The Interpreter Foundation has begun to release episodes of a new documentary series about Brigham Young.
Following the death of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young was the second prophet and leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So much has been said about Brigham Young, that who he really was may not seem clear, even to members of the Church. These common misconceptions about Young are what inspired Dan Peterson, president of the Interpreter Foundation, to create the documentary series “Becoming Brigham.”
“I've been bothered over the past several years to see people throwing Brigham Young under the bus,” Peterson said. “We want to examine all those issues and put them in more accurate historical light. It won't be a whitewash. There are issues that are difficult, that we don't understand. But by and large, and overwhelmingly, I would say, Brigham Young comes out of this, when you learn more about him, looking a lot better than the stereotypes make him.”
The Interpreter Foundation is responsible for creating the documentary series. It is a non-profit organization that publishes weekly articles on Latter-day Saint doctrine, history and scripture, with the goal of strengthening understanding of members. The Interpreter Foundation also produces films like “Six Days in August,” a film that follows the succession crisis of early Saints after the death of Joseph Smith.
“It's an almost entirely volunteer organization, but we've published a lot of stuff by now,” Peterson said. “And it's all available at no charge, you know, most of it that we can online under the Interpreter Foundation. Hundreds and hundreds of articles, we publish books, we do conferences, we're doing these movies, a lot of things are happening there.”
Peterson encourages all those who may be interested to look into the work done by Interpreter Foundation.
“Becoming Brigham” is a weekly series that follows hosts as they visit historical sites and speak with historians to explore the life of Brigham Young, to bring to light what kind of man he really was.
“We’re covering all the issues people raise,” Peterson said.
Documentary episodes are released weekly on the Becoming Brigham YouTube channel. More information about the project and new episodes can also be found on their website at becomingbrigham.com. Becoming Brigham | Official Site - Becoming Brigham