What if the perfect once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ended up being the one God meant for you to turn down?
This week on Latter-day Lights, Scott and John Brandley sit down with animator Pablo Smith to share the story of how he combined his two greatest passions in life: teaching the gospel, and animation. Having worked at legendary studios in the industry such as Nick Jr., Disney, and Dreamworks, Pablo took his skills into his own hands by independently crafting his most cherished and personal piece of work, “The Book of Mormon Graphic Novel.”
After walking away from a full-ride offer at his dream school—CalArts—to serve in the France Marseille mission on his own accord, Pablo took a risk nobody would dare to. But after numerous rejections and near-misses from several potential opportunities upon returning, Pablo walks us through how he finally got his first big break working in animation, to now channeling his talent into a doorway to the scriptures.
With this project, he helps all kinds of visual learners and readers encounter the Gospel in a format they can truly grasp, leading families toward Christ one panel at a time. Tune in to see how art and testimony meet on the page, and you might just get the spark to use your gift to serve as well.
*** Please SHARE Pablo's story and help us spread hope and light to others. ***
To WATCH this episode on YouTube, visit: https://youtu.be/Isr7lMlDlCE
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To READ Pablo's graphic novel for free, visit: https://bookofmormongraphicnovel.org/
To FOLLOW Pablo on Facebook, visit: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555409713770
To WATCH Pablo's graphic novel on YouTube, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@BOOKOFMORMONAGRAPHICNOVEL
To DONATE to Pablo's project, visit: https://www.venmo.com/u/pablonihah
To READ Scott’s book “Faith to Stay,” visit: https://www.faithtostay.com/
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Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latterdaylights
Also, if you have a faith-promoting or inspiring story, or know someone who does, please let us know by going to https://www.latterdaylights.com and reaching out to us.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Scott Brandley (00:00):
Hey there as a Latter-day Lights listener, I
want to give you a very specialgift today my brand new book,
faith to Stay.
This book is filled withinspiring stories, powerful
discoveries and even freshinsights to help strengthen your
faith during the storms of life.
So if you're looking to beinspired, uplifted and
(00:21):
spiritually recharged, justvisit faithtostaycom.
Now let's get back to the show.
Hey everyone, I'm ScottBrandley.
John Brandley (00:32):
And I'm John Branley.
Every member of the church hasa story to share, one that can
instill faith, invite growth andinspire others.
Scott Brandley (00:40):
On today's episode we're going to learn how
one man's passion for animationhas led him to create a graphic
novel for the Book of Mormon.
Welcome to Latter-day Lights.
Hey, everyone, welcome back toanother episode of Latter-day
(01:02):
Lights.
We're so glad you could meetwith us today, on this beautiful
Sunday afternoon.
We're really excited tointroduce our special guest,
pablo Smith, to the show.
Welcome, pablo, thank you.
Thanks for having me.
You bet Glad you're here.
I'd also like to introduce myuncle, john Brandley, who's
(01:23):
recently been on the show.
If any of you guys have watchedmy recent book launch of Faith
to Stay, john was actually inone of the episodes where we
talk about some really cooldiscoveries we made in Illinois
that have to do with the Book ofMormon.
So if you haven't seen thatepisode, go check it out.
Thanks, john, for coming andhanging out with us.
(01:44):
Yeah, my pleasure.
Pablo Smith (01:54):
So, pablo, tell us a little bit about yourself.
So I married to my wife,kristen.
We have five children.
We started out in El Paso,texas, but we've moved kind of
all over the country and we nowlive in Santa Clarita,
california, where I work inanimation.
I guess my most recent gig waswith Disney doing a project for
(02:17):
Disney as an animationsupervisor.
And yeah, that's me in anutshell.
That's awesome.
And yeah, that's me in anutshell, that's awesome
Animation.
Scott Brandley (02:26):
I know a lot of people when you grow up and you
watch these cartoons and thesedifferent movies and things, a
lot of kids want to be ananimator.
So you actually made it happen,right.
Pablo Smith (02:38):
When you grew up, yeah, yeah, yeah.
For the most part, yes, yeah,it's been fun.
It's been a fun journey.
Scott Brandley (02:46):
Well, we'd love to hear about that journey.
So why don't we turn the timeover to you and tell us where
your story begins, my friend,okay, great, thank you.
Pablo Smith (02:56):
Well, let me give you a little bit of a setup.
I was born in the church andraised in the church, but as I
got older I drifted away for alittle bit and you know I wasn't
overly rebellious or anything.
But you know, teenagers have toswim through a lot of feelings
and emotions before they can seethings as they really are.
(03:18):
And for me, I just didn't seethe need for church in my life
at that time.
I just didn't see the need forchurch in my life at that time,
and so I did my best to not goto church.
And that's the setup.
The real story, or this story,actually begins the last day of
(03:40):
my freshman year of high school.
My last class of the day wasEnglish and my teacher didn't
have anything planned, so shedecided to show us the Little
Mermaid which had just come outon VHS.
It was 1990.
And I don't know how todescribe it, but it kind of like
(04:08):
ignited this passion inside ofme for doing what I was seeing
on the screen.
Like I, uh, I felt thisdesperate need to learn how to
do this, and like I wasfascinated that I was being
pulled in by by just thesedrawings that people did and, um
, I, I it was.
It was like a redefining momentin my life.
Like I it was.
(04:28):
Sometimes I call it like it was, like a monster inside of me,
like this was how.
From this point on, this washow I made decisions.
Uh, so if I, if I had a choiceto hang out with friends, uh, on
a friday night, or stay homeand watch cartoons and draw I
night, or stay home and watchcartoons and draw, I would
always stay home and watchcartoons and draw, because that
was to me that was more uh,exciting and engaging than than
(04:53):
hanging out with friends.
And uh, like, I went home thatday and I asked my dad, hey, can
, can you really get a jobdrawing cartoons for Disney?
And he said, yeah, they'recalled animators.
And I said, well, how do youbecome an animator?
And he didn't know.
And so you know, we lived in ElPaso, texas, and there was no
(05:17):
internet back then.
So I somehow found the physicaladdress for the Walt Disney
Animation Studios and I wrotethem a letter and sent it to
them and it took a while, butthey sent me back a four-page
reply with a list of everythingwe had to do to.
Everything I had to do to becomean animator, and just real
(05:38):
quick, I'd like to share a fewof those.
One of them was draw, as muchas you can.
Take a sketchbook with youwherever you go and don't focus
on cartoons, but focus onlearning the human anatomy,
animal anatomy.
Try to capture a person'semotions by just your sketch,
right, you should be able to seewhat they're thinking and
feeling without word bubbles.
(05:59):
The other one was watch as manymovies as you can, watch as
much television as you can, andand be be very analytical about
it.
So like, if you're, if you're,sitting in a theater with a
bunch of people and everyonelaughs, what was it about?
What just happened on screenthat made everyone laugh?
Right, like, like, really studyabout what makes a good movie,
a good actor, a bad movie, um,and join acting classes.
(06:22):
Right, because that's that'swhat animators are like.
They're just they're, they'reacting with these characters,
right, and so, um, I was a I wasa mega introverted child, um,
but for this I would break myrule of not not socializing,
right I?
So I joined the high schooltheater group.
I was like, very, very, again,very passionate about this.
(06:46):
So I did these things that wereon this reply.
And when school started, mysophomore year of school started
, I approached my dad and said Iwould like to drop all of my
honors classes.
And when he said why, I said,well, because I want to become
an animator and I want to spendmore time drawing and taking art
(07:10):
classes instead of writing bookreports or you know things that
honors kids did.
And so it took a while but heagreed and I dropped my honors
classes.
I spent all the extra time justwatching cartoons, watching
movies, drawing, doing acting,just really focused on it.
(07:35):
The summer, after my sophomoreyear of high school, the
question began to grow in mymind if God was actually real.
And I liken this to Enos, right, who went out in the woods
hunting beasts and all of asudden he really needed to know.
(07:57):
And that's kind of how it wasfor me.
I wasn't hunting beasts, Ithink I was playing a video game
.
But, like the, the desire to toknow if God lived became, uh,
very strong and overwhelming.
And eventually, uh, I read thebook of Mormon from cover to
cover.
I prayed and, through the HolySpirit, uh, god answered my
(08:23):
prayer, and obviously he lives.
If he's answering my prayer,right, but he also told me the
Book of Mormon comes from himand Joseph Smith is his prophet.
And this was, you know, asstrong as my passion for
animation was.
This was much, much stronger,and this became a whole new
(08:47):
redefining point in my life.
And from this point on, thiswas the way I made decisions.
Well, you know that likecombated with it kind of checked
my passion for animation right.
So the summer after my junioryear of high school, my dad took
me to the San Diego Comic BookConvention Excuse me, because
(09:09):
Disney was hiring artists todraw their comics.
I think that the took all ofthe sketches that I did on
(09:34):
notebooks during class andschool and, uh, we drove up to
san diego, I stood in line, Iapplied for the and I was
offered the job until I blurtedout that I was a junior, I was
going to be a junior in highschool.
And once they found out I wasin high school, they said, oh,
(09:55):
oh, hold on, hold on, you haveto finish high school first.
But that it was such a bigboost to my confidence.
And at the beginning of at thatsame comic book convention, I
met the directors of Beauty andthe Beast, who were there
signing Beauty and the Beastcomic books, gary Trousdale and
(10:16):
Kirk Wise.
And I spoke with Kirk Wise andI asked him where do you get all
your animators from?
And he said you know, we getthem from all over the place,
but most of the animators we getfrom a school called CalArts
which is here in Valencia,california.
And we went home and I neededto get into CalArts.
(10:41):
My dad called the school and Idon't know if it's the same now,
but back then they told himthat hundreds of students apply
each year and they only take 50every year.
And so I started to fill outthe application.
I remember it was my senior yearof high school and I was
(11:02):
filling out the application inmy high school library when the
thought came into my head whatabout your mission?
I don't know if it was becauseI was inactive and still
introverted, so I'd go to church, but I try to be as invisible
as possible, right?
I wouldn't talk to anybody.
I just try to leave as soon asI could, just because the idea
of talking to people scared me,right?
(11:24):
So the mission never reallycame up in my head as like a
thing, like a real thing.
So, as I was standing there withthe application half filled out
, I just thought, well, I hadgotten my patriarchal blessing
along the way.
I just thought, well, I hadgotten my patriarchal blessing
(11:46):
along the way, and in theblessing it said that not only
would I serve a mission, but Ineeded to work and pay for as
much of my mission as I could.
So I just thought, well, I mean, if it's a commandment, I'm
going on my mission.
But I said, heavenly Father, Ijust want to see if I'm good
enough, can I still apply, andwhether I get in or not I'll go
(12:15):
on my mission.
So I applied and I got acceptedto CalArts.
Cool, yeah, the monster insideof me was very elated and I was
going to write them and tellthem that.
You know, I told HeavenlyFather a deal's a deal, right,
(12:37):
like, I will go on my missionfirst.
Thanks for letting me know that.
I was good enough to get in.
And the following that weekendit was a Saturday night I was
walking through the mall in ElPaso, texas, when this man
stopped me in the mall to askfor directions and he wasn't
from there and didn't know wherehe was.
And as I gave him thedirections, he told me you know,
(12:59):
you don't have the local accent, are you from here?
And I said no, actually I'mfrom Utah.
And he said your last name'snot Smith, is it?
