Church members between the ages of 18 and 24 are invited to apply for service as Young Performing Missionaries and as members of the Nauvoo Brass Band during the 2006 Illinois Nauvoo Mission summer season.
"Thirty-six young people will be selected to perform. Through their talents, the history and spirit of Nauvoo will be performed by 20 of the Young Performing Missionaries on stage in the Nauvoo Visitors Center, the Cultural Hall and on the large outdoor stage of Sunset by the Mississippi," said Pat Davis, executive director of Nauvoo Productions. "Sixteen Young Performing Missionaries will perform daily on the Band Wagon, in afternoon concerts in the grove and will join with other performing missionaries each evening on the outdoor stage."
Rehearsals for the band and stage missionaries will begin immediately upon arrival in Nauvoo and are to be completed by the end of the third week in May. They will serve until the third week in August.
"This brief mission opportunity should not be considered in any way as an alternate for a proselytizing mission. Young Performing Missionaries do not go to the Missionary Training Center," Sister Davis said.
She emphasized that, while talent is important, spiritual maturity and obedience weigh heavily in all final decisions. "Each appliant selected must be interviewed and approved for this missionary experience by his or her bishop and stake president," she said.
"It is also important that each applicant is in good health and knows how to control any personal health problems since this mission is physically demanding."
Travel expenses to and from Nauvoo are paid by the Church. Each missionary is responsible to pay his or her own rent, food costs and other personal needs. All Young Performing Missionaries serve under the leadership of the Illinois Nauvoo Mission president and under the direction of Sister Davis.
The 15-member Nauvoo Brass Band commemorates the celebrated William Pitt Band of old Nauvoo days. It performs several times daily at various locales for the thousands of Nauvoo visitors. Positions are open to musicians who play trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba, clarinet, flute doubling piccolo and percussion.
Young men, ages 18 through 24, and young women, ages 19 through 24, who are interested in serving as Young Performing Missionaries may go online to www.historicnauvoo.net or send a legal size, self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Nauvoo Productions, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, 15 East South Temple, Room 1 M, Salt Lake City, UT 84150, or telephone (801) 240-2340, or contact Sister Davis by e-mail at DavisPL@ldschurch.org.
Those interested in the Brass Band positions may contact Elder Larry Bastian by e-mail at lbastn@qwest.net (include "Nauvoo Brass Band" in the subject line) or by telephone (801) 295-8332.