Friday, July 15, 2016 – Ruth & Adam and family at Sunset, At British Pageant

After Sis. Johnson & I finished working on the grounds at the Carthage Visitor’s Center we met up with Ruth & Adam Gurr and kids for our performance of “Sunset by the Mississippi.” During the Nauvoo Brass Band’s pre-show music the audience is invited to come on stage and dance. So, I got to dance with my great-niece Eliza. She was a great dance partner. 

Our performance of “Sunset by the Mississippi” gets over at 8:00pm and the “British Pageant” starts at 8:30 so we walked over to the other large outdoor stage three blocks away to watch the “British pageant.” We got to our seats 15 minutes early so I went to buy Sis. Johnson and I a snow cone. And. . .  guess who I ran into? Mingling with the crowds was the star of last night’s “Nauvoo Pageant”, Dallyn Bayles and his wife, Rachel. Bro. Bayles played the part of the Prophet Joseph and his wife Rachel played the part of Emma Smith, the Prophet’s wife. It’s not every day you get to shake hands with a Broadway stage celebrity and have your picture taken with him. 

 

Like last night’s “Nauvoo Pageant”, tonight’s “British Pageant” was great. The spirit of the pageant is captured in the words, “I go because my master calls.”  The production portrays early members of the

Church from the British Isles as they sing these words and depicts the departure of these faithful Saints from their native land to answer God’s call to gather in Nauvoo. 

The “British Pageant” portrays the ministry of Apostle Heber C. Kimball, the assignment of all the Apostles to preach in England and the faith and sacrifice exhibited by early converts as they embraced the light of the restored gospel. It was a very good show. And again, I will have to watch it multiple times to absorb everything the production had to offer.