And I said well, yeah, actuallyit is.
And he said your first name'snot Joseph and I said no, it's
Pablo.
(13:19):
And you know we got to talkingand he found out that I got
accepted to CalArts and I wasgoing to go on the mission first
.
He stopped me cold and he saidwait a second, wait a second.
He said look, I'm fromCalifornia.
I know so many people whosechildren have tried to get into
this school and they come backcrying because they can't get it
(13:42):
.
It's so hard to get in.
And here you have thisopportunity and you're just
going to throw it away.
And I said, well, I'm notthrowing it away, I'm just I'm
going to go on a mission first.
And he said, like there's somany people can do, so many
people can be a missionary, butnot everybody can do.
You know what you're going todo?
Like, can't, can't other peopleserve a mission?
(14:05):
And I said, well, yeah, but uh,I, I also want to serve a
mission.
And he said, well, can't you goto a year first?
Go to a year of college first?
And I said, well, I could.
But, um, you know, cal arts isreally expensive and I want to
save money to pay for my mission.
I want to save money to pay formy mission.
And he said he pulled out abusiness card and he said all I
(14:32):
remember was that his name wasLem from the card.
And he said look, I own abusiness in California.
If you go to college first, ifyou go to CalArts all four years
first, I will pay 100% for yourcollege and then you can go on
a mission.
And I said, if you don'tbelieve me, take the card, call
(14:55):
the number, ask them if I can dowhat I said I'm going to do.
And I said you know that's verygenerous.
And I said you know that's verygenerous.
Yeah, it's a little crazy.
I said that's very generous,but I feel like I should go on
my mission first.
And he said oh my gosh.
(15:16):
And he started getting a littleagitated and he said look, I
know you Mormons, you guys havebishops, right?
I bet you, if you go to yourbishop, it was a Saturday night.
So he said if you go to churchtomorrow, ask your bishop, tell
him my offer and ask him whatshould you do?
(15:36):
He will tell you to take myoffer.
And I said I know what thebishop will say and I don't
think he'll say that.
So what will he say?
And I think he'll say thatthat's very generous and it's my
decision, but he feels he wouldrecommend me to go on my
mission first.
(15:56):
And he said you go tomorrow,ask your bishop and then meet me
back here after church to tellme what he said.
So I went to church, asked mybishop, bishop Tilly, this is
the offer that this guy gave me.
What would you suggest?
(16:17):
And he said Pablo, you knowthat's great, that's amazing, I
mean, and I know that school isexpensive, but it's totally your
decision.
But I would recommend, as yourbishop, to go on a mission first
.
I said, yeah, that's what Ithought you'd say.
So went back to the mall afterchurch.
(16:40):
Lem was there on time and hethrew out his arms.
So what do you say?
And I said he told me it wasvery generous and it was my
decision, but he would recommendthat I serve my mission first.
And Lem got upset and he's like, oh, I just can't believe you,
(17:03):
mormons.
And he said well, look, keep mybusiness card.
The offer's on the table.
Think about it before you rentCalArts.
The offer is only good if yougo to college first.
If you go on your mission, youcan throw that card away.
So I went home and I threw thecart away and I was called to
(17:26):
serve my mission and labor inthe France Marseille mission
back in the day.
It was that's what it wascalled.
I love my mission.
I know everybody knows thisright.
But for two years you just youspend your day focusing on other
(17:47):
people, on the issues, on theproblems they're having, they're
going through, and you'redrawing upon the power of God to
help these people.
And I mean, as you do that likeand you feel the love God has
for these people, you just youget to know God better, you get
(18:08):
to know how he thinks and how hefeels a little bit more and you
get to know how amazing all ofthese people are.
And then you start, you know,like it says in Nephi in the
Book of Mormon.
Thus we see the importance ofyou know, making these things
known to the children of men.
Like I loved being a missionaryand it you know, the only
(18:30):
twinges I had of anything thatbothered me was the movie
posters, when I'd walk aroundand I'd see that, like the
Hunchback of Notre Dame came outor the first, the first Toy
Story came out, and I was like Ihad this slight little like am
I missing out?
Right.
But by the end of my mission Ieven asked if I could extend my
(18:53):
mission, but the the my missionpresident said no, just go home
and get married, right.
And so I came home.
I feel like at that time, if theLord had asked me, I could have
a hundred percent given upbeing an artist, being an
animator.
Um I I reached out to CalArtswhen I got back and basically
(19:19):
they told me they didn't want meanymore.
So it kind of came as a excuseme.
It kind of came as like a shock.
I floundered for a little while.
I felt, since I had served amission, that everything would
go smooth.
You know, obviously I was veryyoung in the gospel.
(19:42):
Obviously I was very young inthe gospel.
So I floundered for a bit andthought, you know, after a while
(20:02):
I thought, like, is this shouldlook into the only other thing
that I ever felt passionateabout, which was teaching the
gospel?
Right?
And I looked into becoming aninstitute of religion teacher
because I thought, hey, I couldstill teach the gospel for a
living and I could teach withthe spirit, I could feel the
spirit all day and stuff likethat.
And so I was going to move up toUtah, work at the MTC.
(20:28):
I even applied at the MTC andwent through the whole
interviewing process and when Igot back it felt like doors
weren't just closing, they wereslamming shut Like I called the
MTC.
They didn't have any record ofme ever having been there or
having done an interview, andthe more I looked into it, the
(20:49):
more it felt like doors werejust closing.
And I had a friend and I wantto be careful, I don't want to
paint anyone in a bad light.
I had a friend who was a churchleader, a bishop.
I don't want to paint anyone ina bad light.
I had a friend who was a churchleader, a bishop, and he saw me
struggling and he pulled measide and said you know, pablo,
(21:13):
maybe being an artist issomething you just have to let
go.
I mean really seriously, likehow, how would you know if you
wanted to support a family beingan artist, you'd have to be a
really good artist.
That was that had been my planthe whole time.
But keep going.
John Brandley (21:35):
That was my plan.
I want to be a good one.
That's why I'm doing it.
Pablo Smith (21:43):
He said you know why not?
Why not join the FBI?
Like you speak three languagesnow English, Spanish and French
why not join the FBI?
And you get like a nice, steady, stable job, you can support
your family?
And so I left that conversationfeeling just utterly depressed,
(22:04):
like I felt horrible and himbeing a church leader, him being
a bishop and me wanting to be afaithful member of the church.
Like I took his counsel veryseriously and I don't remember
what movie I went to go watchlater on, but in the trailers,
(22:26):
uh, they showed the trailer toDisney's Tarzan.
Um, and when I saw that trailer, it was like the little mermaid
all over again.
Like I just, oh, my gosh, whatam I?
What was I thinking?
Of course I want to do this.
Like this is, um, I mean, I'vegot to do this.
The only problem was in my headwas the advice that this church
(22:50):
leader gave me.
And later on in conference, inthe priesthood session of
conference, I heard Boyd KPacker say that a wise bishop
will never give you an answertoa question, but he will help
you find your own answers toyour questions.
And I just thought that's itright.
Like this is my answer.
(23:12):
I want to do this.
This is what I want to do.
So during the time that I wasfloundering, I had met who would
become my wife, this girl namedKristen, and we got to know
each other and I had spoken withher about my desires to become
(23:34):
an animator and she was all forit.
She was said I will support youand let's do this.
And we ended up getting marriedon june of 2000 and I started
looking for uh.
I got on the internet which wasa thing by then and looked for
other colleges and after a lotof prayer and stuff, I uh
(23:57):
attended, uh Columbus College ofArt and Design in Columbus,
ohio.
Um, and I had read this.
I had read this or heard thisstory.
I think it was by Marion GRomney.
If you guys know who itactually was, you can correct me
.
Um, but he wanted to become alawyer and his family was afraid
that in becoming a lawyer hewould lose his testimony and
(24:19):
leave the church and all thatstuff, and so he still wanted to
go to law school.
But he decided he made apromise that he would study the
Book of Mormon every day of lawschool as he went through law
school.
I think I'm getting that rightas he went through law school.
I think I'm getting that right.
And so I was like you know, I'mgoing into this film animation
(24:41):
school, I'm going to go into theentertainment business.
I think you know how bad couldit be to be an animator.
But I made myself the samepromise, like I will study the
Book of Mormon every day of mycollege life.
And so you know, and it wassurprisingly very challenging.
(25:03):
I mean, I don't know what filmschool is like, like, let's say,
at BYU or a place like that,but you know, in one film class,
a teacher came, walked intoclass and said All right, guys,
we're going to learn from thebest filmmakers today, and I'm
obligated to tell you thatthere's going to be a lot of sex
(25:26):
, a lot of violence, a lot ofdrug use, alcohol.
If anybody has any problemswith that, just let me know now.
And so I raised my hand and theclass busted out laughing,
right, they thought I was joking, the teacher was laughing.
And then, as I kept my hand up,the teacher says wait, oh, are
(25:46):
you serious?
And I said yeah, yeah, Iusually stay away from that
stuff.
But you guys can you know, I'lljust go work on my project
outside and he was like uh,you're excused.
And uh, and that happened likea few times.
Like I had a, a screenwritingclass where the teacher after,
uh, she pulled me aside, after Iwalked out of her uh class a
(26:08):
few times during some some notso good movies, uh, she pulled
me aside and she asked me so inyour country do they not watch a
lot of violence and sex?
And I was very, I'm veryinternational looking and I said
, you know, it's more of areligious thing, like I, I don't
(26:30):
watch this for religiousreasons.
And she said, you know, I justdon't get you.
Like you are paying for thiseducation, you are paying for
this.
And now, like we are learningfrom the masters here, like from
the best movie makers, and youare refusing the education.
And I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, Iknow, I know, um, and I'm, I
(26:54):
totally understand and I'mtotally fine with that.
And I always figured that, youknow, if I, if I stayed faithful
and true to my covenants, thatif I needed to learn something
that I missed in school, thatGod would just reveal it to me.
And you know, so far, so good.
Right, so I, you know thebeginning of my, I finished my
(27:18):
junior year of college.
By that time we had my wife andI had three kids, and they
called me to be the earlymorning seminary teacher, and so
that was part of the deal,right, like I would accept every
calling, I was extended.
I just stay in the trunk of thetree, right?
So I was called to be the earlymorning seminary teacher and
(27:41):
during my senior year of college, disney shut down all of their
traditional animation projects.
They let go of everybody.
Dreamworks followed suit.
And here I was in the middle ofmy senior year, just kind of
floundering again, justwondering what the heck should I
(28:03):
do now, and I decided to justfinish with traditional
animation.
And as school was wrapping upat the end of my senior year, I
was getting ready to come to aconference out here in
California where I would belooking for jobs and I could
pass my stuff around torecruiters.
(28:24):
And my bishop at the timecalled me two days before I left
and he said Pablo, look, I knowyou're graduating, I know
you're flying out to get a job.
I just have to tell you I donot feel good about releasing
you as the early morningseminary teacher.
(28:46):
Of course I'll release you, butI just wanted to let you know,
uh, I, I cannot get a goodfeeling about this.
So you're going to be the earlymorning seminary teacher for
this next year.
And uh, then he hung up thephone and I just stood there for
(29:07):
a while thinking did, uh, didthe Lord just tell me through my
Bishop that I wasn't going toget a job for another year at
this fair?
And so I flew out to California, went to the convention I was
doing this drawing class thatthey were having there and the
(29:28):
instructor called over arecruiter from Sony Imageworks
and said hey, check this guy out.
