Donald W. Meyers Writing Samples

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Dems, Indian leaders prais

EchoHawk’s new LDS post

Newly called Mormongeneral authority Larry EchoHawk is being hailedasarolemodelbyDemocrats

andAmericanIndians.Echohawk, 63, a Pawneeand head of the Bureau of IndianAffairs in theObamaadministration, was namedto the LDS Church’s FirstQuorum of the Seventy dur-

objectives is to reach out toLDS people and say we arethe party of values, and we

milestones that are helping Indiannationspursue the fu-tureof their choosing.”

tribal nations.”EchoHawk is the s

American Indian topointed a general auty of The Church ofChrist ofLatter-day S

In 1975, George P.Navajo, was called Seventybythen-LDSCPresident Spencer Wball. Lee served for 14until he was excommed for “apostasy” andduct unbecomingam

ofthechurch.”Lee, who later plguilty to attempted sabuseofa child,diediatage67.

EchoHawk attendeham Young Universit

Conference • Party leader hopes callinginspires more UtahMormons to join up.

By DONALD W. MEYERSThe SaltLake Tribune

TRENT NELSON | Tribune file photoLarry EchoHawk, an ex-BYU law professor who served inthe Obama administration, is a new LDS general authority.

April 1, 2012



M O R M O N M I R A C L E P A G E A N T

AN ANGELON HIGH

June 16, 2011



stairs during a dress rehears-al. Then, at the appointedtime, with a full moon andspotlights shining onhim, hefaced east, 169 feet above theground and almost 210 feetabove thevalleyfloor.

There, tethered to a poleon a 10-foot-wide platformand surrounded by a 2-foot-high railing,he hoisteda long trumpetto hislipsandstruck the pose so familiar to Mor-monsthroughout theworld.It’s “wonderful,” Pipessaid,

like“floatingin thesky.”“For two weeks out of the

year,” pageant PresidentDoug Barton said, “we get tohavean AngelMoroni onthetemple.” (Manti’s largest ed-

ifice, unlike many LDS tem-ples, doesn’thave apermanent

gold-leaf statue of the faith’ssignature icon.)

In fact, the free perfor-mances in Manti will havetwo Angel Moronis. Pipesand Orem resident Eli Pow-ell, 32,will taketurnsplaying the role during the pageant’s44th-annual run, which be-ginsThursday.

The show tellsthe storyof

The Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints, fromitsbeginnings in New York tothe settlement of Utah. In-terspersed among vignettesof church history are scenesfromthe faith’sunique scrip-ture, The Book of Mormon,includinga depiction ofJesusChrist visiting ancient Amer-ica.

A cast of more tha n 900men, women and childrenactas prophets, pioneers,war-

riors and more on the southside of the Manti Temple

grounds. In trailers and abuilding east of the temple,cast members are hustledthrough makeup and cos-tuming beforea pre-show de-

votional service in whichlast-minute instructions go out.

Seats for 15,000 fill up onthe temple grounds, Bartonsaid, and many viewers sim-ply throwdowna blanket and

sit onthelawn.Thespectacle’s bigmomentfocusesonAngelMoroni,whoMormonsbelievewasthe lastcontributor to The Book of Mormonandlater appearedtochurch founderJoseph Smith.

During the scene, the nar-rationrefers tothestatueatopthe Salt Lake City LDS Tem-ple and how it symbolizes abiblical prophecy that an an-gelwouldflyforth toproclaimthegospel.

“That’s thecool part,”saidSheron Thurston, a West

Valley City woman who por-trays a wicked high priestessin the show. “The spirit is sostrongwhenhe comes out.”“It’s kind ofa pinnacle part,”

saidBarton’s son, Mike, whoplayedthe role in 1997.

It’s also a part that wasn’teven in thefirst fewpageants,Doug Barton noted. At thattime, the pageant took place

at thenearbySanpeteCounty Fairgroundsbeforemoving tothe temple grounds and add-ing the angel scene inthe ear-ly 1970s.Thecoveted rolecan’t goto

just anybody. The actor mustbeat least 17yearsold, 6 feettall anddeemedworthyto en-teran LDStemple.“Wewant them to look larg-er thanlife,” Bartonsaid. Andtheycertainly can’tbeafraidofheights.

Temple engineer DeanHarmer accompanies the

actor through the templeto the roof on the east side.They cross a catwalk to thewesttower,wherethey climbthe stairs to the top. There—about as high above the val-ley floor as the tallest spireon the Salt Lake Temple —Harmer harnesses the actorto a pole and gives him hiscue.

Powell fell in love with thepart whenhe, like Pipes, saw itas an8-year-old.

“It struck me a s awesome,”Powell said.“It’s definitelyone

of thespots that cple’s attention.”Powell,who had

in previous pageanneer, landed the pangel this year —try.

Pipes is followfootsteps of an oer, who had theroHesaidhis brother

himwhile he washis cue, bragging view.

For theyoungerhasplayed other ppageant and worktechnical crew, p

Angel Moroni th i vides a “great opto share his beliefformofmissionar

Indeed, the higshow.

[email protected]:@donaldw

Pageant≥ Continuedfrom A1

Pageant schedule

TheMormonMiraclePag-eant runs fromJune16-18andJune21-25.Gates totheaudience area openat6 p.m.The freeshowstartsat9:30p.m.Info •mormonmiracle.org



LDS templeto rise from

CONFERENCE •PROVO BUILDING

Oct. 2, 2011



described as one of the busi-est in the worldwide church.

Wh en the Prov o projec t iscompleted, that city will joinSouth Jordan as the only cit-ies in the world to sport twoLDS temples.

Saturday’s announcementwas greeted with an audiblegasp from many in the Con-ference Center’s 21,000-per-son audience in downtownSalt Lake City and with joy onthestreetsofProvo,wherepeople flockedto thesite.“It isa historical thing,” said

Denny Brown, who came as

soonas the newsbroke. “Icantell my grandchildren I wasNo. 1 toseemynew temple.”

Others quickly followed,streaming into the heart of Provo to take pictures andsoakin theexperience.

Orem resident Kay Daven-port came down with InoriUryu, a missionary assignedto Provo, to get a picture of

the Japanese missionary infront of the tabernacle, itsbrickwallsswaddled inheavy steel girders since the devas-tatingDec. 17fire.

“We’re so happy,” Dav-enport exclaimed. “We are

going to have two temples inthe city.”

Provo’s t win temples willgive Utah County four suchedifices — with a templegroundbreaking set for Oct.8 in Payson. There also is anLDStemple inAmericanFork.

Salt Lake County has fourMormon temples as well.Church leaderspreviously an-nounced planstobuild a fifth,but that locationhasyet tobenamed.The newProvo templewill

mark the second time thechurchhas transformed a tab-ernacle intoa temple. Itdid sowiththeUintahTabernacle in Vernal.

In recentweeks, thechurch

has been buying property south of the Provo Taberna-cle to provide “options” foritsplans.

Angela Decker, a BrighamYoung University studentfrom West Jordan, said she“squealed” at Saturday’snews.

“I’m from Utah, so I nev-er squeal at the announce-ment of a new temple,” Deck-

ersaid, “but this is the secondcity withtwo temples.”

Preservationists in Provohave been urging the LDSChurch to restore the taber-nacle ever since last year’s fire.

OneofthemwasL. Douglas

Smoot, who spearheaded

the restoration of Academy Square, which then becameProvo’s showcase city library.

“It was my great-grandfa-ther, Abraham Owen Smoot,whowas responsible for build-ing that [tabernacle],” Smootsaid. “He was the stake pres-ident atthe time, and it was a

very emotional thing [to hearthe announcement].”

ChurchrenderingsreleasedSaturday show that the re-stored building will include aspirein themiddle—a featureincluded in theoriginalstruc-ture but removednearlya cen-tury ago.

ProvoCouncilwomanSher-

rie Hall Everett recalled thebitter emotions she experi-enced when the tabernacleburned, but said she is over-

joyed that it wi ll become atemple. Everett said she hasmany fond memories of thebuilding, having performedtherewithchoirs.

“I’ve had great testimony moments in that building,”

she said.Everettsaidshe had a sense

that thefirewouldnotend thebuilding’s story. She said thefact that a picture of Jesussurvivedtheflameswasa signofhope— aswasthechurch’s

commitment to brwalls after the blaz

Provo Mayor Jotisrecalled that, aftchurch officials assthey were sensitiplace thetabernaclein people’s hearts.

“It will be fabulmany levels,” Curtwill revitalize downit will ensure the hlegacy [of the taberlive on.”

He said the temrepresents anothcant downtown inThe city and Utahareworking togetha convention centeopen in the spring

Skin Enterprises iing its headquarteterStreet.

Bill Hulterstrom Way of Utah Countive director, said Sdevelopmentwasa gforProvo.

“In downtown, ton a rebound,” Husaid. “The temple

the image of downdestination.”Temples arewhe

Mormons participhighest sacramentfaith, including eteriage.

Tabernacle≥ Continuedfrom A1

JEREMY HARMON | The SaltLakeTribune

Crowds start to fill the Conference Center before the morningsession of the 181st Semiannual General Conference.

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Donald W. Meyers Writing Samples