My Co-stars

Bev D. as Ishmael's wife, me as Sariah wearing my long black wig.


Sanford T. as Lehi, Don B. as Ishmael.

Here are the two founding couples of all the descendants who make up the story of the Book of Mormon. I bet you always wondered what they looked like, now you know.

(Actually, I probably am a few years older than Sariah was, because she bore two more babies while they were in the wilderness. But I did feel qualified to play Sariah, because I have 4 grown sons who could have actually been Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi, if they had been similar to those boys personality-wise. And I hate to camp. And I complain to my husband a lot.)

Sanford, (known as Sandy) pointed out that his wig made him look very old, and that I looked much younger than him. We all decided that I was just a trophy wife.

Another fascinating note: If you have read the Book of Mormon, you will know that Ishmael dies in Nahom, and his daughters mourn for him. This happens before the family crosses the ocean in a ship. The writer of the Hill Cumorah Pageant obviously valued symmetry, because he left Ishmael alive. Mr. and Mrs. Lehi and Mr. and Mrs. Ishmael are in many scenes together, including the boat scene, and the one in which we arrive at the promised land.

Don, who played Ishmael, kept reminding us that he was actually dead, and was only there in spirit.