Interest in the mexican colonies?

[Kenngo1969]

13 hours ago, smac97 said:

... My dad's parents met in the Colonies.  My grandfather was from the Macdonalds and my grandmother was from the Taylors and Richardsons.

 

 

For what it's worth @smac97, one of the articles I link to above (and also below, for reference and convenience) mentions your MacDonald ancestor: 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1972/09/mormon-colonies-beacon-light-in-mexico?lang=eng

Edited July 15, 2021 by Kenngo1969

[Navidad]

I am a guest lecturer at the various campuses of the Mexican Federal School of Anthropology and History where post-graduates study for their licenciada credential. My topic is invariably an overview of the religious history of Mexico as part of the social anthropology curriculum. After I am done with the presentation we have a time for questions and answers. Invariably, especially in the north the first several questions have to do with the Mennonites and the Mormons. I am also surprised how these bright young students are confused about whether being Mormon (used in an inclusive sense with fundamentalists) and Mennonite (used in a particularly Old Colony Mexican sense) is a religion, ethnicity, nationality, or what? My experience in these types of forums is that the Mexican intelligentsia is not particularly enthused about studying things of a religious nature. The conflict between church and state is much less a reality today since President Salinas in 1992, but the cultural hierarchy here as a whole is very secular.

There has also been tension in both the south and north of Mexico since about 1905 with the Anglo LDS folks and since about 1925 with the Anglo Mennonites over land (agrarian) and water issues. These are often defined as they were in the Cristero period as being about religion, but they almost inevitably came and come down to agrarian and water issues. Catholicism as a self-proclaimed affiliation is down to 77%, the lowest ever. LDS growth seems flat, with continued wide gaps between the data provided by the church and the census bureau. Mennonites keep on keeping on  - no proselytizing - large birth rates and lots of movement between Mexico - South America - and back to Canada. Mennonite groups in Canada and the US send missionaries here . . . to reach out to the Mennonites! That is a fascinating phenomenon.

Sorry - those of you who remember me, probably remember I go on too much about things. My purpose in starting this thread and asking all the questions was simply to gauge interest in LDS Mexican history. It is well past time for an update on Mormon colony history to be written. Someone mentioned the new biography of Margarito Bautista - it is quite expensive! There is a new book I would like to recommend that touches on the colonies (both Mennonite and Mormon) in a way that has never been done before. It is entitled "Liminal Sovereignty: Mennonites and Mormons in Mexican Culture" by Rebecca Janzen. She is a professor at the University of South Carolina. She has old order Mennonite family and excellent relationships with the LDS folks in Colonia Juarez. She also writes about the fundamentalists as well. An excellent book from a very different and accurate perspective.

Thanks again to each of you who continues to reply to this thread.
 

[Navidad]

On 7/14/2021 at 3:19 PM, Bob Crockett said:

Juarez and Dublan. 

Romney, Turley.   

Lots of Romneys and Turleys still here. Rick Turley has very strong colony ties. I believe Dean Turley is his uncle or cousin (I forget which). Dean was Mr. Basketball in Chihuahua and maybe all of Mexico in 1955 or so. Virginia and Kent Romney (she is a Hatch and he is out or Roulon) were called by the church to be the local historians for a number of years. I appreciate them both.

[Navidad]

On 7/14/2021 at 3:04 PM, smac97 said:

It looks like the "El Reino de Dios en su Plenitud" is still a think.  See here and here.

It certainly is still a thing. The Third Convention is probably more related the events and climate of the Second Cristiada (1930s in the north) than the First Cristiada (central and central western Mexico in the 1920s). Bautista is also remembered in secular Mexican history as an outspoken advocate for Mexico's indigenous peoples. In that regard his connections to the LDS, LeBarons, and finally his own church are rarely mentioned. I believe I am correct in saying that the Ozumba group is now an official subset on the Mexican census form. They greatly increased the options for self-identification religiously on the last two censuses (censi?).

Edited July 16, 2021 by Navidad
typo

[Navidad]

On 7/14/2021 at 7:04 PM, JLHPROF said:

I have no connection to the colonies but I've always found them fascinating in origin and history.

I've wanted to read this for a while: https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Evolution-Margarito-Bautista-Evangelizer/dp/019094210X/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=margarito+bautista&qid=1626310879&sprefix=margarito+&sr=8-3

But not at that price...☹️

I attended a lecture by the author. She offered a 20% discount on the book through the publisher. I still couldn't afford it! I too would love to read it some day. Best wishes.

[Navidad]

On 7/14/2021 at 7:48 PM, rodheadlee said:

Where is it located?

It is called Los Molinos. I am told a couple of original houses are still there. It was attacked in 1974 by Ervil's followers with several killed. I believe it is just south of Ensenada, but never having been there, I am not sure. There is another colony in Sonora near Caborca called La Joya. It had such a bad reputation the Mexican army actually destroyed it. I would like to go there as well, but have been advised by knowledgeable authorities not to do so at this time.

[rodheadlee]

5 hours ago, Navidad said:

It is called Los Molinos. I am told a couple of original houses are still there. It was attacked in 1974 by Ervil's followers with several killed. I believe it is just south of Ensenada, but never having been there, I am not sure. There is another colony in Sonora near Caborca called La Joya. It had such a bad reputation the Mexican army actually destroyed it. I would like to go there as well, but have been advised by knowledgeable authorities not to do so at this time.

Yep it's pretty wild territory. I stick to the tourist zones.