And the recruiter came up to meand said who are you, who are
you employed with?
And I said I'm in college, I'mlooking for a job.
And she said can you give meyour reel, your demo reel and
your information?
So I gave her a demo reel, myresume.
(29:49):
She said you'll be hearing fromus soon.
And I went home thinking.
I went home thinkingtentatively maybe the bishop is
wrong.
He wasn't.
Nothing ever happened from that.
I went home and I waited andwaited and I even called Sony
(30:09):
and they never heard of me.
There was no record.
Nobody had my stuff.
I applied to like hundreds ofplaces.
I didn't get a job the entireyear.
When I finished teachingseminary, I got a call from a
(30:30):
studio in New York.
That's the crazy, it was thecraziest thing.
I was like I finished teachingseminary and, uh, I got a call
from uh, this, this company, andI flew out.
I took the test and theyoffered me a job and we moved to
new york and, uh, um, I workedon a show called the wonder pets
(30:52):
, which was like a preschoolshow.
For, oh yeah, did you know it?
uh, yeah my, my kids were raisedon it oh well, uh, feel free to
not sing the song, because Iwant to hear the song.
John Brandley (31:07):
Scott, I don't know what you're talking about
right now, so no, I don't.
Scott Brandley (31:09):
I'm already traumatized by it.
John Brandley (31:12):
I'm just kidding yeah, that'll be in the extra.
Scott will sing that.
Pablo Smith (31:18):
Well, yeah, so I worked there for four years on
that show and a few other showsfor Nick Jr.
Then we moved out to Californiawhere I worked on a show called
Kung Fu Panda Secrets of theMasters for DreamWorks, on a
(31:39):
show called uh, kung fu pandasecrets of the masters for
dreamworks.
Uh and uh.
After that, like I kind of justjumped around freelance studios
.
Like I said, I just wrapped upa job at disney, um and uh, yeah
, it's been, it's I mean it'sbeen really hard at times but
it's also been really rewarding.
And uh, about 10 years ago Ihad this idea.
10 or 15 ago I had this idea 10or 15 years ago I had this idea
to make an animated featurefilm for the Book of Mormon.
(32:04):
And I mean, I know there's been, like you know the living
scriptures and stuff, but I kindof wanted to make it like
sequential.
Like wouldn't it be such agreat idea if we started from
mormon's point of view?
And as he, as he's trying toabridge and lead an army and
raise his son, uh, that, uh,he's reading, as he's abridging
(32:25):
and as he's reading, we go intothe story and when we come back
out, he like he gets all thisstrength from the scriptures
that he's read right and um, butI mean to make a feature film.
It was so much more money thatI could imagine, so I kind of
let that go for a while.
(32:46):
And we had our fifth child herein California, eris, as the
youngest child, and a couple ofyears ago, as she was just
sitting down reading, I noticedthat she would just read all
these graphic novels.
She read Diary of a Wimpy Kidor comics, right, diary of a
Wimpy Kid, babysitter's Club,just anything that was like
(33:08):
comic format.
She was just reading and Ithought to myself why don't I
just take my movie idea and turnit into a graphic novel,
because I can do that on my own.
I have to do it after hours,right.
But so I started.
(33:30):
I told my wife, hey, I'd liketo try this thing.
So like when I'm not, when I'mnot doing anything, so like you
know, I'd work on.
You know there was times whereI was working, uh, especially
like on, uh, like on spongebob.
I'd work 20 hours, uh, likejust super long hours, uh.
(33:50):
And then when I was done to, towind down, I would draw, like.
And my wife was just like,don't you want to do anything
else and I was like it's justthis passion, I just love to do
it.
So after hours and on theweekends, I would work on this
graphic novel idea.
(34:10):
And I did it.
And it was originally just formy kids.
So I did it and it just becamelonger and longer and longer and
, uh, I finished the firstvolume, which was, uh, by the
time I was done it was 193 pagesand it only covered chapters
one through four of first nephi.
I showed it to my kids.
They loved it, uh, and my wifesaid you know why not?
(34:34):
Why not put this online?
You know if somebody else might, might like it and might need
it, might use it.
And so, um, I, I did, I put it,I created a facebook page.
I created, uh, so I alwayswanted to make it into a feature
film, right.
So I, I, I've been taking thepanels from this graphic novel
(34:55):
and turning them into like, justthe kind of like it's like an
audio comic, right, just theselittle moving while I, while I
narrate it, or, you know, do thevoices and stuff, and so
there's like a YouTube channeland then a website that people
have actually been responding toit favorably.
I did try advertising it onlineonce as, uh, you know, I paid
(35:18):
online uh ads on YouTube, but Ijust got all the the
anti-Mormons and I spent the dayjust kind of deleting messages
and stuff.
So, um, yeah, I, I uh releasedthe first volume.
I'm like in the middle of thesecond volume, uh, right now.
(35:38):
And uh, I I feel like, and Ifeel like it's just been a great
experience.
I feel like I can finally takethe two things, like the two
passions that I have, right, theteaching the gospel and the
drawing, right the animation ofbeing an artist, and I've been
able to put them together.
And so I'm not by any meanslike a scriptorian or some kind
(36:03):
of history expert, like I don'tknow like what the fashion was
at 600 BC, jerusalem or whatthey ate.
So I kind of just it's notreally about that, it's more
about the spiritual strengththat you can get from the
stories, right.
So, like they eat sandwiches,right, like it's not.
(36:23):
I'm sure that that's not whatthey eat, but it's just kind of
some things are fudged over likethat kind of stuff.
And then the I kind of try tofocus on the spiritual aspect.
So what I do is I will forscripture study, I will open the
scriptures and I will startwith a prayer and I will just
read a verse or two and thenjust kind of ponder it.
(36:44):
And as ideas come and I have asketchbook and as ideas come I
will start drawing and writingyou know the word bubbles and
stuff in the drawing.
And I'll keep drawing, I'llkeep reading and I'll ponder and
draw and I'll keep drawing,I'll keep reading and I'll
ponder and draw and eventuallyit comes out to like you know, I
do fill in the gaps that are inthe scriptures.
(37:07):
I just kind of like point A topoint B and I try to keep it as
faithful as possible.
And you know, every time theLord is speaking or the Spirit
is speaking, I use the exactwording that we find in the
scriptures.
But other than that, I try tomake it more entertaining for,
(37:27):
you know, try to give them, andI realize these are real people
and that one day I'm going tomeet them and I'll just say so.
I just do my best, right.
I just do my best right.
But yeah, I feel like this wasnever meant to be a business
(37:49):
idea for me.
I don't plan on and I don't wantto get rich drawing the Book of
Mormon.
I've made this available forfree for anybody who would like
to read it.
Just take all the learning andthe stuff that I've gotten from
working at all these studios andkind of hopefully bringing it
(38:10):
together in a way that, you know, some people might need to hear
it.
I've had parents reach out tome and tell me that you know,
their kids have learningdisabilities or problems and
they learn through graphicnovels, and so they're very
grateful that they will focus onthis.
They will read this.
They won't read the scriptures,but they will read this, and
(38:32):
I'm not in any way saying thatthis equals the scriptures, but
hopefully it gets them to apoint where they will want to
read the actual scriptures,where it kind of helps them, to
a point where they will want toread the actual scriptures right
, where it's kind of like helpsthem to liken the scriptures to
themselves.
And yeah, that's pretty much it.
Scott Brandley (38:50):
That's my story.
Well, my daughter is one ofthose people.
She has dyslexia and she has areally hard time reading, but
she's always read graphic novelsand that's how she reads, so I
think this would be amazing.
I can't wait to show her it.
Pablo Smith (39:12):
Well, I do know that I'm not the first one to do
it.
I know there's other peoplethat have done comics and
graphic novels of the Book ofMormon.
This is my take on it, sohopefully it's uh, I try to make
it dynamic and engaging and,you know, throw in humor and uh,
I feel like it's it's beingwell received.
So I kind of wanted to, youknow, look into ways to let
(39:36):
people know about it.
Uh, so it's always, it's alwaysfree for anyone online or stuff
like that.
Uh, people have been asking forprint copies and that that does
take money, so I'm I'm chargingenough to print and ship it if
they want one, but, uh, it'salways free online.
John Brandley (39:57):
Yeah, I love it.
I think that, um, it'sinteresting, as you told your
story, pablo, that when you hadthat first spark, jeremiah, when
he talked about somethingsimilar, where it was like the
spirit was a fire shut up in hisbones right, you have this
passion, right, and you havethat same passion, maybe even
(40:22):
more so, because spiritually,you're a son of God and with
your testimony of the Book ofMormon and the Prophet Joseph
Smith and the Restoration, right, and you have these, melded,
these two things over your life.
But it's interesting how,listening to you, god has
directed your life.
So, when you had that firstcatalyst with Ariel and that
(40:44):
movie, did you draw back then,or was it?
When you started to draw?
Did you kind of doodle, or wasthat your?
Hey, I think I want to draw andI've never drawn before.
Pablo Smith (40:58):
I wouldn't say it was something that I did often I
would do it every once in awhile.
People would say, oh hey,that's pretty good, but it was
never my thing.
It was once I saw that, saw theLittle Mermaid, that I was like
that's kind kind of what.
(41:18):
What did it?
And so from that day on then Istarted drawing.
So since my the last day of myfreshman year of high school is
the is the day I started likeseriously drawing.
John Brandley (41:31):
So it really was the catalyst.
So you had some talent, someinnate talent, obviously, and
then it was like the spiritdirecting you into do something,
uh, that would bring joy intoyour life, and then you were
able to.
It's interesting, too, how,through that process you were,
you had opportunities that, um,if you would have taken them,
(41:52):
your life would have beendifferent.
Pablo Smith (41:55):
Yeah, yeah, I, I often wonder that and you know I
I'd have to say like, uh, yeah,I often wonder that and you
know I'd have to say like I'vealways felt a little insecure
about my career because, youknow, having served a mission
and worked with people that havelike real honest-to-goodness
(42:16):
problems, right, and meetingpeople who work like in the ER
or as trauma nurses or stufflike that and here I am having
an argument at work about a fartjoke and it's like, um, it's
not I've always felt like, isthis really what god wants me to
do with, like with my life,like I feel like, yeah, I mean,
it's really fun, right, and it'sfunny, but uh, I feel like the
(42:37):
book of mormon graphic novel hasbeen a way where I feel like
this, I feel like this is whathe wants me to do with, this is
why he gave me the talent, right.
And so now, now, uh, still alittle insecure sometimes when
I'm talking to people, but Ilove that I can tell them hey,
you know, I am working on thisgraphic novel that I feel really
(42:58):
good about and I feel, you know, brings something more than
just laughter, which I knowthat's that's important.
John Brandley (43:05):
But yeah, and I think communication to being
able to communicate through yourmedium that you're doing can
impact millions of people.
And I think it's amazing how,along the way, you had
opportunities to do.
It's like the devil kind of puthey, I'll pay for your college
(43:25):
at the best school that nobodygets into, right?
Or you can go on a mission whenyou get back.
Now you don't get to go to thatschool anymore, you go
somewhere else and you meet youreternal companion and you have
five kids and you're doingexactly what the Lord wanted you
to do.
You're teaching seminary andyou're making promises with God
(43:47):
to read the book of Mormon.
So you're building arelationship while you're doing
that.
