Nauvoo Pageant Part 1

As one watches the pageant, sometimes certain words said or principles displayed ring true to them. One significant aspect of my testimony came to me when I was in Nauvoo as part of the crew. But I want to talk about something I was thinking about tonight, as a member of the audience.

Often there are protests at the pageant. People come with big signs, like: “Jesus warned against false prophets,” and, “There is only one true God.” These principles, specifically, are sometimes things that I agree with. It is indeed true that Jesus warned against false prophets, and that there is only one true and living God. But these protestors are not here at the pageant to teach what I believe, but what they believe, and what they think we believe wrongly. I don’t understand them. But I wanted this evening to walk up to one of them, point at their sign and say, “That’s true. Jesus did warn against false prophets. I’m glad you know that,” or something to that effect. But I’ve heard stories of people approaching the protestors, and it usually doesn’t end well. So I decided to steer clear. But I was trying to think of ways to help them to understand that what we are doing is right. But, to be honest, I really don’t know if there is any way to crack tough nuts like that. ESPECIALLY in that setting, when they are already hostile, and that is their goal: to be hostile and aggressive. I don’t know how to communicate with them, and I really don’t want to. A person recently said in a Facebook post, “There's a story behind every person. There's a reason why they're the way they are. They aren't just like that because they want to [be]. Something in the past created them, and sometimes it's impossible to fix them.” I agree with that to a point. But I want to focus on the last part: “It’s impossible to fix them.” Yes. Yes, I agree with that completely. And I’ll tell you why: You just can’t ‘fix’ people. It’s not possible for you to ‘fix’ someone. Because unlike a broken machine or a broken toy or any number of broken objects, when it comes to the gospel, a person can only be ‘fixed’ or changed, when they WANT to be. You can’t make someone have a testimony.

There’s a conversation in the pageant between two people, Parley P. Pratt and a sort of investigator of the church who plays a central role in the pageant, named Robert Laird. Robert speaks with Parley about how he’s interested in the church, but he doesn’t want to get pushed into anything. Parley responds that he should read the Book of Mormon, and Robert declines, saying that he has a bible. Parley goes on to explain that the Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ, and Robert Laird says he’ll consider it. Then the conversation goes something like this. Italicized words are the ones I think are relevant to this topic. (Robert refers to himself in the third person, trying to be ambiguous):

Robert: But you might as well know right now, yeah? This man, he does have a mind of his own.

Parley: Good. As do I. And you might tell him, if he will read the Book of Mormon, and ask God if it’s true, God will give him a witness all for himself.

Robert: I’ll tell him.

Parley: I hope you will.

This conversation represents two things which are very important pertaining to belief in the church. First, a person must have his/her own testimony. They must have received a witness all for themselves. You cannot really piggyback on someone else’s testimony and expect it to be effective. When you have felt for yourself the truth of the Book of Mormon; when you have attended church and felt something good there; when you have prayed to Heavenly Father and that same good feeling indicated to you that this church which you are investigating or have been born into is true, then you can know for yourself, and have the ability to not doubt the truth, for you have received a witness for yourself.

Second, that it has to be your decision, and that it is our decision to be members of the church. We members of the Church of Jesus Christ are not mindless drones. Yes, it is true: sometimes we go through the motions simply because we have been brought up that way, and sometimes we simply believe because others believe and we trust their testimony. But the majority of the time, especially in those members who are older, we have asked Heavenly Father about the truth of the Book of Mormon, or the Church, or asked Him whether Joseph Smith was a prophet, and we have received an answer. And THAT is why we believe. Because we have “had a feelin’,” as the pageant line goes. We have received a witness as to the truth of this church. And that is why we are a part of it.

I hope you can come out to see the pageant sometime in your life; hopefully soon the last show is this Saturday, it’s in Nauvoo, Illinois, and it runs every day until then at 8:45 in the evening, with a preshow beginning at 7 or 7:30. If you can’t come this year, maybe you can next year. It will change you.