3 Brothers Begin Their Mission at the Same Time

Missionary work runs through his veins, but most of all in his heart.

The three Hatch brothers and their wives had decided to serve as senior missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but they never imagined that they would begin their training in the same week.

And much less could they continue the proselytizing work that their great-grandparents began.

All 6 submitted their mission paperwork at different times over the course of 4 months. However, due to their retirement date, visa delays, and God’s divine will, they met at the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC) before departing on October 10-11, 2024.

A legacy of more than 100 years

While one couple was assigned to Peru, in the Lima North mission, the other two couples are serving in Mexico, a very significant country for their entire family.

Since their parents, Ernest LeRoy Hatch and Marza Lunt Hatch served as leaders of the Mexican Mission from 1962 to 1965, they grew up in the Mexico City Stake, the second in this country and the first Spanish-speaking stake in the entire history of the Church, which was created in 1961.

A pioneering work that came to fruition when his father and stepmother opened the Missionary Training Center in Mexico City in February 1980, where they served until July 1982.

However, the family’s ties to Mexico’s pioneers begin with great-grandparents Henry Lunt and Sarah Ann Lunt.

Henry Lunt, a native of England born in 1824, learned of the restored gospel in his early 20s. “His parents told him that if he joined the Church, he would be disowned. And so he did, and so they did,” says his great-grandson, Elder Robert Hatch.

However, holding fast to his testimony and his faith in God’s promises, Henry Lunt traveled to the United States to meet with the Saints. There he would not only lead pioneer companies and be called to serve 2 missions in England, but he would have another noble assignment more than 20 years later.

At the request of Church President John Taylor, great-grandfather Henry Lunt and his wife, Sarah Ann Lunt, were among those first Latter-day Saints sent to small colonies in Mexico and other parts of Latin America to spread the gospel.

The social crisis did not stop them

But the path to establishing the restored gospel in Mexico would not be easy.

While Sarah Ann Lunt remained in Mexico with her 9 children after her husband’s death in 1902, the Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910 and lasted nearly a decade, halted much of the Church’s progress, causing most of the Saints to leave the country by 1912.

Only a quarter of these saints later returned to Mexico, including Sarah Lunt and her youngest son, to build the kingdom of God locally.

“I think the reason they came back was because their descendants needed to be in Mexico and learn the Latin culture and the Spanish language so they could serve the Lord there. So I’m grateful that we can continue that legacy,” Sister Sandra Hatch explained.

For his part, Elder John Hatch described it as a privilege to witness the growth of missionary work in Mexico and to contribute there just as his ancestors did:

“The best way to work with people is to simply love them, and we can’t help but love these people. They are simply the salt of the Earth. ”

While Elder John Hatch and Sister Sandra Hatch are members and leadership assist missionaries in the Mexico Guadalajara East Mission, Elder Paul Hatch and Sister Janice Hatch are members and leadership assist missionaries in the Mexico Merida Mission.

A family with a missionary spirit

The Hatch brothers say they cannot find the right words to express the deep gratitude they feel for the work of their parents and great-grandparents:

“Our parents taught us to respect and love the entire country. They were both extremely proud and grateful for their heritage and taught us to be equals.”

The family’s devoted missionary service has not only influenced the Hatch brothers, it is who they are at their core. “It’s in our blood,” said Elder Robert Hatch, “because all of our uncles, aunts, grandparents, and parents have served many missions. ”

Her three sisters, who live in Utah, join this courageous group of missionary service, having completed 11 missions between the three of them, from Guatemala to Germany.

“We’re playing catch-up, ” Elder Paul Hatch joked.

The Hatches have another brother who is serving beyond the veil. As a young man, Bruce Hatch had received a missionary call, but he died in a car accident with his mother on the way to the Mesa Arizona Temple.

“ There are four brothers serving at this time,” said Sister Janice Hatch.

The Hatches are an admirable example of the power and impact of missionary work, not only within a family and its subsequent generations but also across an entire country.

Source: Church News

To read more from Masfe.org