And those are all choices alongthe way.
Right, this is all about youragency.
But God knows you intimately andhe's like Pablo, check this out
, you're going to be amazing atthis.
And you don't even draw.
That's amazing to me.
That's amazing because I drewas a kid.
(44:10):
Right, we didn't have a TV.
I have 10 brothers, we werepoor and TV was drawing at the
kitchen table and my brother,jason, telling me hey, that's
pretty good.
And I'm like, really Right, and,and you're, you didn't have
that, you know, maybe you hadsome, obviously had this talent
(44:33):
inside you, but, but youlistened, and I think you know,
for Scott's podcast, he's tryingto get the message out that if
people will listen, right, thespirit is speaking to you.
Heavenly father knows you andhe's like Pablo, this right.
And you're like, no matter whatanybody said, you stayed on
that path and whatever obstaclescame and I'm sure there were
more, and I'm sure there wastimes where you're like I'm out
(44:55):
of this, I'm going into the FBIbecause I speak three languages.
That's crazy to me Like maybeyou should do this random thing.
And you're like what?
No?
And you think through it andyou're like that was really nice
, bishop, but I'm going to be anartist and an animator.
And at each time, though, youhad a choice, right, but if you
(45:18):
really listen and tune into thespirit, time though you had a
choice right.
But if you really listen andtune into the spirit, your life
goes into a path that it wouldnever take without it.
Right, and here you are, youknow, and you're almost 50 right
, and you're uh, and you'redoing, you're working on this
after you work all day drawingbecause you love it, because the
(45:40):
spirit is directing you to doit, and you know it's going to
impact a lot of people.
I can't wait to see maronaeating a sandwich, right, or
amman carrying a sandwich whilehe's got a bag of arms over his
shoulder.
You know, like what?
What's the big deal?
Right, right, I any opposedraise your hand and they opposed
(46:00):
me, so I cut them off.
So so this is uh, it's anamazing.
I'm glad that I got to be apart of this, to listen to you
and your story, because I cansee how God had weaved his, his,
uh light into your life anddirected you to where you are
now.
So thanks for sharing that.
I think it's awesome.
Scott Brandley (46:20):
Thank you.
I would agree with John younever know who you're going to,
whose life you're going toaffect.
I mean, for example, like mydaughter, grace right, if she
reads this and her testimony isstrengthened and maybe this
helps her to have a desire to goon a mission.
Or, like you, just never knowwhat's what's going to impact
(46:44):
somebody's life and you'regiving people the ability to
absorb the book of mormon in away that is different than the
traditional route, and somepeople need that, you know, or
if, or maybe it's a way thatthey can absorb it initially and
then step to the full version,where they can understand it
(47:05):
better now, because now theyhave something more that they
can relate to.
You just never know what'sgoing to happen or who you're
who you're going to affect.
So I went um.
The last podcast we did was withthe founder of the LDS PMA, so
that's one of the associationfor publishing, media and the
(47:26):
arts for the LDS community,right, and he had this idea to
start this back in 2015.
Well, the crazy thing is, I gotthe idea to do this podcast
because I went to the LDS PMAand, as I wrote a book, I was
(47:47):
and I sat next to a girl thattold me that she created a
podcast about her book and I, sowe wouldn't be sitting here
today talking if, if that guyhis name's steve, if he, if
steve wouldn't have had thatidea in 2015 to create an
association to help people youknow improve their skills and
(48:08):
and their talents.
So you just never know likeit's going to be interesting to
look 10 years into the futureand see how many people's lives
you impacted for bet for thebetter, because you created this
graphic novel of the Book ofMormon.
Pablo Smith (48:25):
Well, I can't even think about that.
I guess 10 years in the futurelooking back.
But yeah, it would be reallyinteresting to look back and see
you know was it worth it cansee you know was it worth it and
you know, I, I never feel likeuh, I never want to say like,
(48:49):
hey, this is inspired by God,like all the words on this in
this novel, but uh, I do feelthat God is happy with my
offering, and I guess that'swhat, yeah, that's what I would
call it as my offering, and thatif people do feel something
from it, then then I am gratefulthat I did take the time to to
create this, so yeah well, and Ithink God wants your voice
right.
John Brandley (49:09):
You know, when you go on a mission, it was
important for you to go on thatmission to France because you
are an individual that canimpact people in a way no one
else can, and so, of course, ifyou're going to do this graphic
novel, it's going to have you inthere, right, because you're
important to this.
(49:30):
Your personality is amazing, soGod wants people to see that in
your work as well.
And you know, in 10 years Scottsaid in 10 years we'll look
back you'll probably still bewriting this, right, because
you've only you've only gotthree, four chapters, for
goodness sake, you got a lot togo so.
So in 10 years we'll be talkingabout, you know, the book of
(49:53):
ether and you'll just be workingon that.
Jesus will be here and he'll belike I am way better at
podcasting than John, so I won'tbe here.
You'll probably be Jesus andScott and you'll be in the new
Jerusalem and you'll.
He'll think it's funny and, youknow, as long as there's no
fart jokes in the book, you'llbe fine.
Scott Brandley (50:15):
There might be fart jokes in heaven, dude, you
never know, yeah.
John Brandley (50:18):
I mean, I don't know what they're reading, but
yeah, there was probably thatflatulence happening for some
reason.
But but yeah, I think it'samazing how God directs our
lives and they're so different.
Right, like you're in afreshman who has some talent
maybe, but you haven't reallytapped into it.
And you have this spark, right,the spark of the divine that
(50:44):
leads you.
Everything good comes from God.
So this is good.
This definitely came from God.
Anything trying to stop youalong the way was not coming
from God.
That's how you also know you'reon the path.
There's two witnesses to thetruth, right, there's God.
And then there's the devil whoshows up.
You know, like he did forJoseph in the sacred grove, how
did he know to show up that day?
(51:05):
Cause he knows who Joseph is,and and, uh, lem, or whoever
that guy is that gave you hisbusiness card, he knew who you
were too, right?
I just know he's not workingfor the same guy, right?
So so, hey, you just call thisnumber and check on it and you
know I am who.
I say I am.
Yeah, you're the devil, becauseI've got a different plan.
(51:25):
It's just amazing as you lookback at that and go, wow, there
are always two forces working inyour life, right, and you get
to choose.
And that's the beautiful thingabout the gospel of Jesus Christ
is agency is paramount.
We fought a war in heaven forit and throughout your life, you
chose the path that you're onnow right, no matter what
(51:47):
happened.
And when you got off the path,you chose to get back on it and
you can see the fruits of it inyour life right, you can see it
in that big smile when you smile.
You can see it in the abilityto work after you worked a full
day.
Right, because you're driven bythis passion.
So I'm excited.
I have six kids and I'm excitedto have them look at this and
(52:11):
to be interested in thescriptures is good.
This is good news, this is agood thing.
So I think this is amazing.
I think this is an amazing uh,that you have tapped into that
talent and developed it and putin the work and now you can God
can work through you to dosomething that maybe could
impact grace or my, one of mykids, and maybe they'll be like
(52:33):
wow, you know, maybe I canimpact the world in a, in a, in
a certain way, and they'll get a.
You'll be, you'll be the aerial, the aerial right for them,
your book, right?
Pablo Smith (52:44):
I hope so.
Yeah, that's how it works.
John Brandley (52:45):
That's how it works, so yeah, that's cool.
I'm excited to see, to see thelight that comes from the light
that you were given oh, thankyou so much.
Pablo Smith (52:54):
That's very nice of you.
I hope so.
John Brandley (52:55):
I hope that does happen I think it's already
happening, so otherwise youwouldn't be on here with this
nice, cleanly shaven headpodcaster named Scott.
You wouldn't be on here withoutthat.
I'm going to rub it right afterthis meeting for making me.
No, that was my pleasure.
(53:16):
I'm glad to meet you, pablo.
I hope I get to meet you inperson and I'm definitely going
to go look at your, your bookand, over the next three weeks,
look at those four chapters,because that's a lot to read in
190 pages, so it'll take me awhile, thanks, thank you, which
(53:37):
is awesome, awesome.
Scott Brandley (53:38):
Yeah.
So, pablo, before I get abusedby John anymore, can you tell us
any last thoughts that youmight have before we would kind
of wrap things up, anything youwant to share with people that
are watching this podcast?
Pablo Smith (53:56):
Yeah, let me actually write it down so that I
don't mess it up.
It's just two scriptures.
The first one is when Alma isspeaking to his son, shiblon,
alma 38, 12.
And he says see that you bridleall your passions, that you may
be filled with love, strong asmy passion was.
(54:16):
I'm so grateful that I wasblessed with my testimony of the
gospel that allowed me to, kindof, you know, keep myself in
the where I needed to be, to tohopefully remain a good person.
And then the second scriptureis 1 Timothy 4, 14 through 16.
(54:37):
Neglect not the gift that is inthee, which was given thee by
prophecy, with the laying on ofthe hands of the Presbytery.
Meditate upon these things,give thyself wholly to them,
that thy profiting may appear toall.
Take heed unto thyself and untothe doctrine, continue in them,
for in doing this thou shaltboth save thyself and them that
(54:58):
hear thee.
And I feel like that's kind ofthe message of my graphic novel.
It's just, you know, stick withwhat the Lord has given you.
Meditate wholly, give yourselfwholly to these things and
hopefully you save yourself anda few other people as well.
Love it.
John Brandley (55:16):
Yeah, definitely.
Well, scott and I love the Bookof Mormon, so you couldn't have
found two guys that love theBook of Mormon.
So you couldn't have found twoguys that love the Book of
Mormon better than us.
And I liked how earlier yousaid, when you were putting
words into their mouth, thatyou'll meet them someday,
because the Book of Mormon is abook of real people who had real
experiences and Joseph Smithknew them.
(55:37):
His mother said he talked aboutthem as if he had lived among
them his whole life.
Right, and he loved thesepeople and he had context for
translating the Book of Mormonbecause of his relationship.
So if you can get that out intoa book, that's amazing because
it's true, these are real peopleand and their story needs to be
(55:59):
told.
Pablo Smith (56:00):
It's true, these are real people and and uh,
their story needs to be told.
Scott Brandley (56:02):
Thank you, awesome.
Well, thanks Pablo for being on.
Thanks, john for hanging outwith us and being my co-host
today.
Um, thanks everyone for tuningin.
If you like Pablo's story andyou want to get it out there and
share his graphic novel of theBook of Mormon Pablo, where do
(56:25):
they go to find this so thatthey can share it?
Pablo Smith (56:28):
So the website where you can see all of the
stuff isbookofmormongraphicnovelorg, but
you could also.
There's a Facebook page Book ofMormon Graphic Novel, a YouTube
page Book of Mormon GraphicNovel, a YouTube page Book of
Mormon Graphic Novel.
That's if you want to see thevideos.
And, yeah, an Instagram page Ithink as well, but yeah, that's
(56:49):
where you can go see it.
Scott Brandley (56:51):
Awesome, okay, guys, go check out
BookOfMormonGraphicNovelorg Okay, dot org.
Okay, and and some of thoseother sites.
We'll put them in the shownotes so you can go get quick,
easy access to them.
Make sure that you do your fivesecond missionary work.
Go hit that share button so wecan get this message out there,
(57:12):
so Pablo can share this bookwith everyone that needs that
needs it, because everyone doesneed it even.
I think this is a fun way totalk about the Book of Mormon.
