BYU-Idaho Radio · Aaron Merrell Talks About Book of Mormon Video Series
Starting in 2019, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began to release its Book of Mormon Video series. Season 3 is wrapped up and available to watch, and you can find it at the Church’s website, or at the Book of Mormon Video Series’ Youtube channel.
BYU-Idaho Radio got to talk with Aaron Merrell, the senior producer for the Church’s Publishing Services Department and is in charge of the series. He said the purpose of the series is the same as the Book of Mormon itself.
“We’re here to let people know of the great things the Lord has done to help in the gathering of Israel, and most importantly, to testify of Jesus Christ,” he said.
Merrell has extensive background as a video producer for several different companies, including DreamWorks, the Walt Disney Company and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. He’s also worked on past Church video series, such as “I’m a Mormon” and “Mormon and Gay.”
The Ricks College alumnus spoke to the campus today in an online forum about the experiences he had while filming the Book of Mormon series. He said he and his crew experienced many miracles, both big and small.
“I really feel fortunate, honored, and blessed of this great honor of being able to make these movies, but it has been such a blessing for me to see the results and impact that these have had on people’s lives,” Merrell said in the forum.
This video series’ goal is to help viewers understand and gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon. That goal also reaches to those who produced it. Merrell said his testimony has become “unshakeable” as he’s helped bring it to life.
“As I work to build these stories and work with my team, I’ve really had to dig deep into the Book of Mormon and really understand the tiny intricacies and the plain and precious truths of it, and that has really great for me, because I know that the Book of Mormon is true without a doubt,” he said.
The Book of Mormon series isn’t finished yet. COVID-19 forced the production to shut down in 2020, but they’re working to figure out when they can restart production on the upcoming seasons.
You can check out the full forum once it becomes available on our Facebook page.