Johnson's first movie role was a cop in the feature film "Mi Familia," the epic story of an immigrant family produced by Francis Ford Coppola. He was also featured in "Double Jeopardy"; Richard Donner's "Maverick," starring Mel Gibson; and Francine McDugall's short film "The Date," which won Best Short and the Sundance Film Festival. On television, Johnson has guest starred on the series "Walker, Texas Ranger," "JAG," "Clueless," "Diagnosis Murder," "Babylon 5," and "Sunset Beach." On stage Johnson has been a guest performer and trained with the famous Groundings comedy troupe in Los Angeles and won rave reviews for his performances in "The Country Club," an award-winning stage production at L.A.'s Mojo Theater.

When not working, Johnson enjoys flying airplanes; surfing; mountain biking; kickboxing, which he studies with world champion kickboxer Billy Blanks; and playing football, skiing, soccer and basketball.

TEAM CAPTAIN.
I grew up at the base of the Wasatch mountain rage in Utah, where I started to hike, horseback ride, ski and canoe at the age of 7. My father and uncles would take me on week long canoe trips in Yellowstone National Park where I learned to love bad conditions. We would paddle to the most remote part of the park where we would not see another soul for days at a time. I still vividly remember one lake crossing with my crazy Uncle Steve. The waves were filling our canoe with water even though we were hitting them at a 30 degree angle. Two of us paddled and the third person bailed water. My uncle would keep yelling "bail or die, bail or die". This was all good fun for us. We made many trips in severe weather and in the middle of night.

For my Father the best day to go horseback riding or hunting was when it was a blizzard and there was a foot of new snow. He and I would spend many stormy days in the high mountains of Utah enjoying ourselves. All these experiences added to my love for outdoor adventures.

As a teenager I played baseball, football, tennis and raced bicycles on a national level where I placed 4th in the Colorado Nationals. My interests then turned back to the mountains when I started to climb and mountaineer with my brother Greg. He and I have climbed extensively in the Teton and Wasatch mountain ranges. We have made ascents in the dead of winter, as well as spring, summer and fall. I served as an officer in the Serac Mountaineering Club, where I taught Alpine and Mountaineering skills. I led several mountaineering trips including one on Mount Rainier where all seven of us summitted on a week where the success rate was less than 20 percent.

Little did I know that my outdoor activities were laying a good foundation for my new found passion, Adventure Racing (sometimes called Expedition Racing). From the first time I saw the Eco-Challenge race on the Discovery Channel in 1998, I knew I had to do it. Everything that I loved was combined into this great adventure where you got to compete with other international teams of people as crazy as yourself. Since then I have worked to fulfill my dream. In October of 2001 I will get that chance!!! My teammates and I will be racing in the Eco-Challenge New Zealand Expedition Race. With New Zealand's incredible mountains and harsh weather it will be the perfect race for us!

My strongest disciplines are mountaineering, mountain biking and "full conditions". Storms and severe weather seem to energize me. The more it storms, the bigger my smile gets. I am currently a part owner and manager of two businesses, one being ARGEAR.com.

Highlights of some of my outdoor adventures:

• 03/02 Adventure Xstream Moab, 4th place, 3 person division.
• 09/01 Eco-Challenge New Zealand, 22nd place.
• 08/01 Salomon X-Adventure Park City, 26 place.
• 03/01 Adventure Xstream Moab, 2nd place, 4 person division.
• 03/01 A Wasatch Adventure Race, 6th place.
• 02/00 El Pico de Orizaba (18,406 ft), third highest peak in North America.
• 05/99 Mount Whitney (14,495 ft), highest peak in the continental USA.
• 06/98 Mount Rainier (14,411 ft), over 10,000 feet vertical gain.

Info from Meridian Magazine (http://ldsmag.com/arts/020925yemen.html):

Peter Johnson is the screenwriter and director of the first ever epic dramatic motion picture on the Book of Mormon, "A Voice from the Dust: Journey to the Promised Land." Peter, Steve DeVore (executive producer), Brent Hall (Director of Operations FARMS), Kent Brown (Professor of Ancient Scripture BYU), and a LDS film crew were in Yemen on September 11, 2001 filming a a documentary for FARMS on Lehi's journey through the Arabian desert and doing location scouting for the motion picture. In this intriguing and insightful article Peter gives a first-hand account of his personal "journey" through both the land of Lehi and Al-Qaeda.

I did my undergraduate work in Idaho, have an MFA in Theatre Directing from Ohio University (Hello Marianne) and a Ph.D. in Speech Communication and Theatre (strange I know, but that's the way it came out) from Southern Illinois University, where Thom's late mentor and friend Max Golightly and I were doctoral students together (He went back to Utah for personal reasons before finishing his degree). My dissertation was a literal translation, then a theatrical adaptation of the Finnish Classical Play Nummisuutarit... The adaptation has been performed at various Universities, including one performance directed by myself at Georgia Southern University (Where I now teach). I spent a year on a Fullbright Hayes Grant in Helsinki working at the Aleksis Kivi Library and the National Theatre while working on the dissertation. I have written three other full length plays two of which have produced a couple of times.

I began as an actor. When I went out into the real world I discovered that I was a good actor, but that there were many who were better. I began directing plays when I began, against all my better instincts to teach high school. As a high school teacher I discovered that I am an exceptional director and that I truly love teaching. I have been fortunate, since that time to get up almost every morning since that time and rejoice that someone would pay me for having as much fun as I do every day. I have directed more than one hundred plays in college, community, church, high school, outdoor drama and professional stock theatres. I have designed and lit a bunch more (under protest)...