Share it with your kids.
It's more relatable.
I think it's great, pablo.
So thanks for being willing tocome on the show, and anyone
that has a story that they'dlike to share, come on to the
(57:36):
show, like Pablo, and go tolatterdaylightscom.
John Brandley (57:39):
Come on down, let's go yeah.
Scott Brandley (57:44):
Let's have you on the show.
So thanks again, pablo and John, and thanks everyone for tuning
in, and we'll talk to you nextweek with another episode of
Latter-day Lights.
Until then, take care, bye.
John Brandley (57:57):
See you, I'm going to get the book.
Scott Brandley (58:16):
John, you can't leave.
John Brandley (58:19):
yet I don't know where he went, okay and I'm John
Brantley, and, and I have noidea what you want me to say
you're supposed to read the chatit's not on here, oh, it's not.
No, I'm good at reading.
(58:41):
If it's on there, I could haveread it.
Hey there as a Latter-day Lights listener, I
want to give you a very specialgift today my brand new book,
faith to Stay.
This book is filled withinspiring stories, powerful
discoveries and even freshinsights to help strengthen your
faith during the storms of life.
So if you're looking to beinspired, uplifted and
(00:21):
spiritually recharged, justvisit faithtostaycom.
Now let's get back to the show.
Hey everyone, I'm ScottBrandley.
John Brandley (00:32):
And I'm John Branley.
Every member of the church hasa story to share, one that can
instill faith, invite growth andinspire others.
Scott Brandley (00:40):
On today's episode we're going to learn how
one man's passion for animationhas led him to create a graphic
novel for the Book of Mormon.
Welcome to Latter-day Lights.
Hey, everyone, welcome back toanother episode of Latter-day
(01:02):
Lights.
We're so glad you could meetwith us today, on this beautiful
Sunday afternoon.
We're really excited tointroduce our special guest,
pablo Smith, to the show.
Welcome, pablo, thank you.
Thanks for having me.
You bet Glad you're here.
I'd also like to introduce myuncle, john Brandley, who's
(01:23):
recently been on the show.
If any of you guys have watchedmy recent book launch of Faith
to Stay, john was actually inone of the episodes where we
talk about some really cooldiscoveries we made in Illinois
that have to do with the Book ofMormon.
So if you haven't seen thatepisode, go check it out.
Thanks, john, for coming andhanging out with us.
(01:44):
Yeah, my pleasure.
Pablo Smith (01:54):
So, pablo, tell us a little bit about yourself.
So I married to my wife,kristen.
We have five children.
We started out in El Paso,texas, but we've moved kind of
all over the country and we nowlive in Santa Clarita,
california, where I work inanimation.
I guess my most recent gig waswith Disney doing a project for
(02:17):
Disney as an animationsupervisor.
And yeah, that's me in anutshell.
That's awesome.
And yeah, that's me in anutshell, that's awesome
Animation.
Scott Brandley (02:26):
I know a lot of people when you grow up and you
watch these cartoons and thesedifferent movies and things, a
lot of kids want to be ananimator.
So you actually made it happen,right.
Pablo Smith (02:38):
When you grew up, yeah, yeah, yeah.
For the most part, yes, yeah,it's been fun.
It's been a fun journey.
Scott Brandley (02:46):
Well, we'd love to hear about that journey.
So why don't we turn the timeover to you and tell us where
your story begins, my friend,okay, great, thank you.
Pablo Smith (02:56):
Well, let me give you a little bit of a setup.
I was born in the church andraised in the church, but as I
got older I drifted away for alittle bit and you know I wasn't
overly rebellious or anything.
But you know, teenagers have toswim through a lot of feelings
and emotions before they can seethings as they really are.
(03:18):
And for me, I just didn't seethe need for church in my life
at that time.
I just didn't see the need forchurch in my life at that time,
and so I did my best to not goto church.
And that's the setup.
The real story, or this story,actually begins the last day of
(03:40):
my freshman year of high school.
My last class of the day wasEnglish and my teacher didn't
have anything planned, so shedecided to show us the Little
Mermaid which had just come outon VHS.
It was 1990.
And I don't know how todescribe it, but it kind of like
(04:08):
ignited this passion inside ofme for doing what I was seeing
on the screen.
Like I, uh, I felt thisdesperate need to learn how to
do this, and like I wasfascinated that I was being
pulled in by by just thesedrawings that people did and, um
, I, I it was.
It was like a redefining momentin my life.
Like I it was.
(04:28):
Sometimes I call it like it was, like a monster inside of me,
like this was how.
From this point on, this washow I made decisions.
Uh, so if I, if I had a choiceto hang out with friends, uh, on
a friday night, or stay homeand watch cartoons and draw I
night, or stay home and watchcartoons and draw, I would
always stay home and watchcartoons and draw, because that
was to me that was more uh,exciting and engaging than than
(04:53):
hanging out with friends.
And uh, like, I went home thatday and I asked my dad, hey, can
, can you really get a jobdrawing cartoons for Disney?
And he said, yeah, they'recalled animators.
And I said, well, how do youbecome an animator?
And he didn't know.
And so you know, we lived in ElPaso, texas, and there was no
(05:17):
internet back then.
So I somehow found the physicaladdress for the Walt Disney
Animation Studios and I wrotethem a letter and sent it to
them and it took a while, butthey sent me back a four-page
reply with a list of everythingwe had to do to.
Everything I had to do to becomean animator, and just real
(05:38):
quick, I'd like to share a fewof those.
One of them was draw, as muchas you can.
Take a sketchbook with youwherever you go and don't focus
on cartoons, but focus onlearning the human anatomy,
animal anatomy.
Try to capture a person'semotions by just your sketch,
right, you should be able to seewhat they're thinking and
feeling without word bubbles.
(05:59):
The other one was watch as manymovies as you can, watch as
much television as you can, andand be be very analytical about
it.
So like, if you're, if you're,sitting in a theater with a
bunch of people and everyonelaughs, what was it about?
What just happened on screenthat made everyone laugh?
Right, like, like, really studyabout what makes a good movie,
a good actor, a bad movie, um,and join acting classes.
(06:22):
Right, because that's that'swhat animators are like.
They're just they're, they'reacting with these characters,
right, and so, um, I was a I wasa mega introverted child, um,
but for this I would break myrule of not not socializing,
right I?
So I joined the high schooltheater group.
I was like, very, very, again,very passionate about this.
(06:46):
So I did these things that wereon this reply.
And when school started, mysophomore year of school started
, I approached my dad and said Iwould like to drop all of my
honors classes.
And when he said why, I said,well, because I want to become
an animator and I want to spendmore time drawing and taking art
(07:10):
classes instead of writing bookreports or you know things that
honors kids did.
And so it took a while but heagreed and I dropped my honors
classes.
I spent all the extra time justwatching cartoons, watching
movies, drawing, doing acting,just really focused on it.
(07:35):
The summer, after my sophomoreyear of high school, the
question began to grow in mymind if God was actually real.
And I liken this to Enos, right, who went out in the woods
hunting beasts and all of asudden he really needed to know.
(07:57):
And that's kind of how it wasfor me.
I wasn't hunting beasts, Ithink I was playing a video game
.
But, like the, the desire to toknow if God lived became, uh,
very strong and overwhelming.
And eventually, uh, I read thebook of Mormon from cover to
cover.
I prayed and, through the HolySpirit, uh, god answered my
(08:23):
prayer, and obviously he lives.
If he's answering my prayer,right, but he also told me the
Book of Mormon comes from himand Joseph Smith is his prophet.
And this was, you know, asstrong as my passion for
animation was.
This was much, much stronger,and this became a whole new
(08:47):
redefining point in my life.
And from this point on, thiswas the way I made decisions.
Well, you know that likecombated with it kind of checked
my passion for animation right.
So the summer after my junioryear of high school, my dad took
me to the San Diego Comic BookConvention Excuse me, because
(09:09):
Disney was hiring artists todraw their comics.
I think that the took all ofthe sketches that I did on
(09:34):
notebooks during class andschool and, uh, we drove up to
san diego, I stood in line, Iapplied for the and I was
offered the job until I blurtedout that I was a junior, I was
going to be a junior in highschool.
And once they found out I wasin high school, they said, oh,
(09:55):
oh, hold on, hold on, you haveto finish high school first.
But that it was such a bigboost to my confidence.
And at the beginning of at thatsame comic book convention, I
met the directors of Beauty andthe Beast, who were there
signing Beauty and the Beastcomic books, gary Trousdale and
(10:16):
Kirk Wise.
And I spoke with Kirk Wise andI asked him where do you get all
your animators from?
And he said you know, we getthem from all over the place,
but most of the animators we getfrom a school called CalArts
which is here in Valencia,california.
And we went home and I neededto get into CalArts.
(10:41):
My dad called the school and Idon't know if it's the same now,
but back then they told himthat hundreds of students apply
each year and they only take 50every year.
And so I started to fill outthe application.
I remember it was my senior yearof high school and I was
(11:02):
filling out the application inmy high school library when the
thought came into my head whatabout your mission?
I don't know if it was becauseI was inactive and still
introverted, so I'd go to church, but I try to be as invisible
as possible, right?
I wouldn't talk to anybody.
I just try to leave as soon asI could, just because the idea
of talking to people scared me,right?
(11:24):
So the mission never reallycame up in my head as like a
thing, like a real thing.
So, as I was standing there withthe application half filled out
, I just thought, well, I hadgotten my patriarchal blessing
along the way.
I just thought, well, I hadgotten my patriarchal blessing
(11:46):
along the way, and in theblessing it said that not only
would I serve a mission, but Ineeded to work and pay for as
much of my mission as I could.
So I just thought, well, I mean, if it's a commandment, I'm
going on my mission.
But I said, heavenly Father, Ijust want to see if I'm good
enough, can I still apply, andwhether I get in or not I'll go
(12:15):
on my mission.
So I applied and I got acceptedto CalArts.
Cool, yeah, the monster insideof me was very elated and I was
going to write them and tellthem that.
You know, I told HeavenlyFather a deal's a deal, right,
(12:37):
like, I will go on my missionfirst.
Thanks for letting me know that.
I was good enough to get in.
And the following that weekendit was a Saturday night I was
walking through the mall in ElPaso, texas, when this man
stopped me in the mall to askfor directions and he wasn't
from there and didn't know wherehe was.
And as I gave him thedirections, he told me you know,
(12:59):
you don't have the local accent, are you from here?
And I said no, actually I'mfrom Utah.
And he said your last name'snot Smith, is it?
And I said well, yeah, actuallyit is.
And he said your first name'snot Joseph and I said no, it's
Pablo.
(13:19):
And you know we got to talkingand he found out that I got
accepted to CalArts and I wasgoing to go on the mission first
.
He stopped me cold and he saidwait a second, wait a second.
He said look, I'm fromCalifornia.
I know so many people whosechildren have tried to get into
this school and they come backcrying because they can't get it
(13:42):
.
It's so hard to get in.
And here you have thisopportunity and you're just
going to throw it away.
And I said, well, I'm notthrowing it away, I'm just I'm
going to go on a mission first.
And he said, like there's somany people can do, so many
people can be a missionary, butnot everybody can do.
You know what you're going todo?
Like, can't, can't other peopleserve a mission?
(14:05):
And I said, well, yeah, but uh,I, I also want to serve a
mission.
And he said, well, can't you goto a year first?
Go to a year of college first?
