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The annual Easter pageant presented in Mesa, Arizona, is undergoing final preparations and will be presented to the public from March 11 through March 22. This year is the pageant's 70th anniversary.

Titled "Jesus the Christ," the pageant portrays the life, ministry and mission of Christ through music, dance and drama. It is produced annually with a combined staff and cast of over 700 volunteers, and is recognized as the world's largest annual outdoor Easter pageant.

Wayne Leavitt, pageant president, says the pageant helps members of the community "to understand how we, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or what many
people refer to as 'Mormons,' feel about the Savior Jesus Christ; that we truly are believers and followers of the same Jesus Christ that many of them believe in."

"Many have said they have felt the spirit of the pageant and that they have come away with a better understanding of Christ. They say, from watching the pageant, they feel they know him better and feel his love," Leavitt continues.

Whether Mormons believe in Jesus Christ is often misunderstood by the general public, despite the fact that the name of Christ is part of the official name of the Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The Twelve Apostles and First Presidency of the Church have issued a testimony entitled "The Living Christ" in which they affirm, in part:

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles-that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

The third Article of Faith of the Church declares, "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel." While Latter-day Saints do believe that we must live good lives and obey the commandments Christ has given us, we also believe that it is only through the Atonement of Christ that we may be saved. No other man can or will be able to save us, and we cannot save ourselves.

The Arizona Easter Pageant is free and each performance is open to the public. It is appropriate for all ages; families are welcome. Hundreds of thousands are expected to attend this year. For additional information on the pageant, including performance times and the location, visit their website at www.easterpageant.org.

Elder Earl C. Tingey of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the "Mormons") will address young adults of the Church on Sunday, January 13, 2008, at 6:00 P.M. Mountain Time. The fireside will be available live on the Church satellite system at local meetinghouses and rebroadcast across the world. Live internet audio streaming will be available at www.lds.org. Live video will also be available on BYU-TV and at www.byu.tv. The broadcast will originate from the BYU Marriott Center, and all young adults are invited to attend, view, or listen to the proceedings.

Elder Tingey is currently serving as the seventh (senior) president of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He has been a member of the Quorum since his call in 1990. He earned a Juris Doctor (law) degree from the University of Utah. At the time of his call to the Seventy, he was associate general legal counsel for Kennecott Corporation.

According to his wife, “he never tires of Church service.” Following are excerpts and summaries from some of the talks he has given in General Conference (held semiannually; Church leaders address the members of the Church):

"The Law of Tithing"—April 2002; Ensign, May 2002, 10
Elder Tingey related the story of the widow’s mite and compared her situation to that of the early Saints in Missouri at the time that they received the law of tithing. The Saints had been persecuted and driven from their homes in Independence. Their prophet and several other leaders had recently been imprisoned. But like the widow who cast in all she had, those who exercised their faith and lived this law as it had been given to them were blessed beyond measure. Elder Tingey said, “A special peace that will surpass all understanding will come to you and your family as you pay a full tithing. You will find that all fears concerning finances and care of family will diminish. You will come to know that your Heavenly Father loves you.”

"Prophets—Pioneer and Modern Day"--April 2007; Ensign, May 2007, 29–31
Elder Tingey gave his talk in the historic Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Before the year 2000, General Conference was typically held in the Tabernacle, but this changed when the Conference Center was completed. At the time of this General Conference, the Tabernacle had been extensively remodeled and was rededicated during this session.

Elder Tingey, in this historic setting, spoke of two of our latter-day prophets: Brigham Young, who brought the pioneer Saints to Utah, and Gordon B. Hinckley, who is our prophet today. Some of the parallels he drew were striking. For example, both have been aggressive temple builders. President Young began construction of four temples in Utah after the initial immigration of the pioneers, which was an ambitious number considering that previously the Saints had only had one temple at any given time. Under President Hinckley, the number of temples on the earth today has expanded significantly; over 75 temples have been built so far during his presidency.

Elder Tingey closed his talk with his testimony: “I bear my humble witness that both President Brigham Young and President Gordon B. Hinckley are prophets who have led the Church by inspiration and revelation.”

With the holiday season knocking at our door, here are some of the events taking place at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) is headquartered, and they always have a marvelous array of spiritual and cultural food for the soul - particularly at Christmas time. The public is welcome at all of these events. Most are free; some of those require that you order tickets to reserve your spot. Even if you aren't in the Salt Lake City area, it can be interesting to read about some of the things they are doing to celebrate the birth of the Savior.

More information on all of these events, including dates, times, parking, and ticket information, can be found at www.lds.org/events.

A whole booklet of scheduled performances taking place on Temple Square during the holiday season is available online at www.lds.org. There are special displays at the Museum of Church History and Art, and classes on paper crafts and holiday traditions at the Family History Library. There are regular organ recitals presented in the Tabernacle, as well as performances by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. There are also performances by singing groups from around the area, as well as piano soloists, bell choirs, instrumental ensembles, and many more. Some of the larger-scale performances require tickets, so make your plans early.

One of these larger concerts features the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square, with the King's Singers as featured guest artists. The King's Singers are a world-renowned a cappella men's group based in London. I remember first hearing them perform on a television broadcast with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Even as a child I was delighted at the beautiful music that the six men's voices created together, along with their comedic appeal. (As an aside, I remember that among the songs they performed with the Boston Pops at that time was a vocal version of the orchestral piece "The Barber of Seville." You have to hear it to believe it; it was hysterical, and they still performed it beautifully.)

"We are absolutely delighted to welcome back our dear friends, The King's Singers, as our guests for Christmas this year," said Craig Jessop, music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, on www.lds.org. "They are consummate musicians who can perform everything from classical to contemporary and in between. Plus, they have a flair for comedy which should make this Christmas concert one of our most fun and festive ever." The King's Singers will appear on Temple Square December 13-16.

Savior of the World, a musical production based on scriptural accounts of the birth and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, is again being presented in the Conference Center theater during the holiday season. According to www.lds.org, "the show features a cast of talented actors, singers, and musicians sharing testimony through drama and song of the divine mission of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world." The director of the production explained that "Savior of the World provides a meaningful opportunity for all to remember His birth and Resurrection and renew their devotion to Him."

Another Temple Square Christmas tradition is approaching on December 2. The First Presidency will give their annual Christmas Devotional at the Conference Center. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square will also be featured performers of several Christmas-themed pieces. The event will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.lds.org, so this is something that people in all areas can experience. BYU-TV will also broadcast the event. Many cable and satellite packages now offer BYU-TV; check your local listings for further information. BYU-TV also broadcasts the program over the Internet at www.byutv.org.

The annual Christmas Devotional is an opportunity for the prophet and members of the First Presidency to address the general membership of the Church about the Savior and the true meaning of Christmas. With so much of the holiday season focused on the commercial side of things, it is a real privilege to be taught by servants of the Lord about Him, His life, and what He would have us do -- particularly during this holiday season.