The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico
![]() The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico | |
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Membership | 1,481,530 (2019)[1] |
Stakes | 222 |
Districts | 47 |
Wards | 1,356 |
Branches | 487 |
Total Congregations | 1,843 |
Missions | 32 |
Temples | 13 operating, 1 under construction, and 2 Announced |
Family History Centers | 278[2] |
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico describes the history and information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Mexico. The country of Mexico has the largest body of LDS Church members outside the United States. The LDS Church reported 1,455,774 members at the end of 2018. In the 2010 census, 314,932 individuals reported belonging to the LDS Church.[3]
History[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Colonia-diaz-group.gif/250px-Colonia-diaz-group.gif)
Year | Members |
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1911 | 1,000 |
1920 | 2,314 |
1930 | 4,773 |
1940 | 4,196 |
1950 | 5,915 |
1960 | 12,695 |
1970 | 67,965 |
1979 | 231,266 |
1989* | 570,000 |
1999 | 846,931 |
2009 | 1,158,236 |
2019 | 1,481,530 |
*Membership was published as an estimate or rounded number. Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Mexico[1] |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/La_Iglesia_de_Jesucristo_de_los_Santos_en_los_%C3%9Altimos_D%C3%ADas.jpg/250px-La_Iglesia_de_Jesucristo_de_los_Santos_en_los_%C3%9Altimos_D%C3%ADas.jpg)
The LDS Church's first missionaries entered Mexico in 1874. This was shortly after Daniel W. Jones and Meliton Trejo had begun to translate the Book of Mormon into Spanish. The first missionaries did not perform any baptisms. In 1876, church president Brigham Young sent additional missionaries to Mexico and instructed them to contact and preach to the Yaqui Indians. The group of missionaries conisted of Helaman Pratt, Meliton Trejo Gonzalez, Louis Garff, George Terry, James Z. Stewart, and his brother Isaac. Pratt, Terry, and Garff found success in Hermosillo and on May 20, 1877 baptized Jose Epifanio Jesus, with Jose Severo Rodriguez, Maria de la Cruz Pasos, Cruz Parra, and Jose Vicente Parra all baptized a few days later, May 24. These were the first baptisms in Mexico.[4] Later in 1879, more missionary efforts were started in Mexico City. The first person baptized a member of the LDS Church in that city was Plotino Rhodakanaty. In 1880, Desideria Quintanar de Yáñez became the first woman in Mexico City to join the church. Missionary work in central Mexico continued until 1889 when it was halted for a time.
In 1885, a group of Latter-day Saints from the Utah and Arizona territories settled in the state of Chihuahua. They were fleeing the U.S. federal government's prosecution of Mormon polygamists. These Latter-day Saints eventually founded the settlements of Colonia Juárez, Colonia Dublán, four more in Chihuahua, and two in the state of Sonora.
In 1901, the Mexican Mission of the church was re-established with Ammon M. Tenney as president. In 1910, Rey L. Pratt became president. By 1912, Pratt was forced to leave Mexico City but he was able to put most of the branches in Central Mexico under the leadership of local members. Among these was Rafael Monroy.
Most of the Mormon colonists left in 1912 due to rising violence,[5] but many were able to return in later years. Pratt remained as mission president until his death, also establishing missionary work among the Spanish-speaking populations in the Southwestern United States.
In 1936, a group of people called the Third Convention, influenced by the spirit of the Mexican Revolution, called for a Mexican to serve as president of the church's mission in Mexico. The tactics of this group led to the excommunication of its members. In 1946, church president George Albert Smith visited Mexico and was able to establish a reconciliation with most of the members of the Third Convention and the vast majority of this group were brought back into the church.
In 1956, the Mexican Mission was divided for the first time, with the Northern Mexican Mission being organized. From this time forward the church focused on setting up the structure to organize stakes. In 1959, the church established a network of schools outside of Colonia Juárez. The longest lasting of these, the preparatory school Benemérito, was established in 1963 in Mexico City and taught students until 2013.
The first Spanish-speaking stake in Mexico was organized in Mexico City in 1961. In 1966, Agricol Lozano became the first indigenous Mexican to serve as a stake president. In 1970, the Monterrey Stake (now Monterrey Mexico Mitras Stake) was organized with Guillermo G. Garza as president. This was the first stake in Mexico outside of the Mormon colonies and the Mexico City area.