And I said, well, I could.
But, um, you know, cal arts isreally expensive and I want to
save money to pay for my mission.
I want to save money to pay formy mission.
And he said he pulled out abusiness card and he said all I
(14:32):
remember was that his name wasLem from the card.
And he said look, I own abusiness in California.
If you go to college first, ifyou go to CalArts all four years
first, I will pay 100% for yourcollege and then you can go on
a mission.
And I said, if you don'tbelieve me, take the card, call
(14:55):
the number, ask them if I can dowhat I said I'm going to do.
And I said you know that's verygenerous.
And I said you know that's verygenerous.
Yeah, it's a little crazy.
I said that's very generous,but I feel like I should go on
my mission first.
And he said oh my gosh.
(15:16):
And he started getting a littleagitated and he said look, I
know you Mormons, you guys havebishops, right?
I bet you, if you go to yourbishop, it was a Saturday night.
So he said if you go to churchtomorrow, ask your bishop, tell
him my offer and ask him whatshould you do?
(15:36):
He will tell you to take myoffer.
And I said I know what thebishop will say and I don't
think he'll say that.
So what will he say?
And I think he'll say thatthat's very generous and it's my
decision, but he feels he wouldrecommend me to go on my
mission first.
(15:56):
And he said you go tomorrow,ask your bishop and then meet me
back here after church to tellme what he said.
So I went to church, asked mybishop, bishop Tilly, this is
the offer that this guy gave me.
What would you suggest?
(16:17):
And he said Pablo, you knowthat's great, that's amazing, I
mean, and I know that school isexpensive, but it's totally your
decision.
But I would recommend, as yourbishop, to go on a mission first
.
I said, yeah, that's what Ithought you'd say.
So went back to the mall afterchurch.
(16:40):
Lem was there on time and hethrew out his arms.
So what do you say?
And I said he told me it wasvery generous and it was my
decision, but he would recommendthat I serve my mission first.
And Lem got upset and he's like, oh, I just can't believe you,
(17:03):
mormons.
And he said well, look, keep mybusiness card.
The offer's on the table.
Think about it before you rentCalArts.
The offer is only good if yougo to college first.
If you go on your mission, youcan throw that card away.
So I went home and I threw thecart away and I was called to
(17:26):
serve my mission and labor inthe France Marseille mission
back in the day.
It was that's what it wascalled.
I love my mission.
I know everybody knows thisright.
But for two years you just youspend your day focusing on other
(17:47):
people, on the issues, on theproblems they're having, they're
going through, and you'redrawing upon the power of God to
help these people.
And I mean, as you do that likeand you feel the love God has
for these people, you just youget to know God better, you get
(18:08):
to know how he thinks and how hefeels a little bit more and you
get to know how amazing all ofthese people are.
And then you start, you know,like it says in Nephi in the
Book of Mormon.
Thus we see the importance ofyou know, making these things
known to the children of men.
Like I loved being a missionaryand it you know, the only
(18:30):
twinges I had of anything thatbothered me was the movie
posters, when I'd walk aroundand I'd see that, like the
Hunchback of Notre Dame came outor the first, the first Toy
Story came out, and I was like Ihad this slight little like am
I missing out?
Right.
But by the end of my mission Ieven asked if I could extend my
(18:53):
mission, but the the my missionpresident said no, just go home
and get married, right.
And so I came home.
I feel like at that time, if theLord had asked me, I could have
a hundred percent given upbeing an artist, being an
animator.
Um I I reached out to CalArtswhen I got back and basically
(19:19):
they told me they didn't want meanymore.
So it kind of came as a excuseme.
It kind of came as like a shock.
I floundered for a little while.
I felt, since I had served amission, that everything would
go smooth.
You know, obviously I was veryyoung in the gospel.
(19:42):
Obviously I was very young inthe gospel.
So I floundered for a bit andthought, you know, after a while
(20:02):
I thought, like, is this shouldlook into the only other thing
that I ever felt passionateabout, which was teaching the
gospel?
Right?
And I looked into becoming aninstitute of religion teacher
because I thought, hey, I couldstill teach the gospel for a
living and I could teach withthe spirit, I could feel the
spirit all day and stuff likethat.
And so I was going to move up toUtah, work at the MTC.
(20:28):
I even applied at the MTC andwent through the whole
interviewing process and when Igot back it felt like doors
weren't just closing, they wereslamming shut Like I called the
MTC.
They didn't have any record ofme ever having been there or
having done an interview, andthe more I looked into it, the
(20:49):
more it felt like doors werejust closing.
And I had a friend and I wantto be careful, I don't want to
paint anyone in a bad light.
I had a friend who was a churchleader, a bishop.
I don't want to paint anyone ina bad light.
I had a friend who was a churchleader, a bishop, and he saw me
struggling and he pulled measide and said you know, pablo,
(21:13):
maybe being an artist issomething you just have to let
go.
I mean really seriously, likehow, how would you know if you
wanted to support a family beingan artist, you'd have to be a
really good artist.
That was that had been my planthe whole time.
But keep going.
John Brandley (21:35):
That was my plan.
I want to be a good one.
That's why I'm doing it.
Pablo Smith (21:43):
He said you know why not?
Why not join the FBI?
Like you speak three languagesnow English, Spanish and French
why not join the FBI?
And you get like a nice, steady, stable job, you can support
your family?
And so I left that conversationfeeling just utterly depressed,
(22:04):
like I felt horrible and himbeing a church leader, him being
a bishop and me wanting to be afaithful member of the church.
Like I took his counsel veryseriously and I don't remember
what movie I went to go watchlater on, but in the trailers,
(22:26):
uh, they showed the trailer toDisney's Tarzan.
Um, and when I saw that trailer, it was like the little mermaid
all over again.
Like I just, oh, my gosh, whatam I?
What was I thinking?
Of course I want to do this.
Like this is, um, I mean, I'vegot to do this.
The only problem was in my headwas the advice that this church
(22:50):
leader gave me.
And later on in conference, inthe priesthood session of
conference, I heard Boyd KPacker say that a wise bishop
will never give you an answertoa question, but he will help
you find your own answers toyour questions.
And I just thought that's itright.
Like this is my answer.
(23:12):
I want to do this.
This is what I want to do.
So during the time that I wasfloundering, I had met who would
become my wife, this girl namedKristen, and we got to know
each other and I had spoken withher about my desires to become
(23:34):
an animator and she was all forit.
She was said I will support youand let's do this.
And we ended up getting marriedon june of 2000 and I started
looking for uh.
I got on the internet which wasa thing by then and looked for
other colleges and after a lotof prayer and stuff, I uh
(23:57):
attended, uh Columbus College ofArt and Design in Columbus,
ohio.
Um, and I had read this.
I had read this or heard thisstory.
I think it was by Marion GRomney.
If you guys know who itactually was, you can correct me
.
Um, but he wanted to become alawyer and his family was afraid
that in becoming a lawyer hewould lose his testimony and
(24:19):
leave the church and all thatstuff, and so he still wanted to
go to law school.
But he decided he made apromise that he would study the
Book of Mormon every day of lawschool as he went through law
school.
I think I'm getting that rightas he went through law school.
I think I'm getting that right.
And so I was like you know, I'mgoing into this film animation
(24:41):
school, I'm going to go into theentertainment business.
I think you know how bad couldit be to be an animator.
But I made myself the samepromise, like I will study the
Book of Mormon every day of mycollege life.
And so you know, and it wassurprisingly very challenging.
(25:03):
I mean, I don't know what filmschool is like, like, let's say,
at BYU or a place like that,but you know, in one film class,
a teacher came, walked intoclass and said All right, guys,
we're going to learn from thebest filmmakers today, and I'm
obligated to tell you thatthere's going to be a lot of sex
(25:26):
, a lot of violence, a lot ofdrug use, alcohol.
If anybody has any problemswith that, just let me know now.
And so I raised my hand and theclass busted out laughing,
right, they thought I was joking, the teacher was laughing.
And then, as I kept my hand up,the teacher says wait, oh, are
(25:46):
you serious?
And I said yeah, yeah, Iusually stay away from that
stuff.
But you guys can you know, I'lljust go work on my project
outside and he was like uh,you're excused.
And uh, and that happened likea few times.
Like I had a, a screenwritingclass where the teacher after,
uh, she pulled me aside, after Iwalked out of her uh class a
(26:08):
few times during some some notso good movies, uh, she pulled
me aside and she asked me so inyour country do they not watch a
lot of violence and sex?
And I was very, I'm veryinternational looking and I said
, you know, it's more of areligious thing, like I, I don't
(26:30):
watch this for religiousreasons.
And she said, you know, I justdon't get you.
Like you are paying for thiseducation, you are paying for
this.
And now, like we are learningfrom the masters here, like from
the best movie makers, and youare refusing the education.
And I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, Iknow, I know, um, and I'm, I
(26:54):
totally understand and I'mtotally fine with that.
And I always figured that, youknow, if I, if I stayed faithful
and true to my covenants, thatif I needed to learn something
that I missed in school, thatGod would just reveal it to me.
And you know, so far, so good.
Right, so I, you know thebeginning of my, I finished my
(27:18):
junior year of college.
By that time we had my wife andI had three kids, and they
called me to be the earlymorning seminary teacher, and so
that was part of the deal,right, like I would accept every
calling, I was extended.
I just stay in the trunk of thetree, right?
So I was called to be the earlymorning seminary teacher and
(27:41):
during my senior year of college, disney shut down all of their
traditional animation projects.
They let go of everybody.
Dreamworks followed suit.
And here I was in the middle ofmy senior year, just kind of
floundering again, justwondering what the heck should I
(28:03):
do now, and I decided to justfinish with traditional
animation.
And as school was wrapping upat the end of my senior year, I
was getting ready to come to aconference out here in
California where I would belooking for jobs and I could
pass my stuff around torecruiters.
(28:24):
And my bishop at the timecalled me two days before I left
and he said Pablo, look, I knowyou're graduating, I know
you're flying out to get a job.
I just have to tell you I donot feel good about releasing
you as the early morningseminary teacher.
(28:46):
Of course I'll release you, butI just wanted to let you know,
uh, I, I cannot get a goodfeeling about this.
So you're going to be the earlymorning seminary teacher for
this next year.
And uh, then he hung up thephone and I just stood there for
(29:07):
a while thinking did, uh, didthe Lord just tell me through my
Bishop that I wasn't going toget a job for another year at
this fair?
And so I flew out to California, went to the convention I was
doing this drawing class thatthey were having there and the
(29:28):
instructor called over arecruiter from Sony Imageworks
and said hey, check this guy out.
And the recruiter came up to meand said who are you, who are
you employed with?
And I said I'm in college, I'mlooking for a job.
And she said can you give meyour reel, your demo reel and
your information?
So I gave her a demo reel, myresume.
(29:49):
She said you'll be hearing fromus soon.
And I went home thinking.
I went home thinkingtentatively maybe the bishop is
wrong.
He wasn't.
Nothing ever happened from that.
I went home and I waited andwaited and I even called Sony
(30:09):
and they never heard of me.
There was no record.
Nobody had my stuff.
I applied to like hundreds ofplaces.
I didn't get a job the entireyear.
When I finished teachingseminary, I got a call from a
(30:30):
studio in New York.
That's the crazy, it was thecraziest thing.
I was like I finished teachingseminary and, uh, I got a call
from uh, this, this company, andI flew out.
