--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 33 number: 7 published: 1930-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “The Centennial Pageant,” *Improvement Era* 33, no. 7 (May 1930): 460–461." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3307unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3307unse start_page: 460 end_page: 461 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1930-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3307unse publication_year: 1930 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1930, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Centennial Pageant The Centennial Pageant GN April 6, 1830, a little band of earnest men as- sembled together at the home of Peter Whitmer, one of their number, to effect the organ- ization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bit- ter persecution had been their lot in the few years since the boy, , Joseph Smith, had declared that he had seen a vision of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, and had been divinely appointed to restore to a hungering world the holy Priesthood. Humble men were these, and fearful, too, perhaps, feeling sure that hatred and in- justice would follow them as cruelly in the years to come as they had done in the past; but they were sincere in their knowledge that Christ had spoken and valiant in their determination to defend the truths which had come to them so surely, so undeniably. Realizing the fact that an attitude of enmity and malice was already strong against them, and that their an- tagonists were determined to de- stroy the foundation of the Church before a structure could be reared upon it, these first members might have foreseen the struggles of Illi- nois, the tragedies of Missouri and the hardship and suffering of Far West and Winter Quarters. Their imaginations doubtless could have pictured the injustice of their fel- low-citizens and the treachery of government officials. Prophecies of hunger, disappointments and de- feat would not have surprised them nor troubled their souls, for they knew that Christ himself was hated and tortured ; that the early Chris- tians sacrificed their lives for the cause, and that the latter-day dis- ciples of the crucified Redeemer would have deadly opposition to meet also. But it is quite certain that even their most sanguine dreams did not vision the beauty and the glory to attend the one hundredth anniversary of the event which transpired that day. T^ROM that beginning the Church has grown in mem- bership and in achievement until it has become a powerful force of colonizers, citizens, disciples of education and religious leaders. Small wonder it is that the cen- tennial anniversary should be an occasion unprecedented in the an- nals of the west. The official celebration takes the form of a sacred pageant-drama, "The Message of the Ages," de- picting the outstanding religious events of the world in chrono- logical order from the Council in Heaven to the present day. Staged on a gigantic series of platforms built across the west end of the great Tabernacle; illumined by enormous batteries of foot, flood and spot lights; accompanied by the Tabernacle choir and an espe- cially trained orchestra, the pro- duction is stupendous in every de- tail. HPO fanfare and orchestral ac- •*■ companiment the massive cur- tain, hung from the vaulted dome of the great building, parts on a dark stage. A voice reads the in- troductory lines: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. That was the true Light, which light - eth etwy man that cometh into the World. * * * As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. To organ accompaniment the reader gives an account of the Council in Heaven, wherein it was decreed that the firstborn son of God should go down and become a willing sacrifice for mankind. Here the music changes to crash- ing chords and chaos, then dies away into silence. The Improvement Era for May, 1930 461 'T'HE first scene is the Creation, in which, to accompaniment of music, the Biblical account is given by reader and chorus: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth; and the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. * * * An angel fell? Nay, a God came down To turn the key of mortality, That faith should bide and truth en- crown To the furthermost posterity; And the stars that swung to their glad employ When earth was new and life was youth. The stars of dawn that sang for joy Are singing yet at the feet of truth. The first period is depicted as the ancient dispensations: Adam and Eve after their expulsion from the garden making sacrifice unto the Lord because it was command- ed of them: "This thing is a similitude of the sac- rifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth;" the deluge of the earth and the covenant made with Noah — Lo! indignation's thunder rent the skies, The heavens wept in flood of drowning tears; All flesh wherein had kindled breath and life Was forfeit to the voltage of His wrath. A planet drowned to wash away its stain, But breasting swirl of flood and heaving seas, The ark, upheld by Priesthood's mighty arm, Came safe to harbor 'neath the rainbow's span. And Cod blessed Noah and his sons and said, Behold I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you. * * * Neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood, neither shall there be any more a flood to de- stroy the earth. * * * I do set my bow in the cloud and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth." Then follows the scene of the children of Israel in Egypt, bowed down in bondage amidst the carnal splendors of the idolatrous Egyp- tians; and Moses, "Ventured from the burning bush" coming to cry the message from on high to all the people. "Thou shalt have no other gods be- fore me. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. "Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. "Thou shalt not kill. "Thou shalt not commit adultery. "Thou shalt not steal. "Thou Ishalt not bear false witness. "Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbor's. '"THE next scene is a frieze of the Prophets of two hemispheres, whose prophecies of the coming Lord were to be fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ. The scene of the Nativity follows, with the adoration of all the ages typified by the prophets of the past who bowed in reverence before the man- ger cradle. From the ministry of the Savior one event is taken in the significant story of the Sermon on the Mount, in which is shown the multitude listening to the simple, burning word. No heavenly beings ap- pear, but brilliant light from above suggests the radiant presence, while a voice offstage speaks the memor- able lines, taken from the Book of Mormon: Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto Me, for theirs is the King- dom of Heaven. The scene of the resurrection is of the two women named Mary, who, going to the tomb, find emp- tiness; and then are greeted by the risen Lord. A chorus sings "The Lord now Victorious." The third period, the Dispen- sation of the Fulness of Times, pictures first the apostasy of the middle ages. The cross wanes pale against the brood- ing night Of grim Apostasy, As thrones of Daniel's vision rear their might To wage autocracy. Men search for God in the psychic blue In the hush of the mystic spheres, They importune him as beggars do In impotent fear and tears; They build Him a throne in the topmost zenith Of astral cult and spell, Aye, make him an image of spire and plinth, A Maker intangible. This picture culminates in the vision given the boy Joseph, and subsequent ordinances and mani- festations— the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the restora- tion of Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood and the organization of the Church. A land prepared, a Declaration penned, And 'mid the lovely woodlands of Ver- mont A youth elect of all the earth is reared, That Priesthood's oracle shall speak again. O lovely day! O holy interlude, The mists disperse and error's night ts gone. Tho' organed hills peal their beatitude And faith awakes transcendent with the dawn. The woodland boughs are bending adora- tion, And scented petals snow along his way, As down the leafy aisle in supplication A lonely boy betakes himself to pray. ■Faith rifts the skies and Heaven gives audition, Lo, darkness stands rebuked before his zeal, (Continued on page 503)