Latter-day Saints Mark 100-Year Anniversary of First Hispanic Congregation in the Salt Lake Valley

More than 500 people gathered in Salt Lake City to mark the 100-year anniversary of the first Hispanic Latter-day Saint congregation in Utah on Friday, August 18, 2023.

A devotional and cultural event were held at the Institute of Religion of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints adjacent to the University of Utah campus. Elder Hugo E. Martinez of the Utah Area Presidency was the keynote speaker. He shared a brief history of the Salt Lake Mexican Branch.

“I’ve loved studying the history of this ward as it grew from a small group,” said Elder Martinez. “The Lord wants everybody to receive the gospel in their own language. ... Anytime we can gather and have a cultural and dance festival, along with a historic celebration, [it] just brings everyone together. And we delight in listening to the music of all the countries that are being represented by song and dance here.”

The celebration included exhibits paying tribute to the history and contributions of early Mexican Latter-day Saints who helped establish that first Hispanic congregation. Musical numbers reflected the growth of the Church in Utah, with performances from several countries including Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia.

Today there are more than 180 Spanish-speaking congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Salt Lake Valley. Each can trace its roots to the Salt Lake Mexican Branch established in May 1923. The branch, which later grew to become the Lucero Ward, initially served Mexican American Latter-day Saints who desired to worship in their native language. Meetings were held at a restaurant owned by Church member Juan Ramon Martinez.

Carlos Torres grew up attending the Salt Lake Mexican Branch in the 1950s.

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“It’s fun to reminisce,” Torres said as he looked through old photographs of early Latino Latter-day Saints, including his adoptive parents, Dolores and Rafael Torres. “It’s rewarding to see the members of the branch ... and reflect on their faith.”

Carlos, whose biological father is Irish and mother is Mexican, said it wasn’t just his faith that was strengthened at church but also his connection to his Mexican roots.

“It’s the greatest blessing of my life,” Carlos Torres said. “That's why I follow my Savior, the Lord. And what I believe is because of what I learned in that branch.”

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Esther Chidester attended the event with her brother, cousin and father, Juan C. Becerra, who served in the Lucero Ward bishopric in the 1970s.

“It’s such a joy to see pictures of family members,” said Chidester. “They were our family because our relatives were far away when we were growing up in the Lucero Ward.”

Lorena Valiente, a current member of the Lucero Ward, helped organize the event.

“We believe that all the people who’ve come [to the United States] from different countries feel identified as they’re able to worship God [in their own language] in this country,” Valiente said.