The movie, “The Fighting Preacher,” tells the story of Willard and Rebecca Bean, a former middleweight boxer and his wife who were devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1915, the church’s then-president, Joseph F. Smith, assigned the Beans to leave Utah to occupy and run the Smith Farm, near Palmyra, N.Y., where church founder Joseph Smith lived.
“It's a great story from church history that is hardly known, with terrific conflict and resolve.” Christensen said in a statement. “But at the heart of it all, I mainly wanted to make ‘The Fighting Preacher’ because Willard and Rebecca Bean are wonderful, stalwart examples that throughout their story are funny and entertaining.