Martin Harris may have died 115 years ago in this small northern Utah town, but his spirit lives on, thanks to a historical musical play and family members who participated in this year's production.
"Martin Harris - The Man Who Knew," was staged Aug. 17-18, 21-25, and featured Harris' great-grandson Neil Harris as the spirit that takes a young boy on a journey through Martin Harris' life. The young boy was played by a third great-grandson of Martin Harris, Jason Harris."A very strong sense of place was felt because the Martin Harris family organization was present," said Rhett S. James, author of the production. "There was a real connection with history."
More than 16,000 people attended the musical, which was filled to capacity each night despite some rain and wind during performances. The opening performance Aug. 17 was canceled after rains persisted through the first half of the show.
Even though the pageant revolves around the life of Martin Harris - one of the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon - it looks at the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon through the eyes of Harris and centers a great deal on the Prophet Joseph, James said.
The pageant gives an inside perspective to the lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript - the first translation from the gold plates with Harris acting as scribe - and the events that led to their disappearance.
Martin Harris was known for his financial generosity and was the first Mormon financier. He provided sole finance - $3,000 in gold - for the first publication of the Book of Mormon.
Through the pageant's 120 actors, the audience learns about loyalty to living prophets and apostles, power of a faithful and enduring witness of the truth, the blessing of consecrated labor, the reality of God and Christ, and the struggle to see the Book of Mormon published.
The Martin Harris pageant, in its eighth year, is staged in an outdoor amphitheater near Harris' gravesite in the northern Utah town of Clarkston. The pageant included nightly lectures before the show on the life of Martin Harris as well as a western barbeque beef dinner.
This year's production, directed by Duane J. Huff, opened with a talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Council of the Twelve, speaking on the life of Martin Harris. Elder L. Tom Perry of the Council of the Twelve and Elder James M. Paramore of the Presidency of the Seventy also attended the pageant.
