Three Aspects Contribute to Making the Mesa Easter Pageant the Spirit-Filled Production It Is

For nearly 90 years, thousands of individuals have voluntarily devoted a portion of their lives to participate in the Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant.

Prompted by more than wanting to shine or to make a name for themselves, they, instead, have shared a collective commitment to portray, in the best way that mortals can, the poignant, pervasive, powerful and divine purpose of Christ’s life and, in so doing, to further the mission of the Mesa Easter Pageant: to bring others to Christ. 

Those who have been intimately involved in presenting the pageant, as well as many of the hundreds of thousands who have viewed it, have been touched deeply by the spirit of the production and truthfulness of its message, returning with family and friends year after year to take part in, and to partake of, this beloved event. 

This inspiring pageant—experienced from behind, on, or in front of the stage—has the power to change hearts, enrich lives, build testimonies, and teach love.

“Jesus the Christ” is not a passion play focusing on the crucifixion, rather, it is a heartfelt celebration of the life and resurrection of the Savior. 

Recognized as the world’s largest annual outdoor Easter pageant, the Mesa production combines music, dance, and drama, with spectacular costuming, lighting, sound effects, and live animals—all set on a huge, multistory stage. Yet, as impressive as the performance quality and pageantry may be, three underlying aspects combine to set the pageant apart and make it the spirit-filled production it is:

First, the story is that of Jesus Christ, highlighting the mission and important moments in the life of the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind, as recorded in the Holy Scriptures. 

Second, the entire presentation and large audiences viewing it are on sacred ground, dedicated by prophets of the Lord.

• In the 1927 Arizona Temple dedicatory prayer, President Heber J. Grant specifically prayed, “May all who come upon the grounds which surround this temple, whether members of the Church of Christ or not, feel the sweet and peaceful influence of this blessed and hallowed spot.” 
• In 1975, when President Spencer W. Kimball rededicated the Arizona Temple after its major renovation, he, too, blessed not only the building but the surrounding land to “be a haven of peace and rest and holy meditation.”
• In 2021, when President Dieter F. Uchtdorf rededicated the temple for the second time, he quoted President Grant from his dedicatory prayer in 1927: “… May all who come upon the grounds which surround this temple, whether members of the Church of [Jesus] Christ or not, feel the sweet and peaceful influence of this blessed and hallowed spot.”

Third, the cast and crew involved each year dedicate themselves to witnessing and bearing testimony of Christ, and they prepare themselves spiritually to be able to do so. The Lord seems to take their offerings and multiply them, so the result is a remarkable experience, one that is both uniquely personal and immensely universal.

Jenee Wright Prince, pageant creative director since 2012, puts it this way: “We have the task of portraying the life of the Savior in a way so that hundreds of thousands of people can feel the Spirit in the beautiful Easter message. As a cast, we are there to present the story of the Savior. Even though we are imperfect and often fall short, the Lord always fills in the gap, always makes up the difference” (Church News, March 17, 2016).

— Taken from the book, “The Mesa Easter Pageant: 80 Years of Sharing the Story of Jesus the Christ” by Jill Adair and Cecily Condie.