In 2020, the LDS Church canceled services and other public gatherings indefinitely in response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.[6]
Missions[]
A private high school operated by the LDS Church in Mexico City, known as Benemerito De Las Americas,[7] was permanently closed at the end of the 2012–2013 term, and the Mexico City Missionary Training Center (MTC) was relocated here, opening June 26, 2013. This greatly expanded the capacity of the Mexico City MTC, such that it is second in size only to the MTC in Provo, Utah. The old building near the Mexico City Mexico Temple could only accommodate 125 missionaries at a time, but the new 90-acre campus can handle over 1,000.[8][9][10] The following is a list of missions in Mexico:[citation needed]
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- a Mexico Leon Mission announced to be renamed to Mexico Aguascalientes Mission in July 2013.[11]
- b Announced to be created July 2013.[11]
Temples[]
![The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico is located in Mexico](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Mexico_States_blank_map.svg/400px-Mexico_States_blank_map.svg.png)
Red = Operating
Blue = Under Construction
Yellow = Announced
Black = Closed for Renovations
The Mexico City Mexico Temple was the first LDS Church temple in Mexico; it was dedicated in 1983 and was rededicated after renovation in 2008.
From 1999 to 2002 an additional 11 temples were dedicated in Mexico. This comes after historic June 29, 1993, when the Mexican government formally registered the LDS Church, allowing it to own property.[12]
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26. Mexico City Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Mexico City, Mexico | ||
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55. Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico | ||
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71. Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico | ||
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72. Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico | ||
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74. Oaxaca Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Oaxaca City, Mexico | ||
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75. Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico | ||
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83. Tampico Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico | ||
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85. Villahermosa Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico | ||
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92. Mérida Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico | ||
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93. Veracruz Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Boca del Río, Veracruz, Mexico | ||
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105. Guadalajara Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico | ||
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110. Monterrey Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico | ||
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149. Tijuana Mexico Temple | ||
Location: |
Tijuana, Mexico | ||
182. Puebla Mexico (Under Construction) | |||
Location: |
Puebla, Mexico | ||
250. Querétaro México (Announced) | |||
Location: |
Querétaro, México | ||
251. Torreón México (Announced) | |||
Location: |
Torreón, Mexico |
Significant members from Mexico[]
- Margarito Bautista, a genealogical missionary from San Miguel de Atlautla, Mexico State and the first branch president of the Temporary Lamanite Branch (later Lucero Ward) in Salt Lake City, Utah.[25][26]
- Benjamin de Hoyos, a General Authority Seventy from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon.
- Agricol Lozano, the first Latino stake president in Mexico and a president of the Mexico City Mexico Temple from Tula, Hidalgo.[27]
- Carl B. Pratt, a General Authority Seventy born in Monterrey, Mexico.
- Octaviano Tenorio, a General Authority Seventy from Tilapan, Veracruz.
See also[]
- Mexicans of American descent
- Mormon colonies in Mexico
- Mormon Corridor
- Religion in Mexico
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints membership statistics
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Mexico", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 13 April 2021
- ^ Category: Mexico Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved 16 June 2021
- ^ "Panorama de las religiones en México 2010" (PDF) (in Spanish). INEGI. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ^ Museo Mormonismo (Aug 3, 2002), Early missionary journey to Sonora, Deseret News, retrieved 2021-04-11
- ^ Rentería, Ramón (2012-07-28), "100th anniversary of arrival of Mormon refugees in El Paso celebrated Saturday", El Paso Times
- ^ Lovett, Ian. "Mormon Church Cancels Services World-Wide Amid Coronavirus Crisis", The Wall Street Journal, 12 March 2020. Retrieved on 31 March 2020.
- ^ Juarez Rubio, Tarcisio R. (November 27, 1999), "Benemerito! Church's vanguard school in Mexico", Church News
- ^ Walker, Joseph (January 30, 2013), "Missionary surge prompts LDS Church to open new MTC in Mexico", Deseret News
- ^ Walker, Joseph (June 26, 2013), "First LDS missionaries arrive for training at Mexico City MTC", Deseret News
- ^ "Mexico MTC Opens to Train Hundreds of Missionaries", MormonNewsroom.org (News Story), LDS Church, June 26, 2013
- ^ Jump up to: a b New mission presidents by area for 2013
- ^ LDS Newsroom (Statistical Information)
- ^ Mexico City Mexico Temple, LDSChurchTemples.com, retrieved 2012-10-07
- ^ Jump up to: a b "México City México Temple", churchofjesuschrist.org, LDS Church, retrieved 2012-10-07
- ^ "Mexico City Temple Opens Its Doors to the Public", Newsroom (News Story), LDS Church, 2008-10-16, retrieved 2012-10-07
- ^ "Late 2015 Opening for New Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2015-03-13
- ^ "Mexico City Temple Is Rededicated", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2015-09-13
- ^ After being closed again for renovation in 2014, a rededication took place on Sunday, 13 September 2015.
