A missionary and his companion, serving in the Southern States, had been teaching a promising investigator for some time. The young man felt that what he was hearing was the truth, but he came from a long line of ministers and was well-indoctrinated in his own faith. Finally, the elders said to him, "We'd like to have you see a film that can convey the feelings that we've tried to leave with you these months." The film they showed him was "How Rare a Possession: The Book of Mormon," which told the story of two individuals and how the Book of Mormon impacted their lives. After viewing the film, the young man committed to baptism.

There are hundreds of such stories, said Elder James M. Paramore of the Presidency of the Seventy, of how films produced by the Church carry gospel messages to the hearts of people throughout the world.The purpose of the Church Audiovisual Department is to provide quality audiovisual products and services to help fulfill the mission of the Church and to communicate to an expanding Church. This includes LDS films and videotapes, satellite telecasts and many other audiovisual materials. These projects are initiated by the First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve and other departments primarily for the benefit of members and leaders of the Church, but many are also geared to non-members across the earth.

Both Elder Paramore, executive director of the Audiovisual Department, and Lyle E. Shamo, managing director, lauded the benefits of using audiovisual technology, which makes it possible to reach masses of people at one time or to target certain segments of the Church, its leaders, or society.

Elder Paramore said: "We are able to develop a consistency of what we're trying to help people understand. This Church has a lay leadership. That means we don't have any formalized theological training. If we can use a visual format, we have a better opportunity to have a doctrine and a policy fully implemented and understood."

Brother Shamo added: "People watch television or see films a great deal more than they read books, and that's in the developed areas. In areas of the world where some people can't read, audiovisual technology may be one of the best resources to help them."

Elder Paramore emphasized that the Audiovisual Department does not originate films or telecasts. "We are the writers, the producers and we help work out the delivery system for the projects."

Divided among the Audiovisual Department employees are responsibilities for broadcasts of general conference sessions and special telecasts, Church films and videos, installation and maintenance of audiovisual equipment at temples and visitors centers throughout the world, translation of Church films into other languages, photo services for Church publications, and presentation materials for General Authorities and Church departments.

For those who are disabled, the Audiovisual Department also produces such materials as audiotapes of the scriptures, signed and closed captioned videos of general conferences, and other films.

With so many responsibilities, the department works at a rapid pace. Elder Paramore said that many projects are on the agenda this year, some of which are differrent laguage versions of the same medium.

Among the more strenous responsibilities for the department, but also among the most rewarding for Church members, is coordination and maintenance of the Church-owned satellite system. "We have satellite downlinks across North America and can reach our people from California to Nova Scotia within a three-hour time block, depending on where they live."

And this technology is helping the Church reach its members who are far from headquarters. In fact, for the first time during last April's general conference, Church members in Frankfurt, Germany; Huddersfield, England; and Versailles, France; viewed live sessions.

An excerpt from a letter received by the department from the area offices in Solihull, England, explained the reaction of members in England who heard the broadcast: "When President Gordon B. Hinckley announced that this session was being received by satellite in Huddersfield, England, the feelings of the members could not be contained as members cried for joy and hugged each other at the delight of being recognized. Whereas before those assembled had been pretending that they were actually in the Tabernacle, from that point on they really believed they were in the Tabernacle and truly sharing in every glorious moment."

In addition to conference and special broadcasts, the Church's satellite system is also utilized for training meetings and firesides.

The Audiovisual Department is probably most well-known for its film productions. Excellence is sought in planning, implementing and producing a film, regardless of whether it is to teach a gospel principle or train meetinghouse custodians how to fix roofs.

"The script is the heart and soul of a film," Elder Paramore explained, "and is a labor of love and inspiration. Writing the script includes seeking the Lord to find precisely the feelings that need to be transmitted in the film."

When a script is completed, the Audiovisual Department evaluates the project to decide whether it can be done by Church headquarters; by the LDS Motion Picture Studio, previously known as the BYU Motion Picture Studio; by Bonneville International Corporation, a Church-owned media production company; or by free-lance producers.

Challenges come day-to-day during the actual production of a film. Russ Holt, a senior producer, recently directed at the LDS Motion Picture Studio a film to be used in the seminary system about the Atonement. He was in charge of a production that included a cast of 10, a crew of between 60-75, about 250-300 extras, and what may be one of the largest single sets ever built at the studio. Located on the grounds of the LDS Motion Picture Studio, the set measured 52 feet by 77 feet and was 20 feet high. It included a residential street depicted as one might have looked in Jerusalem, and a representation of the court of Pilate.

Brother Holt related that a major responsibility of a director is to see the film first in his mind "from beginning to end, down to the minutest detail."

He added that another responsibility of the director is the performance of the actors and actresses, who are mostly LDS. "The director is the one who has to elicit from them the performance that will make the film what it ought to be."

Elder Paramore said that a further challenge to making a film is limited budget. "The funds of the Church are sacred, so we feel a great responsibility to not spend any more time than we have to, but still get the highest quality possible."

The Audiovisual Department was created in March 1991 to optimize the use of Church funds, personnel and facilities. This resulted in the consolidation of Church headquarters facilities, the BYU Motion Picture Studio, and various other departmental production facilities, personnel, budget and equipment; thus, better utilizing the resources of the Church.

Meeting needs of multiple audiences has been a major benefit of the consolidation. For example, Elder Paramore said that some seminary films may have multiple use for families and parents, and not just for 14- to 17-year-old seminary students.

Another advantage to the consolidation was bringing the BYU Motion Picture Studio under the umbrella of the new department. The studio is a complete production facility and includes a sound stage and a film processing lab.

Concerning the nearly 200 BYU film students who gain practical experience at the studio, Brother Shamo said, "It's an excellent relationship for the film students and the studio. The students help reduce the costs because they pick up a lot of these production activities while acquiring film production skills and credits."

Despite the challenges and the strenuous efforts that go into making a film, members of the Audiovisual Department feel strongly about their work. Brother Holt expressed these feelings: "There are a few moments in each film I've worked on for the Church when you're actually touched to your deepest emotions during a take and you're rolling the cameras. And when that happens it confirms to you that this film is going to work - that it's going to touch the audience on a spiritual level."

"We're not just making movies," said Brother Holt. "We're making vehicles to convey the Spirit, and if we can do that we've accomplished our purpose."