NOM

So, apparently, another important "revelation" has been received by the Prophet -

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is growing across the earth. As this occurs, local Church leaders and members are encouraged to focus on gospel learning in their homes and to participate in Sabbath worship and the Church’s supporting programs for children, youth, individuals and families. 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. Local celebrations of culture and history may be appropriate. Larger productions, such as pageants, are discouraged. As it relates to existing pageants, conversations with local Church and community leaders are underway to appropriately end, modify or continue these productions.

https://kutv.com/news/local/lds-church- ... DW74oMr0J8

Between this and the name "revelation", I may need to re-think my previous conclusion that there is no actual communication occurring between the Prophet and any diety. [/sarcasm]

Corsair - what will you do now?!

The pageants all use the false narrative. Part of changing the narrative is blotting out the old so you can claim "we never said that..."

Stig wrote: ↑Sat Oct 27, 2018 6:39 pm Corsair - what will you do now?!

No more roles as Shiz at the Manti Miracle Pagent.

This includes Cumorah?

I think this is a money saving move. I figure the pageants have always been an exercise in self-gratification. The number of actual conversions resulting for the outlay in money involved probably just don't add up economically.

Which is why old style missionary work has been such a convenient payoff. The majority of the expense is covered by local members rather than the corporation. It can be relatively inefficient but who cares? It's nearly free.

2020 is cumorahs last year.

No complaints from me. I've taken youth to the Manti pageant and would rather not repeat that again.
I will continue to hold my summer and winter solstice pageants though as they are not church related.

Brent wrote: ↑Sat Oct 27, 2018 7:45 pm 2020 is cumorahs last year.

My friend is the General Manager of the pageant. He confirmed this earlier this morning.

"I was more concerned about passing biology than being in some play" - RMN

https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comme ... logy_than/

Nothing causes the wackiness of it all to slap you in the face like seeing it acted out by live actors. Besides, to fit the current apologetics they would need two Cumorah pageants.

Ah, but do the youth find the pagents fun and a way to make friends? If so, Kill it, we don’t do “fun” anymore. It is a waste of time to do anything because it is fun. People like Top church leaders focused only on worldly success and church approval. They are not the kind of people who need fun, relaxation, enjoyment. Nope. Work work work. Over the last 30 years or so, the church has been moving in the direction of killing anything done for the fun of it. So, this does not surprise me at all.

The church has become bland, boring, and tedious, and people are leaving as our top leaders wonder what is wrong as they make it more bland, boring, and tedious.

Hagoth wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:00 am Nothing causes the wackiness of it all to slap you in the face like seeing it acted out by live actors.

Yes, this!!

I am an exMormon going on 15 years now, but since they are trying to deemphasize "Mormon" and now closing down pageants, is this the first step from backing away from the Book of Mormon story? I notice, also, that missions seem to be much more service-oriented and with less proselytizing than when my husband served in the mid-90s.

I remember going to the Hill Cumorah Pageant as a teen. I am white, but I went with two black teens -- one a new convert like me, and one invited by the other friend. I drove. I had a panic attack when we arrived -- I hadn't seen it before but remembered and wondered if there was going to be anything mentioned about the so-called "curse of black skin" from the Book of Mormon....

January wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 11:31 am .... wondered if there was going to be anything mentioned about the so-called "curse of black skin" from the Book of Mormon....

They're forced to stand by it as scripture, but leadership and those creatives who are under their direction would like to avoid this issue of the black skin and curse like the plague. I'd be surprised to see it actually come up in a creative setting where non-members would be in attendance. The reference would have to be "nuanced"....

Seems like Bill Reel or RFM stared the church is working on a 20 year plan to change how members think about the historical isssues of the church...something like that. It seems like the church is trying to remove those things that help members reflect on the historical past. I would expect Treks and 24th of July celebrations to be on the chopping block soon.

alas wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:42 am Ah, but do the youth find the pagents fun and a way to make friends? If so, Kill it, we don’t do “fun” anymore. It is a waste of time to do anything because it is fun. People like Top church leaders focused only on worldly success and church approval. They are not the kind of people who need fun, relaxation, enjoyment. Nope. Work work work. Over the last 30 years or so, the church has been moving in the direction of killing anything done for the fun of it. So, this does not surprise me at all.

The church has become bland, boring, and tedious, and people are leaving as our top leaders wonder what is wrong as they make it more bland, boring, and tedious.