- ^ Taylor, Scott (October 2, 2010), "President Thomas S. Monson opens conference by announcing 5 new temples", Deseret News, retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "Se efectúa la palada inicial del Templo de Tijuana", Sala de Prensa: México (Noticia [News Release]) (in Spanish), LDS Church, August 20, 2012, retrieved 2012-11-11
- ^ "Late 2015 Opening for New Temples", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2015-03-13
- ^ "Twelve Temples Announced as October 2018 General Conference Closes: Number of temples operating, announced or under construction now above 200", Newsroom, LDS Church, 7 October 2018
- ^ LDS Church announces plans to build 12 new temples worldwide, pioneer generation temples will be renovated, KSTU Fox 13, 7 October 2018
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Prophet Announces Twenty New Temples at April 2021 General Conference", Newsroom, LDS Church, 4 April 2021
- ^ Dormady, Jason (2011). Primitive Revolution: Restorationist Religion and the Idea of the Mexican Revolution, 1940–1968. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 9780826349521.
- ^ Pulido, Elisa. "Mormonism in Mexico". The Mormonism and Migration Project. Claremont Graduate University. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ "Agricol Lozano Herrera: Mexican Mormon Church Leader". Mitt Romney Mormon. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2021.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
Further reading[]
- Bridgemon, Rondal R. "Mennonites and Mormons in Northern Chihuahua, Mexico." Journal of the Southwest 54.1 (2012): 71–77.
- Dormady, Jason H., and Jared M. Tamez, eds. Just South of Zion: The Mormons in Mexico and Its Borderlands. University of New Mexico Press, 2015.
- Hardy, B. Carmon. "The trek south: How the Mormons went to Mexico." The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 73.1 (1969): 1-16.
- Hardy, B. Carmon. "Cultural" Encystment" as a Cause of the Mormon Exodus from Mexico in 1912." Pacific Historical Review 34.4 (1965): 439-454.
- Janzen, Rebecca. Liminal Sovereignty: Mennonites and Mormons in Mexican Culture. SUNY Press, 2018.
- Knowlton, David Clark. "How many members are there really? Two censuses and the meaning of LDS membership in Chile and Mexico." Dialogue: A journal of Mormon thought 38.2 (2005): 53.
- Naylor, Thomas H. "The Mormons Colonize Sonora: Early Trials at Colonia Oaxaca." Arizona and the West 20.4 (1978): 325–342.
- Sally Johnson Odekirk, "Mexico Unfurled: From Struggle to Strength", Liahona, January 2014
- 2009 Deseret Morning News Church Almanac (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Morning News, 2008) pp. 413–419
- F. LaMond Tullis. Mormons in Mexico: The Dynamics of Faith and Culture. (Provo: Museo de Historia del Mormonismo en Mexico A. C., 1997)
- F. LaMond Tullis. "Mexico" in Arnold K. Garr, et al., ed. The Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000) pp. 741–743.
- Tullis, LaMond. "Tzotzil-Speaking Mormon Maya in Chiapas, Mexico." Journal of Mormon History 43.2 (2017): 189–216.
- Robinson, Shirley Taylor (1992), "Mexico, Pioneer Settlements in", in Ludlow, Daniel H (ed.), Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New York: Macmillan Publishing, pp. 895–897, ISBN 0-02-879602-0, OCLC 24502140.
- Rubalcava, Boanerges (1992), "Mexico and Central America, The Church in", in Ludlow, Daniel H (ed.), Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New York: Macmillan Publishing, pp. 897–902, ISBN 0-02-879602-0, OCLC 24502140.
External links[]
- Newsroom (Mexico) - Facts and Statistics
- LDS Newsroom (Mexico) - News and Information
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Official Site for Mexico (Español)
- ComeUntoChrist.org Latter-day Saints Visitor site
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico