the production of the temple movie was a "spiritual experience." The movie was filmed at the BYU Motion Picture Studios in Provo, Utah. It was directed by Judge Whitaker who is now deceased and his brother, Scott Whitaker. That was all this cast member wished to comment on due the "nature of the movie."

Side note from Craig who added this: "I did some minor construction work at the BYU motion picture studio (circa 1992) , and saw the old sets used for the older temple movies sitting around. That was a little odd. Maybe they were planning on re-using them? Or maybe they couldn't through them away 'cause they were sacred."

I knew Ron Frederickson from my mission. He played the part of Lucifer in the 1969 temple movie. He was also in The BoM Movie: Vol. 1.

I knew him without a beard (which, IMO, makes him look more chubby.) I was in my first area (Emporia, KS) and everyone in the ward loved him. Along with his acting skills, he was an avid singer. If there were a head-to-head competition of him and Michael Ballam (i.e., either a competition for "part of the devil" or "best singer") it would be a toss up for most people.

Even though I have never seen the 1969 temple film, I think I would vote for Ron Frederickson. Michael Ballam voice range is tenor to baritone. Ron Fredierickson is baritone to bass; with his deeper voice, I think he would sound more sinister than Ballam. If I can think of any other tidbits about him, I'll let you know.

I'm referring to the Adam who was married in real-life to the blonde Eve. The blonde Eve was from Norway.

I know all this because "Adam's" brother (I won't name him by name) was my MTC teacher. (He actually married "Eve's" younger sister, also from Norway. Too weird.)

Anyway, after my mission, I was in an endowment session one day at the Logan Temple, and I turn around and there's the "Adam" from the movie. It was totally weird seeing him up on the screen, and then glancing back at him. Very Twilight Zonish. I wonder what he thought about watching himself and his wife every time he went through a session!!!

Satan (from the older temple movie) was actually in my parent's ward and I heard him speak quite a few times. I'm sure everyone knows this guy's name, but I'm trying to keep things from getting TOO personal.

Btw, does anyone know why they made two temple movies in such a short timeframe? Was this related to the 1990 changes to the endowment?

I always preferred the newer version (w/blonde Eve) because Satan was SOOOOOO cute!!!!

I saw the movie with the semi-famous Opera star? I think that movie with the Opera guy as Satan was made prior to 1990, and perhaps edited for the changes ... But then there was a very new movie at the time I went to the temple for the first time in '91.

I'm not sure what years these films were actually made. At the Logan Temple they always alternated the versions of the film because the Opera guy was a local favorite. I'm not using his name out of concern for privacy.

I know the Michael Ballam film came after the Gordon Jump film, and preceded the current Cute-Satan-Blonde-Eve film (for lack of a better description).

I wish we could get someone on here who really understood the temple film "chronology". My knowledge only goes back to '91, but I do know that as recently as 2003, temples had two film that were exactly the same except for the actors.

The old movies had a TV star (The Maytag repairman). The other one had my home teacher. Seems they could edit most of the stuff out to keep those movies. (But not curious enough to re-convert and get a recommend). - Craig

Yeah, I always felt a little guilt for lusting after satan! The True Believeing Mormons would say he's got me now baby! - White Tara

Michael Ballam (along with the rest of the actors in any edition of the temple movie) is too melodramatic. As satan, Michael Ballam's lines are spoken very eloquently (not quite a british accent, but definitely losing common traits of an american accent) e.g., if you can recall the movie, just imagine him saying the following: "I will raise up armies and navies ... [and] reign with blood and horror ..."

Anyway, I saw Michael Ballam on BYU TV on some special about music. I expected to hear him speak as he does in the temple film, i.e., because he is an opera singer, and many tend to speak with said eloquence. No, he sounds like an ordinary Joe from the United States; if he were to say "I will raise up armies and navies ... [and] reign with blood and horror ..." in his normal voice, I would almost laugh.

As for the Michael Ballam version and the other version (with the "blonde eve") I am pretty sure they are both post-1990. As the older [Michael Ballam] version does not have the sectarian minister (and I don't think a main [supporting] character could simply be "edited" out without it being noticed.)

