LDS church announces 3 pageants will continue while 4 will end

Members of the Hill Cumorah Pageant cast. The pageant, which is possibly one of the LDS church's best known and largest annual events held in Palmyra, New York, was among the pageants the church announced it would be discontinuing, Palmyra, New York, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Tuesday it will bring four pageants it produces to an end – three of which are in Utah – while continuing on with three others. The announcement is an update to an October announcement from the church that it would be scaling back productions of the annual events.

A pageant cast member plays out a scene from The Book of Mormon during the Manti Pageant, Manti, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George News

The three pageants that will continue are:

  • The Nauvoo Pageant will continue with support from church headquarters.
  • The Mesa Pageant will continue under area leadership in 2021 following the renovation of the Mesa Temple.
  • The British Pageant will continue every four years under area leadership. The next pageant will be in 2021.

The four being discontinued include:

  • The Hill Cumorah Pageant will end in 2020.
  • The Manti Pageant will end in 2019.
  • The Castle Valley Pageant is discontinued.
  • The Clarkston Pageant is discontinued.

In its original statement, the LDS church said it is growing worldwide, and local leaders and members are to be focused on faith-centered activities such as Sunday worship, home-based gospel study and supporting church programs.

“The goal of every activity in the Church should be to increase faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to share His gospel message throughout the world,” the church said in the original statement. “Local celebrations of culture and history may be appropriate. Larger productions, such as pageants, are discouraged.”

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Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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