L | A
By Carolyn Komatsoulis
Globally, Latino people are joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in greater numbers, and Idaho is no exception to this trend.
In Meridian, Bishop Juan Sánchez said he has watched the sacrament meeting attendance at his Spanish-speaking Bella Vista ward climb.
Ten miles away, in Nampa, a local couple is starting a resource center at their Spanish-speaking ward as the local Latino population increases.
Just two years ago, young Latino LDS members held a conference in Southwest Idaho to celebrate their heritage.
The church has seen an increase in convert baptisms in Spanish-speaking units in the western part of the state from 2020 to 2024, according to Area Seventy Stephen Larson. (An area seventy is a church leader generally assigned to a specific geographic region.) And the Gem State, already home to a large LDS population, has seen growth in church membership in recent years.
“You have all these people coming from different countries, different cultures,” said Sánchez, the Meridian bishop. “But then when we all become part of the culture of Christ, we don’t care where we’re from.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bishop Juan Sanchez of the Bella Vista Ward at their meetinghouse in Meridian
Sánchez stopped speaking during an interview on a recent Friday, sitting at his desk in Meridian in front of a painting of Christ. He was emotional, reflecting on his calling to become a bishop.
It’s been a long road. Sánchez was baptized in the Latter-day Saints faith on Feb. 15, 1987, in his home country of Venezuela. A couple of years later, he moved with his family to Miami.
“That was the first thing that we found — it was a church,” Sánchez said. “And we felt welcomed right away and it felt like we were home.”
Sánchez grew up Catholic. But in his early teenage years, his grandmother sent missionaries to his door in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He was intrigued by the religion, partly because he thought people must like it a lot to give up two years of their life to serve a mission.
“Having friends that really believed in God and had principles kind of attracted us to the church, especially my mom and dad,” said Sánchez, who has been in Idaho since 2017. “They wanted something better for us.”
There are a lot of Latino people moving to Southwest Idaho, Sánchez said. In particular, he said he’s seen membership growth in people from Colombia and Venezuela. Some were already LDS, he said, but many have heard about the church but not had an opportunity to participate.
“We need to be ready to understand how we can help all these brothers and sisters that are coming in to join the church,” he said.
There are five Spanish-language units in the Treasure Valley and 27 in Idaho, according to church figures. The most recent Spanish-speaking unit is a branch in Kimberly formed last year.
These units can be powerful places of belonging — and not just for those who speak the language.
There are people who grew up here, have studied or served abroad or married someone Latino, and decided to come to a Spanish-speaking ward, said Erik Azócar-Vásquez, who will be the director of the resource center in Nampa.
“We have these people that only speak English, that are trying to learn Spanish,” Azócar-Vásquez said in Spanish. “Because they feel that warmth, something different, in our meetings.”
Azócar-Vásquez and his wife are both from Santiago, Chile. Their ward in Nampa includes people from 10 different countries, he said.
“Most of the people who come to this country leave their families in their countries. Here, they find another family,” Azócar-Vásquez said. “When you come to the church on Sunday, the people greet you with hugs.”
A Spanish copy of the Book of Mormon from the Bella Vista Ward in Meridian
On the leathery-blue front cover, gold letters spell out “EL LIBRO DE MORMÓN” in large capital letters. Its thin white pages detail the stories of figures such as “Nefi” and the words of “el profeta José Smith.”
There are lots of stereotypes about what Latter-day Saints look like. In the world of politics, for example, many might think of figures such as Sen. Mitt Romney or longtime Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo. However, a prominent Latino member of the church is Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, who did not return a request for comment.
“One of the teachings of the church is that families can be united not just for time on this earth, but for eternity,” said Larson, the area seventy. “I believe that the Latinos who are hearing the message love their families and want the best for their families.”
The growth in Latino members is strengthening the church, Larson said. But even still, some members may feel unwelcome in certain wards, according to a story in the (((Salt Lake Tribune))) that focused on research showing Latino impact on the religion.
“It can be a challenge for us to feel welcome when we go somewhere new,” Larson told the Statesman. “One of the things that the church here has been focusing on is gathering.”
Researchers told NBC News and the Salt Lake Tribune that many things attract Latinos to the religion: its values and its gender-specific programs, and the fact the LDS church’s history of migration and exclusion parallels some Latinos’ experiences.
Plus, the church offers a huge social network both nationwide and worldwide, making it easy for those who move to find a home.
It’s this network that the Nampa couple, Azócar-Vásquez and Tania Agurto-López, are trying to build upon for their resource center.
People in their ward already assist each other with advice about living in a new area, or help with moving or dealing with schools. But they’re trying to formalize that support in their new center. The couple said they want to help people with their problems and also help them integrate into the community.
The resource center plans to offer parenting and self-reliance classes, along with health care information, Azócar-Vásquez said. Later on, he’s planning on adding citizenship classes and other services.
The center will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., during the English class that takes place on the same floor. They plan to open it in December.
“It’s very important for our Hispanic community so we can move forward,” Agurto-López said in Spanish. “So that the Hispanic community can be a support, an additional force in the community.”