Also, regarding the two newest version, the actors who play Adam and Eve almost look to be the same actors. Their voices sound the same; they have the same facial characteristics; Adam has the same cheesy voice but smaller hair in the more recent movie. Eve sounds the same, but has blonde hair in the more recent movie.

I even went to lengths at observing various facial "imperfections" (e.g., blemish, a crooked tooth, etc.) on Adam and Eve in the two versions; they appear to be the same actors. But that's just my hypothesis. - mathyou

The two Adams both had brown hair, but the Adam in the Michael Ballam version has blue eyes, the Adam in the blond-eve version has brown eyes. I notice these things.

And the two Eves were COMPLETELY different. The Michael Ballam Eve had brown hair and hazel eyes. The Blonde Eve had blue eyes.

I just thought it was strange they had two versions of the film. It never made sense to me. But then why should anything in the Morg make sense? - Darwin Girl

I always loved the vibrato Ballam would add to these lines. I guess you don't need to be singing to stick in a little vibrato here and there!

Maybe they made different movies b/c they realize how boring and repetitive temple attendance can be. Maybe it was their attempt to spice things up a little. :) - Jael

Hey, it occured to me that the 3 Stooges are better suited to the roles of the 3 Nephites, tho you'd have to write them into the Temple Time Player's script. Boffo laughs guaranteed, anyway, as those lovable Nephites bumble their way thru the modern world. - 11/05/2003 - from Reggie Shumway

Exmos, new and old - cast your votes for the temple movie dream team. A friend and I have been musing on who would by ideal for playing the parts in the endowment movie.

Adam: Will Smith
Eve: Liv Tyler
Lucifer: Anthony Hopkins
Minister: Pat Robertson
Peter: Ian McKellen
James: Patrick Stewart
John: Harrison Ford
Elohim:Sean Connery
Jehovah: James Earl Jones

Adam: Will Smith
Eve: Liv Tyler (or: Christina Ricci)
Lucifer: Anthony Hopkins (or: Max von Sydow)
Minister: Robert Mitchum
Peter: John Wayne
James: Dan Blocker
John: Telly Savalas
Elohim: James Earl Jones
Jehovah: Sean Connery

Adam: Graham Norton (british gay comedian)
Eve: Ruby Wax (comedienne)
Lucifer: Richard O'Brien (Rocky Horror creator)
Minister: George Michael (you gotta hava faith, faith, faith)
Peter: Eric Idle (monty python)
James: John Cleese (monty python)
John: Michael Palin (monty python)
Elohim: James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano)
Jehovah: John Inman (Mr Humphries in Are You Being Served "i'm free!")

I love the idea of Elohim being a gangster, a comedy trio for the apostles, and a rockin' priest!

Adam: Keanu Reeves
Eve: Elizabeth Hurley
Lucifer: Alec Baldwin
Minister: Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean--did you see him in 4 weddings and a funeral?
Peter: George Clooney
James: Hugh Grant
John: Brad Pitt
Elohim: Marlon Brando
Jehovah: Charlie Sheen

Bryce Chamberlain: Jehovah
Ron Fredrickson: Lucifer
Gordon Jump: The Apostle Peter
Hank Kester: Adam
Charles Metten: The Apostle James
R. LeRoi Nelson: The Apostle John
Spencer Palmer: The Minister
Robert Peterson: Voice of Jehovah
Lena Tulaunen Rogers: Eve
Glen Shaw: Narrator
Jesse Stay: Elohim
Lael Woodbury: Voice of Elohim

The brunette Eve, and accompanying Adam, are Jon and Marilee Moe. They met and married as young models, then starred in the film together. 20 years later they are still beautiful -- she's still a model, he's a photographer. They aren't actors. They are in one of the Manhattan wards, and are really nice. Interesting fact: it isn't their voices in the temple film; those generic, standard-Mormon-film-type voices are dubbed in.

Really, Jon Moe is in the temple film now? I knew him in Milan, Italy when he was just starting out in the model biz and I was living abroad. I left the morg in the late '80's and of course have not seen any of the recent temple films. When did this version with Jon and his wife come out? Thanks for the information. Jon is a first rate guy, and I'm glad to know he married well and is successful.

