Nauvoo-pageants
A brother and sister dressed in mid-1800s attire give each other a hug. The children and their family participated in the Church pageants in Nauvoo, Illinois, which in 2022 will be July 5–31.2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
After a 3-year hiatus, live performances of the Nauvoo and British Pageants are returning this summer in Nauvoo, Illinois, from July 5–31, 2022.
The last time the pageants were performed was the summer of 2019. “We’ve had to postpone the pageants for two years due to COVID, while simultaneously many other pageants have been discontinued. Consequently, many people are surprised to learn that these two pageants are continuing, along with many additional activities in Nauvoo,” said Alan Gudmundson, the pageant president.
Performances this summer will be every Tuesday through Friday, with the two pageants alternating on the same stage each evening, beginning at 8:45 p.m. The Nauvoo pageant is Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The British pageant is on Wednesday and Friday.
Nauvoo Pageant
The Nauvoo Pageant will be performed live every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from July 5-31, 2022. 2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Nauvoo Pageant: ‘A Tribute to Joseph Smith’
The Nauvoo Pageant, “A Tribute to Joseph Smith,” was commissioned in 2004 under the direction and supervision of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to commemorate the 200th birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith in 2005.
Narrated by the character Parley P. Pratt, it emphasizes the joy of the early Latter-day Saints as they learned to live the gospel of Jesus Christ through their faith, sacrifice and courage. As they followed a prophet and built a temple, they showed how the restored gospel blesses the lives of families, meets their spiritual needs, invites them to make sacred covenants and helps them fulfill their deepest desires.
British Pageant: “Truth Will Prevail”
The British Pageant, “Truth Will Prevail,” narrated by a character named Arthur Ashton, tells the history of early converts to the Church in the British Isles, depicting the struggles and triumphs of the British Saints. The devotion and sacrifice of 19th-century British Church members, as well as their faith in Jesus Christ, helped make possible the flourishing religious community that later was established in Nauvoo.
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Families participate in the British Pageant in Nauvoo, Illinois. The British Pageant will be performed live every Wednesday and Friday from July 5-31, 2022.Photo Courtesy of Church News
Dalynne Grover, a volunteer in family support from Salt Lake City, Utah, shared her favorite memory of watching five little boys (ages 3 to 5) backstage as they imitated their fathers onstage. It was during the moment in the pageant when the men sing “Praise to the Man” (Hymns, no. 27) and pull ropes to raise the temple.
“This pageant touches hearts right down to the little ones,” Grover said. “It’s a reminder that we can do hard things, just as [the early Saints] did, with faith in every footstep.”
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Children perform in the British Pageant in Nauvoo, Illinois.2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Pre-Show Activities
Beginning at 7 p.m. each evening of the pageant, guests can enjoy 1840s-style pre-show activities, hosted by family cast members dressed in period costumes. Activities include:
- Arm wrestling
- Children’s crafts
- Children’s games
- A cousins’ tent (search to see how you are related to historic characters portrayed in the pageant)
- Hoops and Graces
- Handcart pulls
- Highland Fling Dance
- Log sawing
- Making rag rugs
- Parlor games
- Puppet show
- Quilting
- Round dancing
- Sack races
- Stickball
- Stick pull
- Stilts
- Tug-of-war
- Wood branding
