The Audiovisual Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is building a large Jerusalem set on their new motion picture back lot just south of the communities of Goshen and Elberta, Utah, to film New Testament footage. These video productions will help all people better understand the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and will be used for Church Educational System curriculum, missionary efforts, visitors’ center exhibits, online Mormon Messages and many other projects. “We are creating a body of work that will reside in our library, a spiritual stock footage library,” said Elder Lynn G. Robbins, a member of the First Quorum of Seventy who oversees the Audiovisual Department.
The back lot set will recreate specific parts of ancient Jerusalem including streets, courts, synagogues and other areas. Additionally, the geography of the area where the set is being built allows the Church to recreate Biblical environments such as the plains of Judea, rolling hills, the Jordan River, a synagogue and many other locations with striking similarities to the Holy Land.