Jane and Emma

Born in 1822 to former slaves, Jane Elizabeth Manning was baptized in 1842 into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which brought her great reproach. This was the beginning of many trials for Jane as a convert of African descent.

The friendship between Jane Manning James and Emma Smith—remarkable in a pre–Civil War era—is documented only in a few scattered lines of historical text.

For daily coverage of Hollywood from a believer’s perspective, follow me on Facebook.

Is it okay to present history through a fictional event that never happened? That’s exactly what the new movie Jane and Emma portrays. In the first episode of LDS Living’s new podcast, All In. Historians Jenny Reeder and Janiece Johnson have an interesting conversation with LDS Living host Morgan Jones about whether they are comfortable with the fictional convention used to portray the relationship between Emma Smith and Jane Manning James.

When asked, “Who was Jane Manning?” in an interview onNPR's the City Lights, Danielle Deadwyler, who plays Jane in a groundbreaking film about Jane's life, confidently and proudly said, “Jane Manning was a woman of fierce conviction.”

For the first time in Latter-day Saint cinema, Jane and Emma, a film produced, written, directed, and edited by women, presents an African-American woman as a protagonist and sheds light on the personal faith journey of that woman: Jane Manning James.

NBA player Jabari Parker was in attendance at the “Be One” celebration where Oba Bonner performed with his family. And when the two later collaborated to create a music video, it was a result of “musical matchmaking” by their older brothers, Christian Parker and Yahosh Bonner.

Latter-day Saint Moviegoers help you make informed decisions by reviewing films for artistry, content, and Gospel parallels. For daily reviews and movie news, join ourFacebook group.

The groundbreaking movie Jane and Emma will be released in select theaters tomorrow, October 12, 2018. The film tells the incredible story of Jane Manning James and her conversion to the Church as one of the first black members. The story highlights her relationship with Joseph and Emma Smith while addressing controversial issues such as polygamy and racism.

Planning to use social media to spread the word about Jane and Emma's film release this weekend, the team of filmmakers (over 50 percent of whom are women) was surprised by President Russell M. Nelson's clarion call for a 10-day social media fast given during the general women's session of conference.

The new movie highlighting the relationship between black convert Jane Manning James and Emma Smith, wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comes out in only a few short days (click here for more information on where you can watch it starting October 12, 2018!). The story truly lets you see these two women in Church history with all their flaws and strengths as you watch them grapple with the nuances of their faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ and their love for the martyred prophet during a fictionalized account of a night spent guarding Joseph Smith’s body after his death. While the night itself is not found in the history records, the emotions, stories of Jane and Emma’s previous interactions, people, and much of the dialogue comes straight from accounts left behind by those who lived early Church history, brought to life in the poetic, visual world of film. Here are a few of the true facts from Church history that you will find in Jane and Emma.

"I don’t think we’re setting out to solve anybody’s issues. What we’re doing is opening a conversation," Zandra Vranes said. "We’re saying let’s have this conversation and let’s use the gospel as our guide. Hopefully people accept that invitation. Hopefully the movie will be a part of starting that much-needed conversation."

"Why does anyone care about a film about women?. . . Why should anyone care about that?" Jane and Emma producer Jen Lee Smith asks in a new LDS Living video.

The upcoming movie Jane and Emma is already making waves in the entertainment industry with its controversial topics and strong female presence in the cast and crew. The movie shows the relationship between Jane Manning, Emma Smith, and the prophet Joseph Smith.

"I'd like to believe that this is right. That I'm where you want me to be. That this is your Church and I am your child," Jane Manning James prays in the Jane and Emma movie. "There's too much pain, Lord. There's too much suffering."

"By putting this piece out there, Mormons are demonstrating a willingness to have an open, uncomfortable conversation that some churches in America’s Christian community have been meticulously avoiding," Matthew Faraci writes about the new film Jane and Emma, which focuses on the relationship between Emma Smith and one of the first black converts to the Church, Jane Elizabeth Manning James.

"I am a child of God."

The first-look trailer for the upcoming movie Jane and Emma is making waves, and Deadline is taking notice.