I took the test and theyoffered me a job and we moved to
new york and, uh, um, I workedon a show called the wonder pets
(30:52):
, which was like a preschoolshow.
For, oh yeah, did you know it?
uh, yeah my, my kids were raisedon it oh well, uh, feel free to
not sing the song, because Iwant to hear the song.
John Brandley (31:07):
Scott, I don't know what you're talking about
right now, so no, I don't.
Scott Brandley (31:09):
I'm already traumatized by it.
John Brandley (31:12):
I'm just kidding yeah, that'll be in the extra.
Scott will sing that.
Pablo Smith (31:18):
Well, yeah, so I worked there for four years on
that show and a few other showsfor Nick Jr.
Then we moved out to Californiawhere I worked on a show called
Kung Fu Panda Secrets of theMasters for DreamWorks, on a
(31:39):
show called uh, kung fu pandasecrets of the masters for
dreamworks.
Uh and uh.
After that, like I kind of justjumped around freelance studios
.
Like I said, I just wrapped upa job at disney, um and uh, yeah
, it's been, it's I mean it'sbeen really hard at times but
it's also been really rewarding.
And uh, about 10 years ago Ihad this idea.
10 or 15 ago I had this idea 10or 15 years ago I had this idea
to make an animated featurefilm for the Book of Mormon.
(32:04):
And I mean, I know there's been, like you know the living
scriptures and stuff, but I kindof wanted to make it like
sequential.
Like wouldn't it be such agreat idea if we started from
mormon's point of view?
And as he, as he's trying toabridge and lead an army and
raise his son, uh, that, uh,he's reading, as he's abridging
(32:25):
and as he's reading, we go intothe story and when we come back
out, he like he gets all thisstrength from the scriptures
that he's read right and um, butI mean to make a feature film.
It was so much more money thatI could imagine, so I kind of
let that go for a while.
(32:46):
And we had our fifth child herein California, eris, as the
youngest child, and a couple ofyears ago, as she was just
sitting down reading, I noticedthat she would just read all
these graphic novels.
She read Diary of a Wimpy Kidor comics, right, diary of a
Wimpy Kid, babysitter's Club,just anything that was like
(33:08):
comic format.
She was just reading and Ithought to myself why don't I
just take my movie idea and turnit into a graphic novel,
because I can do that on my own.
I have to do it after hours,right.
But so I started.
(33:30):
I told my wife, hey, I'd liketo try this thing.
So like when I'm not, when I'mnot doing anything, so like you
know, I'd work on.
You know there was times whereI was working, uh, especially
like on, uh, like on spongebob.
I'd work 20 hours, uh, likejust super long hours, uh.
(33:50):
And then when I was done to, towind down, I would draw, like.
And my wife was just like,don't you want to do anything
else and I was like it's justthis passion, I just love to do
it.
So after hours and on theweekends, I would work on this
graphic novel idea.
(34:10):
And I did it.
And it was originally just formy kids.
So I did it and it just becamelonger and longer and longer and
, uh, I finished the firstvolume, which was, uh, by the
time I was done it was 193 pagesand it only covered chapters
one through four of first nephi.
I showed it to my kids.
They loved it, uh, and my wifesaid you know why not?
(34:34):
Why not put this online?
You know if somebody else might, might like it and might need
it, might use it.
And so, um, I, I did, I put it,I created a facebook page.
I created, uh, so I alwayswanted to make it into a feature
film, right.
So I, I, I've been taking thepanels from this graphic novel
(34:55):
and turning them into like, justthe kind of like it's like an
audio comic, right, just theselittle moving while I, while I
narrate it, or, you know, do thevoices and stuff, and so
there's like a YouTube channeland then a website that people
have actually been responding toit favorably.
I did try advertising it onlineonce as, uh, you know, I paid
(35:18):
online uh ads on YouTube, but Ijust got all the the
anti-Mormons and I spent the dayjust kind of deleting messages
and stuff.
So, um, yeah, I, I uh releasedthe first volume.
I'm like in the middle of thesecond volume, uh, right now.
(35:38):
And uh, I I feel like, and Ifeel like it's just been a great
experience.
I feel like I can finally takethe two things, like the two
passions that I have, right, theteaching the gospel and the
drawing, right the animation ofbeing an artist, and I've been
able to put them together.
And so I'm not by any meanslike a scriptorian or some kind
(36:03):
of history expert, like I don'tknow like what the fashion was
at 600 BC, jerusalem or whatthey ate.
So I kind of just it's notreally about that, it's more
about the spiritual strengththat you can get from the
stories, right.
So, like they eat sandwiches,right, like it's not.
(36:23):
I'm sure that that's not whatthey eat, but it's just kind of
some things are fudged over likethat kind of stuff.
And then the I kind of try tofocus on the spiritual aspect.
So what I do is I will forscripture study, I will open the
scriptures and I will startwith a prayer and I will just
read a verse or two and thenjust kind of ponder it.
(36:44):
And as ideas come and I have asketchbook and as ideas come I
will start drawing and writingyou know the word bubbles and
stuff in the drawing.
And I'll keep drawing, I'llkeep reading and I'll ponder and
draw and I'll keep drawing,I'll keep reading and I'll
ponder and draw and eventuallyit comes out to like you know, I
do fill in the gaps that are inthe scriptures.
(37:07):
I just kind of like point A topoint B and I try to keep it as
faithful as possible.
And you know, every time theLord is speaking or the Spirit
is speaking, I use the exactwording that we find in the
scriptures.
But other than that, I try tomake it more entertaining for,
(37:27):
you know, try to give them, andI realize these are real people
and that one day I'm going tomeet them and I'll just say so.
I just do my best, right.
I just do my best right.
But yeah, I feel like this wasnever meant to be a business
(37:49):
idea for me.
I don't plan on and I don't wantto get rich drawing the Book of
Mormon.
I've made this available forfree for anybody who would like
to read it.
Just take all the learning andthe stuff that I've gotten from
working at all these studios andkind of hopefully bringing it
(38:10):
together in a way that, you know, some people might need to hear
it.
I've had parents reach out tome and tell me that you know,
their kids have learningdisabilities or problems and
they learn through graphicnovels, and so they're very
grateful that they will focus onthis.
They will read this.
They won't read the scriptures,but they will read this, and
(38:32):
I'm not in any way saying thatthis equals the scriptures, but
hopefully it gets them to apoint where they will want to
read the actual scriptures,where it kind of helps them, to
a point where they will want toread the actual scriptures right
, where it's kind of like helpsthem to liken the scriptures to
themselves.
And yeah, that's pretty much it.
Scott Brandley (38:50):
That's my story.
Well, my daughter is one ofthose people.
She has dyslexia and she has areally hard time reading, but
she's always read graphic novelsand that's how she reads, so I
think this would be amazing.
I can't wait to show her it.
Pablo Smith (39:12):
Well, I do know that I'm not the first one to do
it.
I know there's other peoplethat have done comics and
graphic novels of the Book ofMormon.
This is my take on it, sohopefully it's uh, I try to make
it dynamic and engaging and,you know, throw in humor and uh,
I feel like it's it's beingwell received.
So I kind of wanted to, youknow, look into ways to let
(39:36):
people know about it.
Uh, so it's always, it's alwaysfree for anyone online or stuff
like that.
Uh, people have been asking forprint copies and that that does
take money, so I'm I'm chargingenough to print and ship it if
they want one, but, uh, it'salways free online.
John Brandley (39:57):
Yeah, I love it.
I think that, um, it'sinteresting, as you told your
story, pablo, that when you hadthat first spark, jeremiah, when
he talked about somethingsimilar, where it was like the
spirit was a fire shut up in hisbones right, you have this
passion, right, and you havethat same passion, maybe even
(40:22):
more so, because spiritually,you're a son of God and with
your testimony of the Book ofMormon and the Prophet Joseph
Smith and the Restoration, right, and you have these, melded,
these two things over your life.
But it's interesting how,listening to you, god has
directed your life.
So, when you had that firstcatalyst with Ariel and that
(40:44):
movie, did you draw back then,or was it?
When you started to draw?
Did you kind of doodle, or wasthat your?
Hey, I think I want to draw andI've never drawn before.
Pablo Smith (40:58):
I wouldn't say it was something that I did often I
would do it every once in awhile.
People would say, oh hey,that's pretty good, but it was
never my thing.
It was once I saw that, saw theLittle Mermaid, that I was like
that's kind kind of what.
(41:18):
What did it?
And so from that day on then Istarted drawing.
So since my the last day of myfreshman year of high school is
the is the day I started likeseriously drawing.
John Brandley (41:31):
So it really was the catalyst.
So you had some talent, someinnate talent, obviously, and
then it was like the spiritdirecting you into do something,
uh, that would bring joy intoyour life, and then you were
able to.
It's interesting, too, how,through that process you were,
you had opportunities that, um,if you would have taken them,
(41:52):
your life would have beendifferent.
Pablo Smith (41:55):
Yeah, yeah, I, I often wonder that and you know I
I'd have to say like, uh, yeah,I often wonder that and you
know I'd have to say like I'vealways felt a little insecure
about my career because, youknow, having served a mission
and worked with people that havelike real honest-to-goodness
(42:16):
problems, right, and meetingpeople who work like in the ER
or as trauma nurses or stufflike that and here I am having
an argument at work about a fartjoke and it's like, um, it's
not I've always felt like, isthis really what god wants me to
do with, like with my life,like I feel like, yeah, I mean,
it's really fun, right, and it'sfunny, but uh, I feel like the
(42:37):
book of mormon graphic novel hasbeen a way where I feel like
this, I feel like this is whathe wants me to do with, this is
why he gave me the talent, right.
And so now, now, uh, still alittle insecure sometimes when
I'm talking to people, but Ilove that I can tell them hey,
you know, I am working on thisgraphic novel that I feel really
(42:58):
good about and I feel, you know, brings something more than
just laughter, which I knowthat's that's important.
John Brandley (43:05):
But yeah, and I think communication to being
able to communicate through yourmedium that you're doing can
impact millions of people.
And I think it's amazing how,along the way, you had
opportunities to do.
It's like the devil kind of puthey, I'll pay for your college
(43:25):
at the best school that nobodygets into, right?
Or you can go on a mission whenyou get back.
Now you don't get to go to thatschool anymore, you go
somewhere else and you meet youreternal companion and you have
five kids and you're doingexactly what the Lord wanted you
to do.
You're teaching seminary andyou're making promises with God
(43:47):
to read the book of Mormon.
So you're building arelationship while you're doing
that.
And those are all choices alongthe way.
Right, this is all about youragency.
But God knows you intimately andhe's like Pablo, check this out
, you're going to be amazing atthis.
And you don't even draw.
That's amazing to me.
That's amazing because I drewas a kid.
(44:10):
Right, we didn't have a TV.
I have 10 brothers, we werepoor and TV was drawing at the
kitchen table and my brother,jason, telling me hey, that's
pretty good.
And I'm like, really Right, and,and you're, you didn't have
that, you know, maybe you hadsome, obviously had this talent
(44:33):
inside you, but, but youlistened, and I think you know,
for Scott's podcast, he's tryingto get the message out that if
people will listen, right, thespirit is speaking to you.
Heavenly father knows you andhe's like Pablo, this right.
And you're like, no matter whatanybody said, you stayed on
that path and whatever obstaclescame and I'm sure there were
more, and I'm sure there wastimes where you're like I'm out
(44:55):
of this, I'm going into the FBIbecause I speak three languages.
