Agricol Lozano
Agricol Lozano Herrara[1] (1927–1999) was a Latter-day Saint poet, historian, and leader in Mexico. He was also an outspoken human rights lawyer once imprisoned by the Mexican government.
Brother Lozano was born to Latter-day Saint parents in Tula, Mexico.[2] He was the eldest of 13 children. His mother had been an employee of Rafael Monroy, who was slain during the Mexican Revolution of 1910 in large part because of his belief in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Lozano's father, also named Agricol, joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after learning about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ from his wife.[3]
As a child, Lozano often helped his father in the brick-laying business. He went to Mexico City to become a professional soccer player but never made the team. Instead he became a missionary. After his mission, Lozano was a custodian at the Museum of Anthropology and History of Mexico. It was largely because of a sermon he heard from Spencer W. Kimball when he was on a trip to the Mesa Arizona Temple in the 1940s that Lozano decided to pursue a life as a lawyer and an advocate for the indigenous people of Mexico.[3]
Lozano served two full-time missions for the Church in Mexico.
He married Maliche Gomez, a native of Tampico. They had six children. He received a law degree from UNAM.[4]
Lozano was for many years the Chief Counsel for the Church of Jesus Christ in Mexico. He was one of the key figures in getting the Church legal recognition in the country in 1993.[5]
Lozano was the first Latino to serve as a stake president in Mexico. He became president of the Mexico City North Stake in 1967.[5] Prior to this, he had served as a counselor in the first stake presidency in Mexico City.[6] Lozano served as president of other stakes due to rapid church growth and divisions of stakes from time to time.[7]
Lozano served as president of the Argentina Bahia Blanca Mission. He was also a regional representative of the Twelve; in this capacity, he would often emphasize that the Mexicans needed to step up and take part in leading the Church in Mexico.[8] Lozano was also involved with the Church School board in Mexico.[9]
Lozano's poetry has been compared to that of Walt Whitman and his full force living of the teaching of the Church of Jesus Christ to that of Orson Pratt and Parley P. Pratt.[10]
Lozano is also the author of several books. His Historia del Mormonismo en Mexico (1983) (ISBN 9687207000) is aggressive in its assertion that the Mexican people have a special place as part of the house of Israel as descendants of Lehi.[11] Other writings of Lozano include his short Jesus el Cristo en la Biblia (1983) and his much longer La Apostasia (1982). A 1980 work by Lozano was Historia de la Iglesia en Mexico which has the same general subject as his 1983 work.
Brother Lozano was president of the Mexico City Mexico Temple from 1993 to 1997[12]
In a sermon given in Mexico in 1997, Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of Lozano as having been, among other things, an assistant, translator, guide and friend.[6]
References
- ↑ Since this is a Spanish-language formed name, Lozano is his main last name with Herrara being his "apellido secundo" or second last name, in some church publications he has been listed as Agricol Lozano H., and he is referred to as Priesdent Lozano when served in his many positions as a church leader, or just Hermano (Brother) Lozano
- ↑ Deseret News, 3 March 1995.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Church News, October 23, 1993.
- ↑ Church News, June 26, 1993.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Church News, August 14, 1999.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Veracruz in the News!, inficad.com, accessed 2008-03-14.
- ↑ “Six new stakes created; first one in Philippines,” Ensign, Aug. 1973, p. 78.
- ↑ Orson Scott Card, "It's a Young Church ... In Mexico" Ensign Feb. 1977, p. 17.
- ↑ "Chapter 5: The Orchard Years", Personal History of Claudious Bowman, Jr. and his wife Nelle, dublan.net, accessed 2008-03-14.
- ↑ Deseret News, March 5, 1995
- ↑ Thomas W. Murphy “Other Mormon Histories: Lamanite Subjectivity in Mexico.” in Journal of Mormon History. 26 (Fall 2000): 179–214
- ↑ Church News, June 26, 1993, and June 20, 1997.