This resonates with me. Yes, the pageants are watered-down history, but they were fun. It was fun to go with friends and watch a show. (I even had fund dealing with the protesters. I felt so righteous walking past the "oppressors.") It would not be hard to modify the pageants if any parts contradict the new narratives. They weren't big on specifics anyway. I think Palerider is right. This is about saving money.

I think it would be great fun to put on a pageant telling the story I know now. I'd show JS finding the rock while digging a well (or did he steal it from Sally Chase?). Show him with his head in the hat dictating the story. Enact the various rebellions that each led to a new part of the story. Depict the Hyrum Page incident, the Kirtland apostasies, the Nauvoo polygamy incidents. You could tell the various stories of the restoration, not when they were supposed to have occurred, but when they were finally told to the followers so people could see the development of Mormonism. If we kept it up, you could show BY's transfiguration into JS when the story was told as JS3 was getting ordained RLDS prophet.

That might be unintelligible, but it's fun for me to think about.

Some of you know that my wife is on staff with the Mesa Easter Pageant. Not only that, I have actually appeared in the pageant as recently as last April. Let's just say that I may be a "method actor" in the angry mob during the arrest of Jesus after Gethsemene.

LDS pageants have one major flaw that most believing Mormons consistently overlook. Pageants are supposed to be missionary tools, not primarily a cultural celebration or an instance of worship of Jesus Christ. It's amusing how Mormons and their leaders fail to comprehend this. The Mesa Easter Pageant is a mostly straightforward Christian Passion play, but there are still scenes that announce "modern prophets on Earth today just like Peter" as well as "Jesus gave the apostles priesthood authority to perform baptism".

The Mesa Easter Pageant is on hiatus because of extensive rennovation work being done on the Mesa temple. As yet, I have not heard if this pageant will meet the same fate. I was out of town this past weekend and I don't know if my wife has heard about the general pageant cancelling announcement. I fully expect many frantic phone calls all over the Mesa and Gilbert area once this announcement gets processed by thousands of current and former pageant cast members.

However, I actually expect that the Mesa Easter Pageant will be spared. I would welcome firm news about this, but several points are in favor of keeping this pageant. First, the most overt "Mormon" elements had already been removed. A scene featuring the resurrected Saviour visiting the Nephites was removed in the 90s because non-members found it weird and jarring. The Mesa Easter Pageant easily has the largest attraction to the non-LDS community and even has several non-LDS cast members who appreciate the general Christian theme to it.

There is no doubt this has to be an expensive endeavor for the church despite the thousands of volunteer hours spent on it. With the rennovation of the entire temple site, the release plans did include a space for a pageant stage. This could still be yanked back and I can only imagine the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth should that occur. I suppose I should breach this subject tonight with my wife with the announcement in hand.

FiveFingerMnemonic wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 8:52 am "I was more concerned about passing biology than being in some play" - RMN

https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comme ... logy_than/

OMGs maybe this whole thing is because Rusty didn't get cast in a play he really wanted to be in.

blazerb wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 7:56 pm I think it would be great fun to put on a pageant telling the story I know now. I'd show JS finding the rock while digging a well (or did he steal it from Sally Chase?). Show him with his head in the hat dictating the story. Enact the various rebellions that each led to a new part of the story. Depict the Hyrum Page incident, the Kirtland apostasies, the Nauvoo polygamy incidents. You could tell the various stories of the restoration, not when they were supposed to have occurred, but when they were finally told to the followers so people could see the development of Mormonism. If we kept it up, you could show BY's transfiguration into JS when the story was told as JS3 was getting ordained RLDS prophet.

That might be unintelligible, but it's fun for me to think about.

A post-mo, ex-mno NOM pageant would be the best!!!
Also, I think he used Sally Chase's seer stone to find his seer stone. Also, I want to audition for the role of Sally Chase.

I just read that the Nauvoo pageants have been spared the chopping block. Is that true?

Corsair wrote: ↑Mon Oct 29, 2018 8:55 am Some of you know that my wife is on staff with the Mesa Easter Pageant. Not only that, I have actually appeared in the pageant as recently as last April. Let's just say that I may be a "method actor" in the angry mob during the arrest of Jesus after Gethsemene.

LDS pageants have one major flaw that most believing Mormons consistently overlook. Pageants are supposed to be missionary tools, not primarily a cultural celebration or an instance of worship of Jesus Christ. It's amusing how Mormons and their leaders fail to comprehend this. The Mesa Easter Pageant is a mostly straightforward Christian Passion play, but there are still scenes that announce "modern prophets on Earth today just like Peter" as well as "Jesus gave the apostles priesthood authority to perform baptism".

