Quotes are from the article. Please don't shoot the messenger. Interesting in view of other historical baptisms.

https://latterdaysaintmag.com/when-pancho-villa-appeared-asking-for-temple-work/

Pancho Villa needed help! In his lifetime, he had been a revolutionary leader, brilliant strategist and even the President of Mexico, but in the realm of spirits he was lost, and knew he needed assistance. He came from beyond the grave to seek out and ask the one man who he felt could help him in his eternal quest. Here’s how it happened:

Pancho Villa was the Robin Hood of his day

Pancho felt that the wealthy ruling class of Mexico were grinding on the face of the poor. He rebelled against the government and assembled and led the largest army ever in Latin America. The people loved him, but to the authorities and government of the time, he was considered an outlaw, a rebel, and a very bad man.

Captured and Imprisoned as Spies

During the Mexican Revolution, James Elbert Whetten (Bert), was the Mission President in Chihuahua. Several years into the conflict, President Whetten and a Stake President (President Bentley), were captured and imprisoned by Villa’s men and accused of being spies for the American army. President Whetten demanded to speak to the leaders who had apprehended them. After three days of his insisting, he was finally given an audience with Villa and top military advisors.

Execution or Spirit-driven Discussion?

After a few hours, President Whetten discovered that he was being put on trial. It was his burden to prove to them that he was a Mormon missionary and not a spy. What was planned by the military brass to be a very short trial, ending in execution, became a 3- hour discussion about what the Church was doing in Mexico; the Book of Mormon; and the principles of the Gospel as applied by members of the Church in Mexico.

“Is There Any Hope for Me?”

During this discussion Pancho and his top leaders were very impressed. In fact, one of his Generals, Felipe Angeles who was there stated,

“These men are doing with words and with books, what we’re trying to do with guns!”

Pancho agreed with him, and then addressing President Whetten, soulfully asked,

“I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of. Do you think there is any hope for someone like me?”

President Whetten assured him that there WAS hope for him. Both Villa and Angeles said they wanted to learn more, and after the war they would find out more about the Gospel. They gave President Whetten a letter of safe passage through any areas controlled by their soldiers, noting that the letter could also be his death warrant if the federal troops found it on his possession.

Villa and his armies eventually took over and a new government was formed. He became President of Mexico. After ONE DAY, however, he realized that that job wasn’t for him. He didn’t feel that he had the right education or temperament, and VOLUNTARILY gave over his Presidency to another, and was promptly double crossed and put in jail by the new president. He was killed a few years later by enemies.

Pancho Villa Appears

FIVE DECADES LATER, in the middle of the night Bert Whetten woke from a sound sleep and was astonished to see Pancho Villa standing above the ground at the foot of his bed.

Pancho seemed very sad and asked for Elder Whetten’s help. He said,

“There is a beautiful city where everything is perfect. I’ve tried and tried to get in, but they say I can’t get in without your help.”

Elder Whetten understanding what he was referring to replied,

“Well, President Bentley is on the other side of the veil with you. He can help you.” But Pancho said,

“No, they said he can’t help me!”

Elder Whetten responded,

“Ok, I’ll do what I can.”

. . . the imagination and inherent capacity for story-telling resident within the human mind.

You know, an entire book was written in this manner --several, actually

That super faith-promoting story is so authentic that I am going to be a mormon again.

Please tell us the story about Superman wanting temple work.

Dave the Atheist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Please tell us the story about Superman wanting
> temple work.

Yes, please! He had a very rough start in life. I know the church was a refuge for his soul.

So to date, how many workers in how many temples have done Brother Villa's work?

If I ever overthrow a government, I’ll be sure to not give up the presidency.

The real question is if Porfirio Díaz got his work done too.

When Pancho tried to get into the beautiful city in heaven, the gatekeepers didn't care what was in his heart or directly examine his character and the goodness of his soul.

Nope.

What mattered was that he didn't know the secret-sacred Masonic handshakes.

No handshakes. No pass. Que pasa? No celestial hacienda for Pancho until somebody in this world can do the temple voodoo that makes it possible for Pancho to do the handshakes in the spirit world.

Don't it just give you goosebumps?

My grandfather and his family lived in Mexico at the time of P.V. He was a take-from-the-rich-and-give to the poor man in Mexico (or, so it seemed).

He didn't want any paper money, but silver dollar only--and to get what he wanted he would go to American families in Mexico to rob them.

So, my g.f. put his wife and family on a train, while he packed his financial goods into a car and drove over a dirt road to cross the border to Douglas, Arizona, and from there to the small town of Thatcher, Arizona (where, BTW, my cousin and sister and I were born on my grandmother's twin bed).

This train had wood-framed open windows with marks of gunshots on their frames.

When I was a little girl my gf used to (on special occasions) give me a silver dollar. This was the time of WWII and people were encouraged to "buy bonds". So, I took my dollar coin to grade school to contribute to the cause--but, to my surprise they wouldn't give me credit for more than a paper dollar (even I could, in those days, thought that a real dollar silver coin should buy more than a paper dollar). (Today, of course, you can't even find one to buy at an affordable price.)
-----

After this time, when I was about 18 yrs. old, I transferred from a regular USA railroad track to old tracks--which, and because they crossed over Indian land--they could ride for free.

In the train car I sat on a wooden seat, and only had 3 passengers--all of whom weren't paying customers: Because my father worked for the railroad, I rode for free, and a full-blooded Indian mother dressed in a dark-colored heavey velvet cloth that almost reached the floor--who had her papoose packed safely on a board covered with a hand-made cowhide straps, placed next to her.

We couldn't speak a word to each other, so she went ahead and unwrapped her baby so that I could see it and how it was dressed (under a hand-made blanket), secured with a cow-hide material which criss-crossed over the baby to secure it...

BTW, while I was waiting at the old, wooden station for the train to come, a wherelwend criss-croing the dessert towards me, when it suddenly desided to desend right where I was sitting on a wooden bench outside the wooden station--and picked up my suitcase and then set it back down again next to me.

T'aint likely most of us will ever come across such a primitave place and railroad car again.

Interesting story. I'm assuming this took place in the colonies. Mexico has always had a lot of problems, a lot of poverty, but so much potential that's untapped.

"we don't need no stinking recommends"