That's crazy to me Like maybeyou should do this random thing.
And you're like what?
No?
And you think through it andyou're like that was really nice
, bishop, but I'm going to be anartist and an animator.
And at each time, though, youhad a choice, right, but if you
(45:18):
really listen and tune into thespirit, time though you had a
choice right.
But if you really listen andtune into the spirit, your life
goes into a path that it wouldnever take without it.
Right, and here you are, youknow, and you're almost 50 right
, and you're uh, and you'redoing, you're working on this
after you work all day drawingbecause you love it, because the
(45:40):
spirit is directing you to doit, and you know it's going to
impact a lot of people.
I can't wait to see maronaeating a sandwich, right, or
amman carrying a sandwich whilehe's got a bag of arms over his
shoulder.
You know, like what?
What's the big deal?
Right, right, I any opposedraise your hand and they opposed
(46:00):
me, so I cut them off.
So so this is uh, it's anamazing.
I'm glad that I got to be apart of this, to listen to you
and your story, because I cansee how God had weaved his, his,
uh light into your life anddirected you to where you are
now.
So thanks for sharing that.
I think it's awesome.
Scott Brandley (46:20):
Thank you.
I would agree with John younever know who you're going to,
whose life you're going toaffect.
I mean, for example, like mydaughter, grace right, if she
reads this and her testimony isstrengthened and maybe this
helps her to have a desire to goon a mission.
Or, like you, just never knowwhat's what's going to impact
(46:44):
somebody's life and you'regiving people the ability to
absorb the book of mormon in away that is different than the
traditional route, and somepeople need that, you know, or
if, or maybe it's a way thatthey can absorb it initially and
then step to the full version,where they can understand it
(47:05):
better now, because now theyhave something more that they
can relate to.
You just never know what'sgoing to happen or who you're
who you're going to affect.
So I went um.
The last podcast we did was withthe founder of the LDS PMA, so
that's one of the associationfor publishing, media and the
(47:26):
arts for the LDS community,right, and he had this idea to
start this back in 2015.
Well, the crazy thing is, I gotthe idea to do this podcast
because I went to the LDS PMAand, as I wrote a book, I was
(47:47):
and I sat next to a girl thattold me that she created a
podcast about her book and I, sowe wouldn't be sitting here
today talking if, if that guyhis name's steve, if he, if
steve wouldn't have had thatidea in 2015 to create an
association to help people youknow improve their skills and
(48:08):
and their talents.
So you just never know likeit's going to be interesting to
look 10 years into the futureand see how many people's lives
you impacted for bet for thebetter, because you created this
graphic novel of the Book ofMormon.
Pablo Smith (48:25):
Well, I can't even think about that.
I guess 10 years in the futurelooking back.
But yeah, it would be reallyinteresting to look back and see
you know was it worth it cansee you know was it worth it and
you know, I, I never feel likeuh, I never want to say like,
(48:49):
hey, this is inspired by God,like all the words on this in
this novel, but uh, I do feelthat God is happy with my
offering, and I guess that'swhat, yeah, that's what I would
call it as my offering, and thatif people do feel something
from it, then then I am gratefulthat I did take the time to to
create this, so yeah well, and Ithink God wants your voice
right.
John Brandley (49:09):
You know, when you go on a mission, it was
important for you to go on thatmission to France because you
are an individual that canimpact people in a way no one
else can, and so, of course, ifyou're going to do this graphic
novel, it's going to have you inthere, right, because you're
important to this.
(49:30):
Your personality is amazing, soGod wants people to see that in
your work as well.
And you know, in 10 years Scottsaid in 10 years we'll look
back you'll probably still bewriting this, right, because
you've only you've only gotthree, four chapters, for
goodness sake, you got a lot togo so.
So in 10 years we'll be talkingabout, you know, the book of
(49:53):
ether and you'll just be workingon that.
Jesus will be here and he'll belike I am way better at
podcasting than John, so I won'tbe here.
You'll probably be Jesus andScott and you'll be in the new
Jerusalem and you'll.
He'll think it's funny and, youknow, as long as there's no
fart jokes in the book, you'llbe fine.
Scott Brandley (50:15):
There might be fart jokes in heaven, dude, you
never know, yeah.
John Brandley (50:18):
I mean, I don't know what they're reading, but
yeah, there was probably thatflatulence happening for some
reason.
But but yeah, I think it'samazing how God directs our
lives and they're so different.
Right, like you're in afreshman who has some talent
maybe, but you haven't reallytapped into it.
And you have this spark, right,the spark of the divine that
(50:44):
leads you.
Everything good comes from God.
So this is good.
This definitely came from God.
Anything trying to stop youalong the way was not coming
from God.
That's how you also know you'reon the path.
There's two witnesses to thetruth, right, there's God.
And then there's the devil whoshows up.
You know, like he did forJoseph in the sacred grove, how
did he know to show up that day?
(51:05):
Cause he knows who Joseph is,and and, uh, lem, or whoever
that guy is that gave you hisbusiness card, he knew who you
were too, right?
I just know he's not workingfor the same guy, right?
So so, hey, you just call thisnumber and check on it and you
know I am who.
I say I am.
Yeah, you're the devil, becauseI've got a different plan.
(51:25):
It's just amazing as you lookback at that and go, wow, there
are always two forces working inyour life, right, and you get
to choose.
And that's the beautiful thingabout the gospel of Jesus Christ
is agency is paramount.
We fought a war in heaven forit and throughout your life, you
chose the path that you're onnow right, no matter what
(51:47):
happened.
And when you got off the path,you chose to get back on it and
you can see the fruits of it inyour life right, you can see it
in that big smile when you smile.
You can see it in the abilityto work after you worked a full
day.
Right, because you're driven bythis passion.
So I'm excited.
I have six kids and I'm excitedto have them look at this and
(52:11):
to be interested in thescriptures is good.
This is good news, this is agood thing.
So I think this is amazing.
I think this is an amazing uh,that you have tapped into that
talent and developed it and putin the work and now you can God
can work through you to dosomething that maybe could
impact grace or my, one of mykids, and maybe they'll be like
(52:33):
wow, you know, maybe I canimpact the world in a, in a, in
a certain way, and they'll get a.
You'll be, you'll be the aerial, the aerial right for them,
your book, right?
Pablo Smith (52:44):
I hope so.
Yeah, that's how it works.
John Brandley (52:45):
That's how it works, so yeah, that's cool.
I'm excited to see, to see thelight that comes from the light
that you were given oh, thankyou so much.
Pablo Smith (52:54):
That's very nice of you.
I hope so.
John Brandley (52:55):
I hope that does happen I think it's already
happening, so otherwise youwouldn't be on here with this
nice, cleanly shaven headpodcaster named Scott.
You wouldn't be on here withoutthat.
I'm going to rub it right afterthis meeting for making me.
No, that was my pleasure.
(53:16):
I'm glad to meet you, pablo.
I hope I get to meet you inperson and I'm definitely going
to go look at your, your bookand, over the next three weeks,
look at those four chapters,because that's a lot to read in
190 pages, so it'll take me awhile, thanks, thank you, which
(53:37):
is awesome, awesome.
Scott Brandley (53:38):
Yeah.
So, pablo, before I get abusedby John anymore, can you tell us
any last thoughts that youmight have before we would kind
of wrap things up, anything youwant to share with people that
are watching this podcast?
Pablo Smith (53:56):
Yeah, let me actually write it down so that I
don't mess it up.
It's just two scriptures.
The first one is when Alma isspeaking to his son, shiblon,
alma 38, 12.
And he says see that you bridleall your passions, that you may
be filled with love, strong asmy passion was.
(54:16):
I'm so grateful that I wasblessed with my testimony of the
gospel that allowed me to, kindof, you know, keep myself in
the where I needed to be, to tohopefully remain a good person.
And then the second scriptureis 1 Timothy 4, 14 through 16.
(54:37):
Neglect not the gift that is inthee, which was given thee by
prophecy, with the laying on ofthe hands of the Presbytery.
Meditate upon these things,give thyself wholly to them,
that thy profiting may appear toall.
Take heed unto thyself and untothe doctrine, continue in them,
for in doing this thou shaltboth save thyself and them that
(54:58):
hear thee.
And I feel like that's kind ofthe message of my graphic novel.
It's just, you know, stick withwhat the Lord has given you.
Meditate wholly, give yourselfwholly to these things and
hopefully you save yourself anda few other people as well.
Love it.
John Brandley (55:16):
Yeah, definitely.
Well, scott and I love the Bookof Mormon, so you couldn't have
found two guys that love theBook of Mormon.
So you couldn't have found twoguys that love the Book of
Mormon better than us.
And I liked how earlier yousaid, when you were putting
words into their mouth, thatyou'll meet them someday,
because the Book of Mormon is abook of real people who had real
experiences and Joseph Smithknew them.
(55:37):
His mother said he talked aboutthem as if he had lived among
them his whole life.
Right, and he loved thesepeople and he had context for
translating the Book of Mormonbecause of his relationship.
So if you can get that out intoa book, that's amazing because
it's true, these are real peopleand and their story needs to be
(55:59):
told.
Pablo Smith (56:00):
It's true, these are real people and and uh,
their story needs to be told.
Scott Brandley (56:02):
Thank you, awesome.
Well, thanks Pablo for being on.
Thanks, john for hanging outwith us and being my co-host
today.
Um, thanks everyone for tuningin.
If you like Pablo's story andyou want to get it out there and
share his graphic novel of theBook of Mormon Pablo, where do
(56:25):
they go to find this so thatthey can share it?
Pablo Smith (56:28):
So the website where you can see all of the
stuff isbookofmormongraphicnovelorg, but
you could also.
There's a Facebook page Book ofMormon Graphic Novel, a YouTube
page Book of Mormon GraphicNovel, a YouTube page Book of
Mormon Graphic Novel.
That's if you want to see thevideos.
And, yeah, an Instagram page Ithink as well, but yeah, that's
(56:49):
where you can go see it.
Scott Brandley (56:51):
Awesome, okay, guys, go check out
BookOfMormonGraphicNovelorg Okay, dot org.
Okay, and and some of thoseother sites.
We'll put them in the shownotes so you can go get quick,
easy access to them.
Make sure that you do your fivesecond missionary work.
Go hit that share button so wecan get this message out there,
(57:12):
so Pablo can share this bookwith everyone that needs that
needs it, because everyone doesneed it even.
I think this is a fun way totalk about the Book of Mormon.
Share it with your kids.
It's more relatable.
I think it's great, pablo.
So thanks for being willing tocome on the show, and anyone
that has a story that they'dlike to share, come on to the
(57:36):
show, like Pablo, and go tolatterdaylightscom.
John Brandley (57:39):
Come on down, let's go yeah.
Scott Brandley (57:44):
Let's have you on the show.
So thanks again, pablo and John, and thanks everyone for tuning
in, and we'll talk to you nextweek with another episode of
Latter-day Lights.
Until then, take care, bye.
John Brandley (57:57):
See you, I'm going to get the book.
Scott Brandley (58:16):
John, you can't leave.
John Brandley (58:19):
yet I don't know where he went, okay and I'm John
Brantley, and, and I have noidea what you want me to say
you're supposed to read the chatit's not on here, oh, it's not.
No, I'm good at reading.
(58:41):
If it's on there, I could haveread it.
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