Provo, Utah is home to an incredible variety of museums, historic sights, and other thrilling experiences. Most students attending either Brigham Young University or Utah Valley University have visited a museum or two, whether for church sponsored outings, a date night, or just looking for something fun to do with friends. However, one of Provo’s museums remains quiet. Established in 2011, the Museum of Mormon Mexican History sits between Brigham Young University campus and west campus housing. Many students pass this small museum daily on their walk to campus, but few have set foot inside its walls.  The Museum of Mormon Mexican History houses the private collection of unique artifacts left by the founder’s paternal grandmother. Many of these come from the 19th and early 20th centuries, providing insight into the beginnings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Mexico and Latin America.  The founder, Fernando R. Gomez explains that “The idea of establishing a museum of Mexican Mormon History came from a humble but unique collection left by my paternal grandmother's daughter, Consuelo. My cousin Raymond had been the keeper of such memorabilia. With his help and that of Sergio Pagaza Castillo, we founded a museum in Mexico City in 1991, and an extension was opened in Provo, Utah in 2011. The Mexico City museum closed in 2014; however, this endeavor has been a labor of love. We four, Raymundo, Sergio, my wife Enriqueta, and I have made a dream come true. We, with limited resources, have brought to life a forgotten history - a legacy for the future." The collection comprises items like traditional clothing, early sacrament trays, and original publications. There are also life size mannequins depicting certain scenes, such as the translating of the Book of Mormon into Spanish. There is a full exhibit dedicated to the people in El Paso, Texas, where the Mexican saints found refuge while fleeing persecution. The display placards in the museum are in both English and Spanish, providing a uniquely accessible experience for visitors.  The museum is free for anyone to visit, but donations are appreciated. Museum operators advertise tours for Family Home Evening groups and other student events. While the museum appears small, there is an incredible wealth of information and artifacts within it. 

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Rifle, Colorado is a small town nestled on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. Since the end of the 19th century, the town’s population has steadily increased due to its successful cattle ranching industry. By the late-20th century, the surrounding ski and tourism industries had attracted a sizable Latino immigrant labor population to Rifle as well. On July 3, 2001, at around 11:45 p.m, a white man named Steven Michael Stagner went to the City Market grocery store in Rifle and opened fire at those he suspected to be immigrants. He first shot Juan Hernandez-Carillo, a botanist who was speaking on a pay phone outside of the store. From there, he crossed the parking lot and shot 19-year-old Anjelica Toscono, who had entered the United States only 22 days earlier while she was  speaking on a payphone with her mother in Mexico. He then headed to the nearby RV park, where many Latinos lived, to continue his rampage. Two brothers, Fernando and Carlos Medrano, were sitting outside their trailer under a tree drinking beer when Stagner approached and shot them both. He shot three more Mexican men before he was apprehended by law enforcement. In the end, Hernandez-Carillo, Toscono, and the Medrano brothers were all killed. In the aftermath, the local 4th of July celebration was canceled, and many people attended memorials in honor of the four victims and public demonstrations protesting Stagner’s actions. Stagner was charged with first-degree murder; however, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Stagner was sent to the Colorado Mental Health Institute for an undetermined amount of time. This outraged many in the community, especially those in the immigrant community. They tried to challenge the court’s decision on the grounds that Stagner’s known hatred for immigrants proved that the shootings were not random, but rather race-based, but were unsuccessful. The community continues to grieve these deaths, and Stagner has remained in a mental hospital.

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