Early Latter-day Saints in Mexico faced many struggles as they accepted their new religion as members of Mormonism around the world. They persevered with faith and overcame, showing resilience and strength in the process. Yet, conflicts led to the creation of a schismatic movement called the Third Convention during the 1930s. In this interview, Fernando R. Gomez discusses the early history of the Church in Mexico, the three conventions of the 1930s, and the reunification of the Third Convention with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Read more about the history of Mormonism in Mexico in A Documentary History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico: 1875 – 1946
What led to Fernando R. Gomez’s research on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico?
In the late 1980’s I came across a book titled Mormons in Mexico by F. LaMond Tullis. As I read it, I became disappointed when I got to chapter 5 and got to a picture that was labeled “Figure 14 Mexican mission leaders, ca. 1947“, which showed President Arwell L. Pierce and six Mexican Priesthood brethren. Those sitting were identified by the author, but the three standing were not. One of them was my father, Raymundo G. Gomez (I knew the names of the other two).
I also felt, the activity of the local Mexican membership during the so-called Conventions period lacked primary sources.
In 1975, my professional career took me to the Philippine Islands. In 1985, I was called by the church to serve as a Regional Representative—a calling that lasted five years. In 1990, Elder Dallin H. Oaks released me and asked me to prepare for another assignment. Elder Jacob de Jager, the Philippines Area President, told me in my exit interview to first return to Mexico before accepting another mission. My wife and I did not understand why.
As I read the scriptures, I found the answer.
Behold there shall be a record kept among you…
Doctrine and Covenants Section 21:1
Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.
For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good, they shall in nowise lose their reward.
Doctrine and Covenants Section 58: 27 & 28.
It was as if the scriptures were speaking to me personally, saying “Fernando, you must
…travel many times from place to place, and from church to church, that [you]
Doctrine and Covenants Section 69: 7 & 8.wemay more easily obtain knowledge – preaching and expounding, writing, copying, selecting, and obtaining all things which shall be for the good of the church, and for the rising generations that shall grow up on the land of Zion, to possess it from generation to generation, forever and ever. Amen
Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward.
Doctrine and Covenants Section 136: 27.
After reading the scriptures with much meditation and prayer, my wife and I flew to Mexico City not knowing where or why we were there, but miracles started to happen.
The so-called Conventions were nothing more than priesthood meetings.
We drove to Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico, where my father was born and an unexpected incident led as to our cousin Pablo. He gave us several historical items belonging to my father and contacted my cousin, Raymundo, who lived in Mexico City. He then arranged for a family reunion the following weekend which produced the collection of my Aunt Consuelo that led to the formation of the Museum of Mormon Mexican History.
Without any understanding of what we were going to do, in 1992 we purchased a building across the street from the Mexico City Temple and set out to learn the art of museology.
What is the cradle of the Church in Mexico?
The cradle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico is located in the volcanic region of El Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl volcanos. Many small villages dot the countryside and are populated by native dwellers who work the rich fertile land. Early Latter-day Saint missionaries found success there that laid the foundation of the Restored Gospel in Mexico.
What are some of the challenges that Latter-day Saints faced in Mexico?
Here were some of the major challenges they faced:
- The Mexican Revolution of 1910
- The Cristero war (a religious conflict)
- Distance from Mexico City to Salt Lake City
- Isolation from Church Headquarters
- Lack of resources such as scriptures in Spanish and hymnbooks
- Lack of missionaries and funds to support the mission
- Lack of adequate meeting sites
How did members respond when Anglo-American leadership repeatedly retreated?
Mexican Saints developed a system of funds called Tostones to build houses of prayer (church buildings) and other necessities. They also held two so-called conventions in the 1930’s in order to meet the demands of the growth they were experiencing.
Why was Rey L. Pratt significant to the Church in Mexico?
Rey Lucero Pratt was the grandson of Parley P. Pratt and son of Helaman Pratt. Rey grew up in Colonia Dublán, where he learned the Spanish language and learned to love the Mexican people and culture. He gave continuous assistance despite the many challenges he faced. His yearly marathon travels to the Mexican Saints and his charisma helped the local Saints develop faith and testimony.
What were the First and Second Conventions?
The so-called conventions were nothing more than priesthood meetings assembled to discuss the problems and needs of the local priesthood brethren.
In my book you will find the complete minutes of the Second Convention. It also confirms the dates of the two conventions. It documents the many problems the Mexican Saints were experiencing and how they were solving their needs.
Why does your account of the First and Second Conventions differ from previous histories?
My account is based on a written document recorded on the date it was held and does not petition or demand that a Mexican be called to preside over the work of the gospel in Mexico.
Historians and writers have used oral interviews to create a distorted history of the Mexican Saints. The First and Second Conventions were held under the leadership of Isaías Juárez, who was in charge of the work in central Mexico and thus was able call these two meetings of the local leaders.
What do the records of the Conventions say about Latter-day Saints in Mexico?
The Second Convention shows the dedication of those early Mexican members.
In 1921, when missionary work resumed in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, Rey L. Pratt recorded that
In the afternoon we went to Tlalpan where we visited for a short time with most of the members of that branch. Found President Agustin Haro and a number of the brethren working on a new meeting house and a very fine building. It is being built in the little town of San Pedro de los Martires which was destroyed by the Zapatistas and to which the people are now returning, but our faithful Saints are building first a place of worship, contenting themselves to live in makeshift shelters till the work is finished.
A Documentary History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico: 1875 – 1946, 47–48
The record of the Second Convention in 1934 records the testimonies of local Mexican leaders in the Church:
We have already been able to agree on some things for our benefit although everything was in a very small way. Although here in the branch we have given, this has only been what we have been able to give for the Church according to our efforts. I wish everyone to be future presidents So we must all work in the Lord’s work.[1] We must be active etc. etc. Make prayers in general and continue until the end of our life. These are the blessings that I ask upon each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Isaías Juárez
We have heard an exhortation and advice. “Be doers and not just hearers” – Each president must examine himself like this. The authority of the Sacred Priesthood is of great use to the Mexican Mission. You have to be active in all the membership requirements. If we do not discard every stain, it will not benefit us at all with the conventions that we carry out. You have to take everything well at all times with chastity and honesty. A responsibility weighs on each one of us because everything will be taken into account after this life. Not only do we think that when we are together it is when we think about our duties but continuously during our lives.
Abel Paez
The minutes of the so-called Second Convention has many other notes the spirit and testimony of those village dwellers.
Who was Margarito Bautista and what was his role in the schism?
Margarito Bautista was a member originally from Mexico, who spent several years in the Colonies and in Utah, often running into problems with various Church leaders, including when he went to publish his book, La evolución de Mexico: sus verdaderos progenitores y su origen: el destino de America y Europa.
In 1935, Bautista went back to Mexico and utilized and took advantage of the Mexican leader’s fervent yet delicate desire for the Church to grow and decided to organize the Third Convention.
What was the Third Convention?
The Third Convention was a schism in the Church in Mexico that was the total responsibility of Margarito Bautista.
In 1935, when he returned to Mexico, he had been absent from Mexico for more than ten years. He had no specific calling or authority in Mexico. He took advantage of the lack of support from Church Headquarters and the mission president. Two letters sent by an Anglo member, Martin Franklin Sanders, and the lack of action by Salt Lake City to resolve some of the pressing problems, allowed Bautista to mobilize the Mexican Saints, leading to the Third Convention.
What led the convencionistas to reunite with the Church?
Arwell L. Pierce was called as Mission President in 1942, with the strict focus being on trying to repair relations with the Mexican Saints. After four years of working to gain the trust of the leaders of the local members, they were able to hold a historic conference with both sides of the schism, and Pierce had convinced the Church that it was necessary for the Prophet, Jorge Alberto Smith, to come down and attend as well, in order to close this negative chapter in Mexican Church history.
Do you remember the May 1946 reunification conference?
I was too young—only six-years-old—to give you any recollection. However, I included my mother’s memories of the reunification conferences in my book:
The Choir was made up of humble sisters, almost the majority with the typical shawl, the brethren in their white customary dress. The long-awaited day arrived! With great interest, faith and other feelings that overwhelmed us, we would finally meet in the Ermita Chapel where the Prophet, the representative of the Lord would arrive.
On May 26, 1946, very early in the morning, better said at dawn, those of us who came from far away, left to arrive on time for the conference. In doing so, the organizers placed the children on both sides of the entrance, making a walkway, through which the Prophet would pass into the chapel. When starting his way, the choir with all the emotion of that act, began to sing hymn no. 178 We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet… and there, a little distance from us, the prophet passed, on some of the children he put his hand on their shoulders and smiled at us as he walked by with the other authorities to the platform… but the choir sang with great dedication and discipline, great faith and love, as they were… singing to the Prophet of the Lord, George Albert Smith. An event and history never to be forgotten.
A Documentary History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico, 1875-1946, 117–118.
What do hope people take away from your book?
A more complete and honest history of the struggles that these early Mexican Saints endured to help men like Ammon Tenney, Rey Lucero Pratt, Arwell L. Pierce, and others to establish the firm foundation of Christ’s Church in Mexico.
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About the Interview Participant
Fernando R. Gomez is the founder of the Mormon Mexican Museum. He is also the author of multiple books about the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico, including A Documentary History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico: 1875 – 1946, Joseph Smith, Jr.: His Influence in the Mexican Press of the XIX Century and From Darkness to Light: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Lamanite Conventions. While in the Philippines for his professional career in electrical engineering, he was called to serve as a Regional Representative from 1985 to 1990. He and his wife later presided over the Mexico Merida Mission (1992-1995), the Missionary Training Center in Santiago, Chile (1998-2000), and the Merida Mexico Temple (2001-2004).
Further Reading
- Global Mormonism: Latter-day Saints Around the World
- Who Were Mexico’s Latter-day Saint Pioneers?
- Who Was the First Native Mexican Missionary?
- How Did the Mexican Church Grow in Saints 3?
- Who Was Eduardo Balderas?
Latter-day Saints in Mexico Resources
- A Documentary History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico: 1875 – 1946 (BCC Press)
- From Darkness to Light: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Lamanite Conventions (El Museo de Mormonismo en Mexico, A. C.)
- The Spiritual Evolution of Margarito Bautista: Mexican Mormon Evangelizer, Polygamist Dissident, and Utopian Founder, 1878-1961 (Oxford University Press)
- Mexico: Facts and Statistics (Church Newsroom)
- Mormonism in Mexico (Claremont Graduate University)
- The Mexican Mission Hymns Project (Times and Seasons)
Footnotes
[1] With the growth and the many negative situation such as isolation, war and persecution Mexico needed men who could endure and help in the development of the Church in Mexico.