The Mesa Easter Pageant is on hiatus because of extensive rennovation work being done on the Mesa temple. As yet, I have not heard if this pageant will meet the same fate. I was out of town this past weekend and I don't know if my wife has heard about the general pageant cancelling announcement. I fully expect many frantic phone calls all over the Mesa and Gilbert area once this announcement gets processed by thousands of current and former pageant cast members.

However, I actually expect that the Mesa Easter Pageant will be spared. I would welcome firm news about this, but several points are in favor of keeping this pageant. First, the most overt "Mormon" elements had already been removed. A scene featuring the resurrected Saviour visiting the Nephites was removed in the 90s because non-members found it weird and jarring. The Mesa Easter Pageant easily has the largest attraction to the non-LDS community and even has several non-LDS cast members who appreciate the general Christian theme to it.

There is no doubt this has to be an expensive endeavor for the church despite the thousands of volunteer hours spent on it. With the rennovation of the entire temple site, the release plans did include a space for a pageant stage. This could still be yanked back and I can only imagine the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth should that occur. I suppose I should breach this subject tonight with my wife with the announcement in hand.

I am going to look at a larger picture here. The “priesthood purpose” for the pageant may have been missionary work with nonmembers, but the REAL reason people did them year after year with poor missionary results was because they enjoyed doing it. Members enjoyed attending, parents enjoyed watching their kids in it, the participants enjoyed the challenge. People won’t do squat for missionary work, unless they enjoy it or they happen to be full time missionaries who reluctantly do it because they pretty much have to. But the plays are fun. Sure, not everybody enjoys that kind of thing, but they were fun for those involved, and as a side benefit, they could feel righteous for helping the missionary effort, even where there were zero referrals year after year.

My husband did Savior of the World when our stake put it on. He had an excuse to grow out his beard, he got to sing a solo, he got to meet new people, and just enjoy the getting together for all the practices. I went with him for 90% of the practices, but no way did I want to be onstage. But the practices were fun.

When I was a kid (showing my age) all of the Provo stakes got together to put on the Fourth of July Freedom Festival. Didn’t cost the church anything because BYU made sure it was profitable. But then seeing children dance got less profitable than bringing in Hollywood celebrities, so the program went with what was most profitable.

Roadshows, Freedom Festival, now pageants have all gone the way of the dinosaur. Sure, it has been a 60 year process. I don’t think it is coincident. I don’t really think it is all financial either, of course that is part of it. I think we have had some Stick In The Mud apostles who don’t think fun or socializing are worth while because they don’t ACCOMPLISH anything. So, they have been getting rid of anything that is primarily socialization or fun. They just don’t think it is the church’s job to promote socialization or fun. They have even stated that church does not need to be “entertaining”. And they don’t have a clue about spiritual, so they have been focusing on pure indoctrination. Packer, Oaks, Nelsen, Bednar are all of this opinion. They understand nothing about community, or social needs, or having fun. They are workaholics and don’t think that is as bad of an addiction as alcohol or porn. In fact, they fail to recognize how it is a harmful addiction.

2bizE wrote: ↑Sat Oct 27, 2018 8:29 pm I will continue to hold my summer and winter solstice pageants though as they are not church related.

Does your solstice pageantry involve beer, wine or other spirits?

If yes, can I come?
If no, can I come anyway? (And bring beer)

alas wrote: ↑Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:42 am Ah, but do the youth find the pagents fun and a way to make friends? If so, Kill it, we don’t do “fun” anymore. It is a waste of time to do anything because it is fun. People like Top church leaders focused only on worldly success and church approval. They are not the kind of people who need fun, relaxation, enjoyment. Nope. Work work work. Over the last 30 years or so, the church has been moving in the direction of killing anything done for the fun of it. So, this does not surprise me at all.

The church has become bland, boring, and tedious, and people are leaving as our top leaders wonder what is wrong as they make it more bland, boring, and tedious.

Boring, boring, boring. The church compared to my days as a youth in the seventies is so tedious and boring. If the church can not provide some social enjoyment and provide a place to get together and enjoy some project or other it is useless. If its all about some perceived spiritual experience then why bother since those things are mostly just emotional manipulation.

I grew up near Manti. The parent was a big deal not just for members but the whole community. Sort of like a two week party. Sure it was cheesy and stupid but we had fun as kids attending and participating.

Did I say this church is boring?