Mi Vida, Mi Historia: Colombian convert recalls her conversion

From the time the church assumed an international character, Latin American Latter-day Saints have shown undaunted pioneer faith and dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ. More than four million of the church's 13 million members speak Spanish.

To honor these stalwart Saints, a unique exhibit has been created in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Museum of History and Art. This interactive exhibit, which shares the inspirational stories of modern-day Latin American faith, is titled "Mi Vida, Mi Historia." This is one member's story. 

Tatea Munoz Woffinden knows what it's like to be persecuted for her beliefs.

At the age of 15, she was kicked out of her school in Bogota, Colombia, in 1967 when administrators found out she was a new member of the Mormon church.

"I had to change schools because … they found out that we were members, and my brother and I were kicked out of the school," Woffinden said.

But she has always known that the Lord was working through her family to help the church grow in Colombia.

"It was a miracle the way that we got baptized," she said, adding that there were only three member families in Bogota at the time, just months after the government had given the church legal status.

Her father worked in the customs office, and Woffinden used to go to his office and see box after box of books.

"He used to tell us, 'Look at these boxes. These boxes are from the United States for another religion.'"

The copies of the Book of Mormon inside the boxes were meant for LDS missionaries to share, but they were hung up in customs because nobody would clear them to be sent on.

But those books would change their lives — and the lives of many in Colombia after a church investigator sent the missionaries to Woffinden's family.

"When we had the first discussion, (my father) saw the Book of Mormon and he said, 'Those are the ones we have at the customs office.'"

The family was soon baptized by Elders Gary Johnson and William Danner.

Her father signed the customs papers, and from that time on, there was no problem getting church materials into the hands of investigators in Colombia and later in Venezuela.

Woffinden's story of conversion and testimony is one of those highlighted in the exhibit "Mi Vida, Mi Historia" at the Church Museum of History and Art.