RACE, RELIGION + SOCIAL JUSTICE
Church of Jesus Christ “discourages” unsanctioned pageants
Oct 28, 2018, 7:38 PM
(Credit: Sam Penrod, KSL)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made a statement Saturday formally discouraging unsanctioned religious performing arts productions. As stated in the press release, “local celebrations of culture and history may be appropriate. Larger productions, such as pageants, are discouraged.”
The press release also noted that conversations about existing pageants are underway with local Church and community leaders “to appropriately end, modify or continue these productions.”
Manti’s Mormon Miracle Pageant, which began in 1967, will end after next summer’s season in June. The fate of smaller productions, including the Castle Valley pageant or Cache County’s Martin Harris pageant, is currently unknown, although both pageants had previously been scaled back to every other year.
Outside Utah, sources told KSL that upstate New York’s Hill Cumorah Pageant will end after 2020. No decision has been announced regarding the pageant in Nauvoo, Illinois.