| Hill Cumorah Pageant | |
|---|---|
 Hill Cumorah Pageant logo | |
| Written by | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Date premiered | July 23, 1937 |
| Subject | Ancient American events reported in the Book of Mormon, the visitation of Christ to the American continent following his resurrection, and the restoration of the Gospel in the latter days. |
| Genre | Religion |
| Setting | Foot of the Hill Cumorah in Palmyra, New York, United States |
| [www | |
The Hill Cumorah Pageant was an annual production of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) staged at the foot of the Hill Cumorah in Palmyra, New York. Premiering in 1937, it was considered to be the flagship pageant of the LDS Church.[1]
It depicted Joseph Smith's encounter with the Golden Plates (translated into English as the Book of Mormon), as well as a dramatization of the events recorded therein. The pageant featured more than 700 cast members, 1,300 costumes, and a 10-level stage. It ran for seven nights in late July and attracted approximately 35,000 viewers annually.[2] No donations were accepted and no tickets were required, although seating was first-come, first-served.
The Pageant was performed for the last time in 2019; the LDS Church announced plans to discontinue the event after 2020 due to new directives discouraging large-scale pageants. The final performance was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was later canceled in full.[3]
- ^ Argetsinger, Gerald S. (2004). "The Hill Cumorah Pageant: A Historical Perspective". Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. 13 (1–2). Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Archived from the original on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-22.
- ^ Christmann, Samantha. "A bittersweet moment as the Hill Cumorah Pageant prepares for its final bow", The Buffalo News, 16 July 2019. Retrieved on 24 March 2020.
- ^ "Elder Christofferson explains why the Hill Cumorah Pageant was a blessing and why it ended". Church News. 2024-01-11. Retrieved 2024-04-18.