Keith Engar had a role in the film (or one of them) that was used in the early 80's. He was a theater professor at the U. I can't remember what part he had, but it could have been the minister.

Conformist: Fantastic Idea...I have pondered it myself a time or two...here are some of my ideas!

It's already been done in that Bruce Almighty movie but I like morgan freeman as Elohim....in fact let's do an all black cast...hee hee...that will get their G's in a bunch. Opposite Day at the temple!

Adam: Will Smith...
Eve: his luscious real life wife Jada Pinkett (I would pay my 10% see her naked after watching the Matrix) Lucifer:...okay just for laughs let's make him white..hmmm I could go for Ian McKellen if he wasn't so old...and I kinda want my Lucifer to be sexy...hmmm who is sexy and dripping with evil...I'll get back to you on this one. OOOHH Jonny Depp...mmmmmmmm evil and sexy!
Minister:...never saw this version of the endowment so can't visualize it
Peter, James and John:...Bernie Mac, Wayne Brady (from Who's line) and Chris Rock
Elohim: Morgan Freeman
Jehovah: James Earl Jones

Adam: Jimi Hendrix
Eve: Janis Joplin
Lucifer: Jim Morrison
Minister: Stevie Ray Vaughn
Peter: Johnny Cash
James: Buddy Holley
John: Bob Marley
Elohim: Jerry Garcia
Jehovah: John Lennon

I would LOVE a temple musical....I am huge fan of many of your (mostly dead) cast (can we fit James Brown in there somewhere?)...but I want one in the old style where Eve wears stiletto tap shoes and she and adam tap dance all through eden. OH I CAN'T stop laughing. THE TEMPLE MUSICAL!! great stuff

But NOT TO WORRY. I will use my PRIESTHOOD POWER to bring them back from the dead, specifically for the purpose of recording the new Temple Movie, musical verision. It will rock the house. No longer will faithful members walk away from the temple ceremony shaking their heads and saying "that was weird." They will in fact walk away, tapping their toes and snapping their fingers, thinking "man, that was cool. And that grey-haired matron sitting next to me even passed a Freaking DOOB down the row!! Far out, man!!"

Hey, if anybody steals this and puts it in the freaking Sugarbeet like they did my Mormon Magic 8-ball idea, I'll come after you with both lawyers blazing!!!!

Adam: Brad Pitt
Eve: Jennifer Aniston
Lucifer: Jack Nicholson
Minister: Billy Graham
Peter: Patrick Stewart
James: Ralph Fiennes
John: Kenneth Brannagh
Elohim: James Earl Jones
Jehovah: Chef

Adam: Robin Williams (this character really needed some improvisation, don't you think?)
Eve: Penelope Cruz (hopefully in a very skimpy Eve costume)
Satan: John Lovitz
Minister: Gilbert Godfried
Elohim: Liam Neeson
Jehovah: John Belushi
Peter, James & John: The actors who played Larry, Moe & Curly

Dude. Have you even SEEN these movies? WHAT costume? Adam and Eve are completely naked for half of the film. They just get stategically placed bushes and (if I recall correctly) a sheep or deer or something like that. That, and well aimed camera shots.

I always wondered if they were actually naked on set while filming. I doubt it, but you certainly don't see any costume in the film... At least, not until they put on animal skins. - 02/20/2007 - worlebird

How about John Belushi as Elohim, and Dan Aykroyd as Jehovah, in their Blues Brothers attire! Or maybe they should be Peter and James, "on a mission from God"...