By Carolyn Komatsoulis
Globally, Latino people are joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in greater numbers, and Idaho is no exception to this trend.
In Meridian, Bishop Juan Sánchez said he has watched the sacrament meeting attendance at his Spanish-speaking Bella Vista ward climb.
Ten miles away, in Nampa, a local couple is starting a resource center at their Spanish-speaking ward as the local Latino population increases.
Just two years ago, young Latino LDS members held a conference in Southwest Idaho to celebrate their heritage.
The church has seen an increase in convert baptisms in Spanish-speaking units in the western part of the state from 2020 to 2024, according to Area Seventy Stephen Larson. (An area seventy is a church leader generally assigned to a specific geographic region.) And the Gem State, already home to a large LDS population, has seen growth in church membership in recent years.
“You have all these people coming from different countries, different cultures,” said Sánchez, the Meridian bishop. “But then when we all become part of the culture of Christ, we don’t care where we’re from.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bishop Juan Sanchez of the Bella Vista Ward at their meetinghouse in Meridian
Finding a home in the LDS religion
Sánchez stopped speaking during an interview on a recent Friday, sitting at his desk in Meridian in front of a painting of Christ. He was emotional, reflecting on his calling to become a bishop.
It’s been a long road. Sánchez was baptized in the Latter-day Saints faith on Feb. 15, 1987, in his home country of Venezuela. A couple of years later, he moved with his family to Miami.
“That was the first thing that we found — it was a church,” Sánchez said. “And we felt welcomed right away and it felt like we were home.”
Sánchez grew up Catholic. But in his early teenage years, his grandmother sent missionaries to his door in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He was intrigued by the religion, partly because he thought people must like it a lot to give up two years of their life to serve a mission.
“Having friends that really believed in God and had principles kind of attracted us to the church, especially my mom and dad,” said Sánchez, who has been in Idaho since 2017. “They wanted something better for us.”
There are a lot of Latino people moving to Southwest Idaho, Sánchez said. In particular, he said he’s seen membership growth in people from Colombia and Venezuela. Some were already LDS, he said, but many have heard about the church but not had an opportunity to participate.
“We need to be ready to understand how we can help all these brothers and sisters that are coming in to join the church,” he said.
There are five Spanish-language units in the Treasure Valley and 27 in Idaho, according to church figures. The most recent Spanish-speaking unit is a branch in Kimberly formed last year.
These units can be powerful places of belonging — and not just for those who speak the language.
There are people who grew up here, have studied or served abroad or married someone Latino, and decided to come to a Spanish-speaking ward, said Erik Azócar-Vásquez, who will be the director of the resource center in Nampa.
“We have these people that only speak English, that are trying to learn Spanish,” Azócar-Vásquez said in Spanish. “Because they feel that warmth, something different, in our meetings.”
Azócar-Vásquez and his wife are both from Santiago, Chile. Their ward in Nampa includes people from 10 different countries, he said.
“Most of the people who come to this country leave their families in their countries. Here, they find another family,” Azócar-Vásquez said. “When you come to the church on Sunday, the people greet you with hugs.”
A Spanish copy of the Book of Mormon from the Bella Vista Ward in Meridian
What draws Latinos to the church
On the leathery-blue front cover, gold letters spell out “EL LIBRO DE MORMÓN” in large capital letters. Its thin white pages detail the stories of figures such as “Nefi” and the words of “el profeta José Smith.”
There are lots of stereotypes about what Latter-day Saints look like. In the world of politics, for example, many might think of figures such as Sen. Mitt Romney or longtime Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo. However, a prominent Latino member of the church is Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, who did not return a request for comment.
“One of the teachings of the church is that families can be united not just for time on this earth, but for eternity,” said Larson, the area seventy. “I believe that the Latinos who are hearing the message love their families and want the best for their families.”
The growth in Latino members is strengthening the church, Larson said. But even still, some members may feel unwelcome in certain wards, according to a story in the (((Salt Lake Tribune))) that focused on research showing Latino impact on the religion.
“It can be a challenge for us to feel welcome when we go somewhere new,” Larson told the Statesman. “One of the things that the church here has been focusing on is gathering.”
Researchers told NBC News and the Salt Lake Tribune that many things attract Latinos to the religion: its values and its gender-specific programs, and the fact the LDS church’s history of migration and exclusion parallels some Latinos’ experiences.
Plus, the church offers a huge social network both nationwide and worldwide, making it easy for those who move to find a home.
It’s this network that the Nampa couple, Azócar-Vásquez and Tania Agurto-López, are trying to build upon for their resource center.
People in their ward already assist each other with advice about living in a new area, or help with moving or dealing with schools. But they’re trying to formalize that support in their new center. The couple said they want to help people with their problems and also help them integrate into the community.
The resource center plans to offer parenting and self-reliance classes, along with health care information, Azócar-Vásquez said. Later on, he’s planning on adding citizenship classes and other services.
The center will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., during the English class that takes place on the same floor. They plan to open it in December.
“It’s very important for our Hispanic community so we can move forward,” Agurto-López said in Spanish. “So that the Hispanic community can be a support, an additional force in the community.”
