With the renovations on the Mesa Arizona Temple finally complete, the Mesa Easter pageant will return this spring after its three-year hiatus. The pageant will run April 6–9 and 12–16, 2022. This year’s production will feature a new set, a new script, and new music.
The pageant is a long-standing tradition, having begun as a small Easter sunrise service in 1938, and is now the largest annual outdoor Easter pageant in the world. The production now brings in over 100,000 people to view it each spring.
According to their website:
“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, and invites all to come unto Him and partake of the “good news” that is His gospel.
It’s a very different production from its humble beginnings as a sunrise service in 1938. On that Easter morning, young men and women of Mesa Maricopa Stake’s Mutual Improvement Association, hosted a statewide convention in Mesa, and the culminating event of this festive weekend was an Easter Sunrise Service on the grounds of the temple.
From that time on, it became an annual event and a beloved community tradition.
The sunrise service continued for nearly 30 years as a choral presentation, featuring sacred music that was linked with a brief narration, focusing on the life of Jesus Christ. It was enhanced immeasurably by the setting and backdrop of His Holy House.
To read more about the history of the production and how you can attend this year, visit MesaTemple.org.