Mormon Miracle Pageant
mormon miracle pageant latterday saint pageant held manti utah discontinued annual outdoor theatrical performance produced amateur cast five hundred member church jesus christ latterday saint lds church nightly program took place south lawn temple hill manti temple usually june twoweek pageant would typically draw average people per night eightnight performance pageant final fullscale event type part churchwide directive make church event focused home family discourage largescale production lds church member pageant faithpromoting family event pageant portrayed relationship chronology three separate related faithpromoting account opening experience church first president joseph smith youngadulthood burnedover district new york including recovery translation book mormon restoration church christ renamed church jesus christ latterday saint infancy death smith dramatization translation book mormon overview content presented war contention native israelite inhabitant north america represented along teaching jesus christ leading postresurrection appearance first century ad pageant concludes persecution mormon pioneer east subsequent exodus utah led church second president brigham young group pioneer sent central utah sanpete valley manti utah temple stand performance began shortly sunset early summer usually late june people often arriving several hour performance addition restaurant town special food stand event light security provided performance site surrounding street ensure general order direct traffic pageant first produced manti utah stake leadership stake president vernon kunz helen morgan dyreng manti directed production duane martha ryan narrator although simple unpolished comparison pageant later year performance accompanied piece orchestra original music director mcloyd erickson harry dean evan bean among orchestra member richard nibley brother hugh nibley trained rest musical group original script based book mormon miracle written grace leora johnson usually several evangelical christian church group would attempt proselytize largely latterday saint attendee prior nightly event evangelist would typically hand antimormon proevangelicalism literature engage pageantgoers religious discussion would approach site evangelist would carry picket sign wear overtly antimormon tshirts addition local fundamentalist mormon group known carry picket sign approach area criticizing lds church position polygamy abortion lds church abandoned practice polygamy th century belief abortion allowed rare case rape incest list pageant church jesus christ latterday saint temple lds church johnson grace mormon miracle salt lake city deseret book oclc pageant latterday saint official site manti utah temple official site manti utah temple churchofjesuschristtemplesorg sanpete county website manti’s ‘miracle new era july p pageant visitor information page mormon miracle pageant paper provo utah l tom perry special collection brigham young university