The first Spanish member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was Melitón Trejo from Extremadura (in about 1870). Trejo emigrated to Utah, where he aided in the first translation into Spanish of portions of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. He later accompanied the first Church missionary expedition to enter Mexico.
The next known Spanish conversions occurred in 1966, in association with two American congregations that were meeting for Sunday worship. The Spain Religious Liberty Law, passed in 1967, paved the way for the organization of the Madrid Branch (a small congregation) in February 1968. Some 40 people attended, including Spanish wives of American servicemen, other Spanish-speaking members, and investigators. Official recognition for the Church in Spain was formalized in October 1968. A mission was organized in July 1970. During this period, many Spanish-speaking members from other nations were transferred by their businesses to Spain and helped to strengthen new congregations. By 1974, 620 members met in 17 congregations.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, First Counselor in the First Presidency, visited King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia in March 1992 and gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a companion scripture to the Bible. Church members in Spain have been involved in a number of humanitarian service projects including donations of food to Bosnia in 1993; concerts of the Madrid Chorus "Alma 29" for the benefit of "Cáritas," UNICEF, and "Aldeas Infantiles" (1996-97). FENADOSE awarded the Church the 1996 National Merit for Blood Donations in Spain in March 1997.
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Sergio Flores
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