Comments on: Thoughts on Everlasting Hell: The Case for Pageants

By: sage

sage — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:17:21 +0000

Until last year, there was a pageant at the Oakland Temple interstake center. All the people in our ward loved it when it was our stake’s turn to participate. I saw it once and knew I didn’t want to have anything to do with it. I think I cheered during PEC when the bishop announced its cancellation by Salt Lake. I got a bunch of scowls from the other meeting attenders for my reaction, even if it wasn’t a cheer.

By: Geoff J

Geoff J — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:06:52 +0000

This post rules. I laughed like five times reading it. Nice work Orwell.

(Maybe I loved it because I am sooo with you on being utterly baffled by the appeal of pageants.)

By: makakona

makakona — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:59:49 +0000

i probably shouldn’t mention that i almost dragged the family to the castle dale (is that right?) pageant this summer, but there it is. in my defense, i’m a convert who always thought they sounded kind of fun. the closest my husband has ever come is the mormon battalion commemorations he marched in as a youth. he used the experience to branch out and find dates outside of the stake.

By: queuno

queuno — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:43:29 +0000

Pageants = Mormonism for the Ren Faire crowd.

Nah, that’s what handcart reenactments are.

By: MAC

MAC — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:58:45 +0000

Illinois is a haven for civil war buffs, who drag wives and children to different historical reenactments every weekend, where they camp in the city parks, in tents from the era, wearing wool clothes in 100 degree heat, cooking over fires, etc. That makes the pageant look like a cake walk…

I had this mental image, Pageants = Mormonism for the Ren Faire crowd.

By: livin in zion

livin in zion — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:05:40 +0000

I am a 7 year veteran of watching the Nauvoo pageant. I have not particpated in it, but know several families who have made it a tradition to be in the show every year. They make a point to bear their testimonies at church about how spirtually strengthing the 2 week experience was, etc.

Of course, these same families have kids who escape the area as soon as they graduate high school, and they do not come back to visit the folks at holidays.

My personal favorite part of the Nauvoo pageant is watching the speaking characters literally choke on bugs who swarm when the stage lights come on. Summers in Illinois are extremely humid, miserable affairs. It is always very entertaining to see who will win, the giant flying knats who buzz so loud it can drown out the taped voice overs, or the poor unfortunate souls who parents think this is the ultimate in quality family time.

Yes, I go every year. My husband is convinced it is a faith promoting experience to drag our children to. I have learned to keep the peace, and I am grateful he hasn’t suggested we join the show. That would be an eternal marriage deal-breaker.

(as a side note: For non-member fanatics, Illinois is a haven for civil war buffs, who drag wives and children to different historical reenactments every weekend, where they camp in the city parks, in tents from the era, wearing wool clothes in 100 degree heat, cooking over fires, etc. That makes the pageant look like a cake walk. Another reason to be thankful to be a Mormon. Our church schedule won’t let anyone be gone every weekend all summer long.)

By: John Mansfield

John Mansfield — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:33:54 +0000

The highlights I remember from the Manti pageant are Samuel (the Lamanite) jumping off a retaining wall, and a spotlight shining to reveal a living statue Moroni atop the temple’s tower. Both pretty cool uses of the surroundings. I enjoyed interactions with the residents of Manti and the fun of gathering with a few thousand saints for an evening on the temple grounds.

Also, I got a kick out of hearing that announcer whose prerecorded voice issued instructions to the crowd. He was the narrator of the Tom Trails filmstrips, which occupy a dear place in my heart and on my shelf. Later he was the voice of BYU’s class registration phone system, and when I heard his voice in other settings, I half-expected him to complete his phrases with “Enter an action code now.”

By: Jeff Bennion

Jeff Bennion — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:45:09 +0000

I’ll venture this defense. I had a great time all three times I went to the Hill Cumorah Pageant, and the hospitality and obvious spiritual devotion of the local Saints won me over so much that any flaws in the pageant pale in comparison.

And I think the score, by an exceptional talent among the Mormons, Crawford Gates, is excellent.

By: KyleM

KyleM — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:41:04 +0000

“Until then Iâ€™ll just say that youâ€™re all a bunch of cultural Philistines, then duck for cover.”

Does that make one of us a cultural giant?

By: BrianJ

BrianJ — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:40:50 +0000

ESO, can you shoot me an email? (You have my address in the admin I presume, but just in case: zimbaim at yahoo dot com.) I only moved from the Brighton/4th ward about 4 months ago.