BYU Studies Quarterly Volume 52 Issue 4 Article 5 12-1-2013 Benemérito de las Américas: The Beginning of a Unique Church School in Mexico Barbara E. Morgan Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq Recommended Citation Morgan, Barbara E. (2013) "Benemérito de las Américas: The Beginning of a Unique Church School in Mexico," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 52 : Iss. 4 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol52/iss4/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Studies Quarterly by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. Morgan: Benemérito de las Américas: The Beginning of a Unique Church Scho Benemérito de las Américas The Beginning of a Unique Church School in Mexico Barbara E. Morgan n a bittersweet ceremony on January 29, 2013, Elder Daniel L. Johnson, Ia member of the Seventy and President of the Mexico Area, announced the transformation of Benemérito de las Américas, a Church-owned high school in Mexico City, into a missionary training center at the end of the school year.1 To the emotional students and faculty at the meet- ing, Elders Russell M. Nelson and Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve explained the urgent need to provide additional facilities for missionary training in the wake of President Thomas S. Monson’s announcement that minimum ages for missionary service were being lowered and the consequent upsurge in numbers.2 While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has owned and operated other schools, this school was unique in the expansive role it played in Mexi- can Church history.