I am married to the former Janet Peck... and we have six children, one of whom was adopted. We've been married 38 good years and have six children... I was a missionary for 33 months in Finland at a time when many things were allowed that are not allowed now. (A fact for which I am absurdly grateful). I have served in eight branch presidencies and have been a branch president three times (including once in Finland) Janet and I managed to raise our children without ever living in a Ward from 1960 to 1996...

I am also a puppeteer, doing and teaching many different styles of puppetry. I write a lot of puppet scripts for my own use (At least they are ALWAYS performed)... Most of my writing, other than playwriting, has been in the form of book reviews, professional articles, play reviews etc. Most of the commercial writing that has been sold has been in the forms of semi-fictitious adventures from my childhood.

Raymond Fisher Jones, age 78, died January 24, 1994, in Sandy, Utah.

Born Nov. 17, 1915, in Salt Lake City, a son of David F. Jones and Josephine Anderson. He attended the University of Utah. He served as an LDS missionary in Galveston, Texas mission. Married Elaine Kimball, June 27, 1940 in the Salt Lake Temple. She died July 23, 1970. Married Lillian Wats May 2, 1973.

Ray worked for the Weather Bureau and the Genealogical Society for many years. He was active in genealogy work his entire life. He retired from Sperry Utah as a publications engineer after 15 years. He was a well known writer of science, fact and fiction, both as a profession and a hobby. He sold his first story to a magazine at the age of 17. He published over 15 books and hundreds of magazine articles. One of his first books, This Island Earth, was made into a motion picture and was one of the earliest science fiction movies ever made.

Survived by his five children: David (Darla), Richard (Shirley), Laura Miller (Lee), Mary Gardner (Joe), Peggy Lovell (David), all of Salt Lake City; 18 grandchildren; his wife, Lillian and her five children, Jeff, Claudia, Laye Lynn, David, DeLyle, and two sisters-in-law, Lenore Nitsch; Joyce Hancock (Leonard). Preceded in death by grandson, Rayan Kimball Jones.

Funeral services will be Thursday, January 27, 11 a.m. at Winder Sixth Ward Chapel, 4366 So. 1500 East, Holladay. Friends may call Wednesday 6-8 p.m. at Jenkins Soffe Mortuary, 4760 So. State, Murray and 10-10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church. Interment, Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Steve Jones is the personification of the PBS slogan: "Stay Curious." He drives his family to distraction with story problems he creates and he laces his conversation with song lyrics, movie quotes, and lines from TV commercials. He loves to hike, read, write, and he thinks of Family History as detective work. He has changed his career every twelve years or so. He spent twelve years in the classroom as a seminary teacher. He served another twelve years as an instructional designer for Seminaries and Institutes -- as a script writer, lyric writer, lesson developer, and, for the past seven years, he has been a video producer for the Audiovisual Department of the Church.

As a screenwriter and a lyricist, He participated in such projects as Hold to the Rod, a series of videos designed to motivate students to study the scriptures and understand more of what they read. He helped to write seminary videos and song lyrics. As a video producer he is currently involved developing video segments for the Church's online website.

A life-long crusade for Steve has been to help individuals and families read, understand, and apply the scriptures in their lives. He feels about teaching the scriptures the way that Johnny Appleseed felt about planting apple trees. The scriptures have blessed his life so richly that he wants to share them with anyone who has a listening ear.

"Although the Lord, my wife, and the scriptures have been the primary sources of growth in my life," Steve says, "I have also been greatly influenced by C.S. Lewis, Robert Frost, and classic movies."

Steve only occasionally watches a movie just to be entertained. He wants to be taught and lifted by them. Over the past twenty years he has compiled a list of movies that persuade us to do good. The list contains nearly two hundred movie classics which teach as they entertain.

Steve and his wife, Ann, have six children and nine grand children.

Rick Josephsen concluded his 10th and final year as technical and special effects director for the pageant. Brother Josephsen, who oversees the special effects for the television shows, "Touched By An Angel" and "Promised Land" as well as for the movie, "Earthquake," is responsible for the "wonders of the pageant." The special effects include spewing volcanoes and fireballs, explosions, lightning, thundering earthquakes, and the prophet Abinadi being "burned at the stake." Brother Josephsen had been with the production since the pageant underwent major changes in 1988.

Born in Layton, Utah Sept. 13, 1955 to Lynn Blanch Judkins and Mary Isabelle (Mary Belle) Simmons Judkins. He died May 29, 2002 from injuries sustained in a traffic accident.

Billy attended Layton and Davis High Schools, Weber and Utah State Universities. He went to Lamar Community College in Lamar, Colorado on a rodeo scholarship, and was a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association, filling his rodeo permit at age 16.

Billy served a two-year mission in Ireland for the LDS Church. He was a member of the Screen Actors Guild since 1985. He loved his work as a professional stuntman, appearing in over 200 movies and commercials and was an inductee into the Stuntman's Hall of Fame. He involved his family members in stunt work, and enjoyed teaching and sharing his experience with them and his associates. Surviving are his father, Lynn Judkins, brothers, Val (Kerry), Clint (Tamara), sister, Mae Jae (Rick) Storrs, wife Terri Sue, children, Cody, Christopher, Charity Ann and Katrina, stepchildren, Jason and Lacey, and grandson, Dylan.

Aaron Justesen is the Vice President of the Utah Filmmakers Association. He is an Eagle Scout. He enjoys acting, and recently portrayed John Taylor in the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, Utah. He is currently attending Snow College. Eventually, he would like to get a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Communication.

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