Mormon Times briefly

First LDS Film Festival deadline today

The LDS Film Festival's seven-page script competition deadline is today. The seven-page script competition includes submissions of a seven-page screenplay. The festival will produce three to premiere at the January festival. All three will receive the first-place award of $200. The short film early deadline is Nov. 1, the regular deadline is Nov. 15, and the extended deadline is Dec. 1. The feature film and special screening deadlines are Dec. 1. See www.ldsfilmfestival.org for information.

Lands conference honors Sorensons

The seventh annual Book of Mormon Lands Conference will be Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Red Lion Hotel, 161 W. 600 South, Salt Lake City. The conference is presented by the Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum, a nonprofit organization that looks at research and evidences for the Book of Mormon in a Mesoamerican context.

John L. Lund, a motivational speaker and author, will be the featured speaker of the conference. His presentation is titled "Joseph Smith and the 'Times and Seasons.'"

BMAF's "Father Lehi" and "Mother Sariah" awards will be presented during lunch to Dr. John L. Sorenson and Helen Sorenson. Dr. John L. Sorenson's book, "An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon," is considered the seminal work on Book of Mormon archaeology and geography.

Other presenters include Kirk Magleby ("An Overview of Book of Mormon Geography Theories"), Joseph L. Allen ("Jaredites and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec"), David G. Calderwood ("Voices From the Dust"), F. Richard Hauck ("New Developments in Mesoamerican Archaeology"), Jerry L. Ainsworth ("Book of Mormon Geography"), Elder Ted E. Brewerton, an emeritus general authority, ("Quetzalcoatl and Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl — Two Separate and Distinct Historical Beings") and Daniel C. Peterson ("The Book of Mormon: Why Should We Care?").

Registration for the conference, which includes lunch, is $30 on www.bmaf.org by today and $35 at the door. See www.bmaf.org for information.

3 Family History Library classes

Sweden, U.S. immigration and Hispanic research will be the topics of classes at the Family History Library on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The Sweden research series is 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and topics include foundation to Swedish research, church records, research in the cities, probate records and research on the Internet.