it's mid June in Sanpete County and Pageant - as it is fondly called here - is in full swing. this year is special. it marks the 40th season of the pageant and attendance is expected to be up two percent compared to last year... this is big.the Mormon Miracle Pageant involves nearly everyone in the county. sign up sheets for try-outs are passed around in April, hours of preparation are volunteered by folks of all ages, the Sanpete Messenger sends out a complimentary 'Pageant Issue' to every household with several full-color photographs, and this morning i heard our neighbors leave for Manti at quarter after six and they usually don't get home until well after eleven... this is huge.
the first time i saw the Manti Pageant was two summers ago and even though my bum was numb half way through the show, it was a spectacle to say the least. now, my honest opinion is this: the show itself is too long and quite awkward though it does have its moments of dramatic genius. i'd try to describe more of it for you but you really should see it for yourself - for the experience if nothing else. i have no desire to see it again and in a lot of ways it seems as silly and unnecessary as another reality show about the making of a boy band. but i must say that while the pageant is ridiculous, way over the top, and may even teach false doctrine (according to some of the Christian Fellowship websites i've visited) it brings this community together like nothing i've seen for a long time - i mean, we're talkin' hundreds of people here. i'd say that's a good thing. and for that i'm willing to let it dazzle itself - and its spectators - to death. lots of people say they like it. why argue? it's summer time. let's go get some ice cream or a snow cone or somethin'.
8 comments:
just wait till fast and testimony meeting when cast members bear their testimony of the amazing spiritual experiences they had as a sparkly unitard clad dancing wicked Lamenite. . . also for the folks living in Manti they pipe the thing loud enough so the whole town can hear. In my ballet school all the girls from Manti could quote the whole thing word for word. My brush with fame came when I was set up on a blind date with the boy who was playing the angel Moroni that summer. . .he got to stand atop one of the temple towers. Pretty much the best date of my life.
I didn't mind the production so much - it's like the final remains of the road-show days (kinda nostalgic). My problem is that it is in Manti and ends at like 11:00 PM. So then you have to drive back to civilization in the middle of the night with a car full of Deacons. Part of you want's to stay awake and part of you wants to roll over the car just to teach them a lesson.
you won't believe this but one of the youth who spoke in our ward started her talk by dramatically quoting from third Nephi, and here's the kicker... she was dressed like Samuel the Lamanite, war paint and all. i'm dead serious.
Well, everyone else in Sanpete County is dressed like cowboys at church. Why can't she dress as an Indian?
I kid. But seriously, I cannot believe you.
I'm told I need to see this to believe it. I'm beginning to believe that.
Is war paint allowed? No way... I'm going to make it a part of my Sunday repertoire from now on. And if somebody stops me, I'm refering them to Sanpete Co., Utah for some that'll-put-you-in-your-place.
plus: BBQ turkey and fried turkey nuggets from that food stand!
I really enjoyed the Christians on the streets in front of the temple, they had some very good points to think about. And some of the websites were very intresting also like josephlied.com and gotjoseph.com they are making me think about what is true.
thanks for passing those websites along. you know the church sold me a car too that was in pretty good shape but it was a bit more expensive and had quite a few miles on it. when it's washed it looks nice and when it's dirty it looks bad but it runs really well and most importantly, it gets me to where i want to go.
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