SALT LAKE CITY -- In recent years, many new members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have come from Latin America.
The LDS Church History Museum, at 45 N. West Temple, is recognizing their lives and stories with an exhibit called "Mi vida, mi historia."
About 24 members from 18 Latin American countries share their stories of how the LDS Church came into their lives.
"One of the wonderful things is just to experience people's stories," museum curator Ray Halls said.
Reyna Aburto, from Orem, is one of those who shared her story. Originally from Nicaragua, Aburto was baptized in the LDS Church in 1989 in San Francisco.
"I feel very humble," Aburto said about being chosen for participation in the exhibit. "I believe we all have many stories we can tell. I believe we can all be in there. For that reason, it's humbling to be in there."
She also felt humble about being featured next to important people in the LDS Church.
It is fitting that members from Latin America would be featured in a museum near exhibits of handcarts and founders of the church.
"We are all pioneers in our own countries," Aburto said.
A central purpose of the exhibit is to show the diversity of the LDS Church and give people a chance to get to know a large segment of the congregation.
"There are all types of members that have touched hearts in all corners of the world," Aburto said.
By sharing stories of their conversions, spiritual experiences, feelings about families and relationships, struggles and dreams, Aburto said, the exhibit shows that Latinos are just like everybody else.
Organizers spent a year and a half working on the exhibit, which runs through Jan. 16, 2012. The motion picture studio at Brigham Young University recorded the first-person interviews done in English and Spanish.
The exhibit features a 30-minute movie about the lives of Latin American members of the church; interactive touch-screen kiosks highlighting their personal stories; and documentary photographs of each person featured in the exhibit.
The idea, Halls said, is to "share some of the contemporary history of the church and focus on the messages of the people today."
An online version of the exhibit can be seen at www.churchmuseum.com.
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