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Show Mormon Miracle Pageant Begins Tenth Year Tonight at "Manti; Runs from July 14 to July 23, Except Sunday, Monday Ten years of the Mormon Miracle Pageant leaves in its wake a lot of memories, a lot of incidents, sometimes humorous, sometimes serious; some stories that are known to be true and some that are rumors, but rumors that hang around consistently enough that there seems to be some truth in them. Many people have participated par-ticipated in the Pageant in some way each year since the beginning. Some live close by in Manti or Ephraim or other towns in Sanpete and surrounding counties. Others come from longer distances, who stay in the area for one season, just to have had the experience of being a part of this production that continues to draw crowds of from twelve thousand to more than twenty thousand each night for the eight nights it is presented. An indication of the total loyalty of the people involved in the pageant is shown in the story of the Pony League athlete, who all during his successful Little League baseball career had let nothing interfere with practice prac-tice or games. But when the choice had to be made between pitching a Pony League game or going to Pageant Practice, he chose the Pageant. There is an interesting evolution of the young ladies of the pageant cast, who begin their participation as angels at age twelve, and as they grow in size and years become Lamanite dancers, then in their later teens they might be Pioneers, and the ultimate objective, unless they are chosen for individual roles, is to become wicked Nephites. Stories that are recounted from year to year, include the one of t.he f.miriRl-. whn was ten minutes, she whispered to a companion: "If this were all there is, it would be worth the trip down." Memories of the Pageant were almost blotted out for the couple, who in the darkness chose a wrong "west road", hoping to beat the traffic traf-fic from Manti to Ephraim, and found themselves stranded stran-ded in an irrigated wheat field. Slipping and sliding in the darkness through muddy grain and alfalfa fields, they reached the highway long after af-ter all of the Pageant traffic had departed, leaving US 89 deserted for another night. With sore feet and aching limbs they walked the rest of the seven miles back to Ephraim, reaching home about 3:00 a.m. There is another memory special to many, during 1973 when LDS Church President, Harold B. Lee, came as a special guest to the Pageant. Some knew he was expected, but the first announcement that he had arrived came when those seated near the entrance gate began to sing "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet." Like a swelling wave, the tones of the song spread over the entire twenty thousand viewers assembled on the slope at the foot of the Manti Temple hill. It was never loud, but quietly, reverently, the song blended into the tranquil early evening, preceding the beginning begin-ning of the performance. The youth of the southern end of the State of Utah were inspired the next year when a special presentation was held for them, and President Spencer Spen-cer W. Kimball came and spoke to them at a meeting held at the Pageant site. But probably the most dramatic experience that any of us remember is the night of the first production, held in he Sanpete County Fairgrounds, back in 1967. In those days, Martha and Duane Ryan stood at two microphones and read the script, and music was furnished fur-nished by a live orchestra and a 300 voice chorus. As starting time approached, ap-proached, great black clouds wheeled overhead, and a few rain drops began to splatter off violins, and we wondered how much rain would ruin a good violin. The rain kept coming a little until after the opening prayer. Then although black clouds still hung low and threatening, there was no more storm during the production. Thunder and lightning seemed to burst forth for-th at the right places in the script, giving reality to the re-enactment re-enactment of those scenes when early Mormons were driven from place to place under un-der "rain-drenched skies". But the rain held off until it was over. Then before everyone was back in their cars, the clouds broke apart, and all of Sanpete Valley was drenched in a wet, wet summer sum-mer storm. Perhaps, that too, was part of the Mormon Miracle. driving to Manti one summer night during Pageant time. All was peaceful and quiet as he rode along, when suddenly the lighted "Angel Moroni" appeared on the west tower of the Manti Temple. As awe-inspiring awe-inspiring as that scene is to the seated audience, it must have been quite a shock to one totally unprepared for that experience. Another story is of a family who came all the way from Georgia to see the Pageant, but an early date with the Stork took the mother to the hospital and the father and children stayed in Manti and witnessed the Pageant each night until the mother and baby were able to travel back to their home. Still another family of tourists, who were directed by traffic officers to a parking area, decided to stay and see where all of the people were hurrying to, carrying their children and blankets. Although they hadn't known of the Pageant before they reached Manti, they altered their schedule so that they could stay the remaining nights of that week. One lady, who with her husband, had come from Star Valley, Wyoming, sat completely com-pletely absorbed in the opening scenes. After about |