La Preparatoria Benemérito de las Américas, officially named El Centro Escolar Benemérito de las Américas (CEBA) was a private high school operated by

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. At the end of the 2012–13 school year, the LDS Church converted the school to a Missionary Training Center (MTC).

History

The first movement to organize the system of schools in Mexico was initiated by Claudio Bowsan,

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the LDS Church's Mexican

Mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

. He bought land in

Churubusco Churubusco is a neighbourhood of Mexico City. Under the current territorial division of the Mexican Federal District, it is a part of the borough ''(delegación)'' of Coyoacán. It is centred on the former Franciscan monastery ''(ex convento de C ...

to construct a school and organized a committee to establish schools in Mexico. This committee, composed of Marion G. Romney, Joseph T. Bentley, and Bowsan, with the help of the church's

First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...

, decided to establish schools in Mexico. When the CEBA was founded it had 125 students and consisted in primary, secondary, and preparatory schools. It eventually increased as a preparatory school, accommodating day students as well and boarding students. At its peak, there were more than 2,100 students. It was closed at the end of the 2012-2013 school year. The CEBA was founded in 1964 by Albert Kenyon Wagner and his wife, Leona Farnsworth Romney, who were the directors until 1975.

Enrollment and education

CEBA accepted students from all over the Mexican territory and some students from North and South America. Even though the institution was private and owned by the LDS Church, it was also required to accept non-LDS students because of the educational laws the Mexican government applies to every school in Mexico. Students at CEBA received secular and religious education. In addition to all student electives and traditional required subjects (such as Math, History, Spanish and English), students were required to take religious classes. Non-LDS students also took these religious classes. In these classes, LDS teachers prepared lessons based on the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

and

The Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...

, with lessons intended to strengthen the religious and spiritual progress of the students.

Activities

In addition to secular and religious classes for students; there were a variety of student cultural and physical activities, including folk dance, choir, music, theater, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and football, among others. The school believed this would increase a student's physical condition, development talents, positive social environment, and use free time wisely. Students decided which activities they wanted to participate in and they'd go to practice every day after school. Some students became national champions in their sports, professional dancers or musicians. There were many facilities where students could practice, according to the activity they chose.

Housing

CEBA has 50 houses and 4 apartment buildings the students would live in, thereby allowing students from all over the Mexican Republic to attend. These houses were divided between female and male students. Every house consisted of 18 boys or girls and every apartment building has 112 students. A married adult couple was assigned to each house or apartment building to take care of the students and their medical or other needs they could have.

Honor Code

Because the school was a religiously based school, students and teachers had to follow an Honor Code, based on LDS Church standards. The school honor code specified how students should dress everyday and how to behave in order to stay at the school. For example, smoking and drinking alcohol inside or outside the school would lead to the termination of the student’s studies. Students wore a uniform when they went to classes and they dressed modestly when they were not in school.

Transition to MTC

On January 29, 2013, the LDS Church announced the school would be closed and converted into a MTC at the end of the current school year. The new MTC opened June 26, 2013.

Temple announcement

On April 3, 2022, during general conference, church president

Russell M. Nelson Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Nelson was a member of the LDS Church ...

announced that a

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

would be constructed at the site.

References

External links

Official site

Unofficial/Alumni site
{{LDS Church Educational System Christianity in Mexico City Church Educational System Latter Day Saint schools Schools in Mexico City The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico Christian schools in Mexico Educational institutions established in 1964 1964 establishments in Mexico Defunct organizational subdivisions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints