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Taking the Gospel to the Lamanites: Doctrinal Foundations for Establishing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Mexico

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Taking the Gospel to the Lamanites: Doctrinal Foundations for Establishing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Mexico Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2011-08-05 Taking the Gospel to the Lamanites: Doctrinal Foundations for Establishing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico Matthew G. Geilman Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the History of Christianity Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Geilman, Matthew G., "Taking the Gospel to the Lamanites: Doctrinal Foundations for Establishing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico" (2011). Theses and Dissertations. 3071. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3071 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Taking the Gospel to the Lamanites: Doctrinal Foundations for Establishing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico Matthew G. Geilman A thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts D. Kelly Ogden, Chair Richard O. Cowan Mark L. Grover Department of Religion Brigham Young University August 2011 Copyright © 2011 Matthew G. Geilman All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Taking the Gospel to the Lamanites: Doctrinal Foundations for Establishing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico Matthew G. Geilman Department of Religion, BYU Master of Arts This thesis is a study about the influence of the Book of Mormon message to the Lamanites upon the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico, primarily focusing upon the years 1875-1950. Several important events, people, and publications from the first seventy-five years of the Church‘s history in Mexico are evaluated as historical case studies in order to examine the extent to which the message to the Lamanites influenced the beginnings of the Latter-day Saints there. These case studies include the first mission to Mexico in 1875, early publications in Spanish, the dedication of Mexico by Apostle Moses Thatcher, the presidency of Rey L. Pratt, and the Third Convention. Though this thesis provides pertinent historical background and details, as well as analysis of key primary sources and documents, its main purpose and contribution is its focus on the theme of the Lamanites, within the context of early Latter-day Saint history in Mexico. Keywords: Mexico, Lamanites, Book of Mormon, Moses Thatcher, Rey L. Pratt, missionary work AKNOWLEDGMENTS I express my gratitude to the many people who have supported, encouraged, and counseled me as I have both researched and written this thesis. I thank the professors in my graduate program who have guided and counseled me along the way, as well as the members of my dedicated committee who have not only been a pleasure to work with, but have been true mentors to me, providing valuable guidance, prompt feedback, and giving of their time and energies in my behalf. I thank them with love and kind regards. Most importantly, I thank my wife Lindsay for her loving support, giving me time to complete this thesis, as well as personally reading each page and chapter as I have written them. She has been a true friend, partner, and participant in this process. I express my love and gratitude to her. I also thank my four children—Owen, Emerson, Elizabeth, and Amelia. They have given up their dad many Saturday mornings and patiently waited on numerous occasions to go out and play with me. They have been a constant motivation for me in my studies and I love each of them deeply. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................1 First Mission to the Lamanites ...........................................................................2 Looking Southward ............................................................................................4 Purpose of this Thesis ........................................................................................5 2. THE BOOK OF MORMON MESSAGE TO THE LAMANITES ...............................8 Scripturally Defining Lamanites ........................................................................8 A Remnant of Israel .........................................................................................13 A Righteous Branch of Joseph .........................................................................15 Gathered and Brought Back to Christ ..............................................................19 3. THE FIRST LATTER-DAY SAINT MISSION TO MEXICO ..................................27 Beginnings of the Mission ...............................................................................28 Surveying the Land for Colonization ...............................................................30 Preaching the Gospel to the Lamanites ............................................................34 4. THE BOOK OF MORMON AND OTHER EARLY CHURCH PUBLICATIONS IN SPANISH: A REFLECTION OF DOCTRINAL EMPHASIS ..................................................................................................................47 First Latter-day Saint Publication in Spanish ..................................................47 Preparing for Mexico .......................................................................................52 Contents of Trozos Selectos del Libro de Mormón ..........................................54 Analysis of Content..........................................................................................57 Title Page, Testimony of Witnesses, and Editor‘s Note ...................60 The First Book of Nephi ...................................................................62 The Second Book of Nephi ...............................................................63 The Book of Omni ............................................................................65 The Book of Nephi (Grandson of Helaman).....................................66 Mormon.............................................................................................67 Ordinances and History of the Church..............................................68 Distribution of Trozos Selectos ........................................................................68 iv Other Early Publications in Spanish ...............................................................69 A Voice of Warning ...........................................................................70 Complete Spanish Translation of the Book of Mormon ...................73 5. DEDICATING THE LAND: AN APOSTLE IN MEXICO CITY .............................75 Plotino Rhodakanaty ........................................................................................77 Influence of Trozos Selectos on Another Early Contact ..................................86 Impressions of Mexico .....................................................................................89 Publications by Moses Thatcher while in Mexico ...........................................95 The First Dedication of Mexico: Hotel Iturbide ..............................................99 Interim Back in Utah ......................................................................................104 The Second Dedication of Mexico: Mount Popocatépetl ..............................108 6. THE FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: THEME OF THE LAMANITES CONTINUED .....................................................................120 The Presidency of Rey L. Pratt ......................................................................120 General Conference Addresses .......................................................124 Publications .....................................................................................129 Influence of President Pratt‘s Views...............................................134 The Third Convention ....................................................................................136 La Evolución de México: Sus Verdaderos Progenitores y su Origen ................................................................139 7. CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................................150 Brief Overview...............................................................................................150 Since the Mid-Twentieth Century ..................................................................154 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................161 v Chapter 1 Introduction In 1996, while addressing the full-time missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Veracruz, Mexico, President Gordon B. Hinckley remarked, ―Each of you is a part of the miracle that is Mormonism in Mexico. Never forget it. Never forget it.‖1 The Church has experienced phenomenal growth in Mexico, with membership exceeding one million.2 The growth, however, becomes even more significant when taken in the context of the beginnings of the Church there. As noted in the Ensign, one of the Church‘s official magazines, ―many members bear testimony that the growth has come as fulfillment of prophecy or in answer to the prayers of the righteous.‖3 The story of the Latter-day Saints in Mexico is one that is rich, not only in history, but in scriptural
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