Latina/o/x Mormons

Abstract

This chapter traces the history of LDS Latinas/os, which is marked by moments of consecration, conversion, and coming to voice. Latina/o Saints navigate Mormon doctrine and Mormon culture through multiple reference points. Some find their conservative values supported, while others grow frustrated by the lack of adequate response to larger social justice issues like immigration, gender, and race politics. Some welcome the callings they receive to lead their wards as a way to make positive changes in ethnoreligious understanding, while others prefer to follow and obey the dictates of those in power. Far from a monolith, Latina/o Saints are a conglomerate of various national origins, class, political, and educational circumstances. This chapter emphasizes that whether or not they are genetically connected to the Book of Mormon, the presence of Spanish-speaking Saints from multiple backgrounds continues to grow. This chapter argues that if the population projections are accurate, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints must come to terms with a shift in minority–majority relations.