--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Pratt, Rey L. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 31 number: 7 published: 1928-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Rey L. Pratt, “The Mexican Mission,” *Improvement Era* 31, no. 7 (May 1928): 578–581." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3107unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3107unse start_page: 578 end_page: 581 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1928-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3107unse publication_year: 1928 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1928, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Mexican Mission The Mexican Mission By President Rey L. Pratt T HE dawn of 1927 found the Mexican mission very much handicapped because of existing conditions in Mexico. The Mexican constitutional amendment of 1917 bars from active participation in ministerial work all who are not citizens of that country. This affects our whole missionary force, and has made it impossible for us to do missionary work in that land, other than by correspondence and through the local Mexican brethren who hold the Priesthood. However, for the nearly two years that these conditions have existed, the native priesthood has arisen manfully to the occasion, and the cause of the mission, while it has been retarded, has by no means gone backward, and work in most of the more than twenty branches has been kept up and new converts have been brought into the Church. Branch presidents have been faithful in their correspondence with the mission president and, through him, have received instructions in their work. Be it said, to the credit of the branch presidents and the people of their branches, that they have willingly and faithfully carried out these instructions. A pleasing and gratifying feature has been the holding of con- ferences in central Mexico, under the direction of Elders Isaias Juarez, Pelar Paez and Abel Paez. These brethren were appointed by the president of the mission to hold conferences in the districts of the mission located in central Mexico, and the presidents of the dif- ferent branches were informed as to the place of meeting and the date of the conference to be held in their district. As a result of these arrangements, successful and very well attended conferences have been held, even without the attendance of the mission president or THE MEXICAN MISSION 579 any elders from Zion, and the people have been greatly built up and strengthened in their faith. No one can state when conditions will again prevail that will make it possible for missionaries to return to Mexico; but it is gratifying to note that, even without elders from Zion, progress is made in that land. It is the accepted opinion of observers that the present controversy in Mexico between, primarily, the Govern- ment and the Catholic church cannot but result in greater religious liberty than has been enjoyed in that land, since Catholicism, as the power behind the conquest, was fastened upon the people of Mexico. The more than fifty elders and women missionaries now labor- ing in the mission are confining their labors to those sections in the border states where there are many Mexican residents. It is interesting to note that when this borderland field was opened and the headquarters of the mission established at El Paso, there were but about five Mexican converts in all that territory. This was late in November of 1918. From that date, there has been a steady growth, and the work has been established across the contin- ent from San Diego, California, to Brownsville, Texas. Hundreds of converts have been made, and thriving branches have been or- ganized in the important cities and many of the towns between these extreme points. A great deal of literature has been distributed, resulting in many new friends and investigators. To convey an idea of the number of Mexican people in the border states of our country, I will state that it is estimated there are more than 75,000 Mexican people in the city of Los Angeles alone. Many other principal border cities, such as El Paso, San Antonio, Tucson and Laredo, etc., have as large or even a larger percentage of Mexican people. From this, it will be seen that there is an opportunity for a great work among the Mexican people, even though present conditions keep us from working in the Re- public of Mexico. The work at hand is far too great for the number of missionaries available, and our prayer is that the Lord will send more laborers to this part of his vineyard. A very great blessing to the Mexican mission has been the building and dedication of the temple at Mesa, Arizona, which brings within the reach of the good Mexican Saints along the border the great blessings and privileges of this most sacred work. A thriving branch of the mission is located at Mesa, and a number of its members have availed themselves of the privileges of receiving, in the House of the Lord, their own blessings, and of laboring for the redemption of their dead. The spirit of temple work is upon the people in all parts of the mission, even those re- 580 IMPROVEMENT ERA siding in the Republic of Mexico, and much genealogy has been, and will be, gathered, that the work of redemption may be carried on for the fathers of our people in the mission. The labors of our missionaries arc to be commended in the highest terms. Their humility, initiative, and faithfulness during the past year have been very marked, and they have been greatly blessed of the Lord. While laboring in a country where the English language is spoken, but with a call to teach the gospel to a people who speak another tongue, they have so enjoyed the spirit of the work to which they are called that it has seemed no hardship to confine their labors and their studies to the Spanish-speaking portion. The Lord has richly blessed them in the acquiring of the language and enabled them fluently and ably to convey his message to the people. Prospects look bright for the future of our work in the Mexican mission. Through Joseph Smith, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been re- stored in its fulness again. His Church has again been established' on the earth and holds all the powers and enjoys all the blessings that were formerly held and enjoyed. This is the very same gospel to which the Savior referred when he said: '"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matt. 24:14.) We, then, as participants of that gospel, and members of the Church of Christ, have upon us the responsibility of preaching the gospel to "every nation, kindred, tongue and people." The Church, since its establishment, has been mindful of this duty and obligation. Its missionaries have crossed lands and seas and, without thought of remuneration, have carried the message of truth to the nations of the earth, but the work has not been consum- mated. There are still many millions of our Father's children who have not heard, to understand it, the glad message of the restored gospel. Therefore, this responsibility persists and necessitates the maintaining in the field of a force of more than two thousand men and women. What manner of men and women should they be who are dis- charging for the Church this great responsibility? They should be such as would exemplify by their every act the great teachings and truths of the gospel. They should be filled with an implicit faith in the Lord; should have a knowledge that God lives; that Jesus Christ is his Son and the Redeemer of the world. They should know that Joseph Smith was a prophet raised up of the Lord to restore to earth, in this dispensation, the everlasting gospel. They should be "not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto THE MEXICAN MISSION 581 salvation to every one that bclieveth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1 : 16.) They should go forth to labor in the Master's vineyard with a feeling of love in their hearts for all men, and a spirit of service that would transcend any selfish motive. Little thought need they give to personal blessings, benefits or honors that might accrue from their labors. These things will come if they will, in unselfishness, serve the Master and his children. Let them remember that there is no other reason for the great missionary service of the Church and their participation in it than the fact that we have the gospel of salvation, which the world does not have; and, further, the world has no means of knowing and receiving it except through our teachings and our ministry. Each should feel as Paul expressed himself: 'Tor though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (I Cor. 9:16.) Let not a missionary ever go grudgingly into the field, nor give grudging service therein. Missionaries should go forth and labor always with an implicit confidence in the authority placed over them in the mission and con- form their labors and their acts to the instructions given by that authority. They should be willing to labor diligently in that field where they are called, for the conversion of the people to whom they are sent. "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; where- fore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance! And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! Where- fore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me ! ' ' (Doc. and Cov. 18:10-17.) El Paso, Texas "Our wives: — The glory and pride of our youth, the snow-crowned queen of our old age, our hope of exaltation in this and in the world to come. Theirs is the burden of giving life to men in mortality, and the peopling of heaven with spirits. Givers of life — ever givers, never takers. With them we have full and eternal joy; with- out them, desolation." — John T. Barrett.