Clearly no one on this blog understands the doctrine or theology, because the comments make no sense. Why are God the Father and Jehovah presented as persons in th film instead of just voices? That is done to re-inforce the doctine that they are distinct real personalities of flesh and blood, a key Mormon doctrine. Clearly also no one believes that God has any standards or rules, or they would understand why He wants to exclude the likes of you from the Temples so long as you have this dis-respectful and profane attitude. - 03/11/2009 - dismayed

What is the name of the Actor that plays Peter in the latest version of the Mormon Temple movie, the one where Michael Ballam plays Lucifer. Thanks. - 01/26/2009 - Larry Caplin

You all are truly misinformed. Mocking what others think is sacred shows lack of character on all parts. Posting absurd comments that are false on the internet is ridiculous instead embrace the differences in people and respect others. - 10/04/2008 - cwm

The reality of the skits, were that Lucifer implanted His seed,(Lucifers plan) into Adam and Eve's Psyche's! This was the 'Original sin', when their minds became impregnated to grow Lucifers seed within them. This was 'Spiritual Adultry' because they forsaked ,their Creator, to worship a lesser Deity, 'Lucifer.' Lucifers,' Plan was enfolded with-in the scriptures of the Old Testament. The Mormon movement is to resurrect 'Jehovah' to once again be recognized as the Supreme Being, He is not!! The Diety in the Book of Mormon is not 'Jesus Christ' but " Lucifer whom in a 'sham' influenced Joseph Smith to bring forth the 'Book of Mormon' into the eye of 'Public View. Lucifers' existence depends upon his 'Subjects' adoration and worship! The Diety in the Book of Mormon is the opposite of Jesus Christ, More anti christ than Christ-like. The Book of Mormon is not another 'Testament of Jesus Christ' but just another missive thats all about 'Lucifer'!!! How do I know this? You figure that one out my friends! Sept. 6th, 2008 Ramled Ramble at you'r service. 'Thank You". - 09/06/2008 - Ramled

As of a couple years ago, Jon Moe (Adam) was a bishop and his wife (Eve) was teaching Sunbeams in the Morningside Heights Ward in Manhattan. I was in their ward. At the time, he was still a photographer and his wife, Marilee, was still modeling, though I've never heard them talk about it themselves. They are just really nice, down-to-earth people, kind of surprising considering how glamorous their professions are.

Bro. Moe surfs - During the black-out a few years ago, he drove a bunch of young people to the coast to surf. Sis. Moe tones things down for church, wearing little or no make-up and dressing so as not to stand out. But still, an artist friend of mine visiting from out of town spontaneously commented that Sis. Moe was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. I knew one of their kids, a really kind, genuine, intelligent guy, and like his parents, completely unpretentious. They are so nice and so modest about what they do that you "don't hate them because they are beautiful."

I've never heard them bring up their roles in the Temple movie, but people who talk in church regularly joke about how surprised they were to walk into the chapel and see Adam sitting on the stand. I heard that when asked about what it is like to see themselves in the temple movie, they answered that they can't believe they were ever so young. - 08/01/2008 - Browser

This worries me.It's not healthy for you all to disdainfully scoff at others' beliefs. The Church of Jesus Christ is a legitamite gospel. You are beyond free to disagree with and discard their teachings and practices, but dragging their beliefs through your hateful slander isn't going to change anything. We believe in loving everyone. Not tearing them down. I'm sorry for whatever you don't understand. I dont even understand everything. But I've noticed that as a direct result of this beautiful religion, I feel love. For everyone. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has taught me that. And as far as the "Secretive Temple Ordinances" please, have some respect. Some of you used to be memebers. If you're sure it's foolish, that's perfectly your right. But remember the people who still believe. Please have some respect for them. Let us go our ways and you go yours. Honorably. - 07/25/2008 - Megan

Mormon Temple Endowment Movie - Cast and History

Temple Film Production Memories by One Who Was There

Temple Film Production Notes

Comments Section

Cast member comments

I knew Ron Frederickson

I was once in a temple session in Logan with "Adam" from the temple movie!

The temple movie dream team

Here are my favorites

My first choices

Jehovah's got to be Charlton Heston...

My choices, camp but fun!

Eve - the mother of all living

My dream team

The cast of the 1969 LDS temple film

Brunettes

More on Brunettes

The U professor

Here come the men in black!

Temple Movie should be a musical

Archimedes! YOU ROCK!!

Um... I think they're all dead, Anna...

Benny Hill

The people's choices

Eve, Patricia and Hyacinth

Some dead people

Blues Brothers Godhead!!! Yea!

Comment section