"A day with an apostle goes by very quickly."
That's the feeling of Guillermo Torres Villalobos, 60, longtime Church leader here, who knows well the value of Church leaders. The days he's spent with General Authorities - both of the Quorum of the Twelve and of the Seventy - have been highlights of his membership.During the 1970s and 1980s, General Authorities frequently visited Mexico City as they created new stakes to accommodate the rapid growth in membership. They often stayed at the home of Brother Torres, who during those years served as president of the Mexico City North Stake, Mexico City Mexico Arbolillo Stake, Mexico Merida Mission, and as a regional representative.
"The strength we have in our General Authorities is very exceptional," Brother Torres said.
He's now a patriarch in the Mexico City Arbolillo stake. He and his wife, Socorro, are parents of five children.
While he served as stake president, he also had close association with three brethren from Mexico who later became members of the Seventy. Two, Elders Jorge A. Rojas, a counselor in the Central America Area presidency, and Elder Horacio A. Tenorio, who served in the Second Quorum of the Seventy from 1989-94, were his counselors in the Mexico City North stake presidency. The third, Elder Lino Alvarez, also a counselor in the Central America Area presidency, served as Brother Torres' counselor when he presided in the Arbolillo stake.
Elder Rojas remembers Brother Torres with great affection. "Guilllermo Torres has been the greatest influence I have had in the Church. I respect him very much and consider him my best friend, my best teacher in the Church. I owe him a lot - he's a very humble, spiritual man. He taught me to love the Book of Mormon. So I am very much indebted to him; I love him very much."
Brother Torres' long service in the Church began shortly after his baptism in Tampico, Mexico, on Dec. 31, 1960, at age 25. He was introduced to the Church by his younger brother, Ricardo. He had completed studies as a civil engineer when his brother told him and their parents about the Church. Both parents and many relatives later joined the Church. Ricardo also began teaching a group of seven fellow students in chemical engineering, all of whom were baptized. They have since served as bishops, stake presidents, patriarchs, counselors in a temple presidency and regional representative. Ricardo Torres is now a patriarch in the Mexico City Tlalnepantla stake.
"I was one of the first professional people baptized here," said Brother Torres. "I can remember that two weeks after I was baptized, I was called as branch clerk. In those days, branch reports were very involved. We had no typewriter; we did all of the work by hand. We learned about the Church very rapidly."
Before long, the branch was made a ward and he was called as a bishop's counselor. During this time, he met a young woman, Socorro Saunders, who later became his wife. They met after she returned from a labor mission during which time she was a secretary for Jasper McClellan. Brother McClellan helped construct many meetinghouses in northern Mexico.
In 1962, the young couple rented a home, ordered new furniture and then began the trip to the Arizona Temple. "The bus was hot, slow and old," Brother Torres said. "But we were very excited to be married in the temple. Our marriage in the temple was a great blessing. It was a very beautiful experience that I will never forget. We just wanted to go inside the temple and feel the Spirit."
When they returned to the house they had rented, none of their new furniture had arrived and they had to stay in a hotel for two weeks. Then the furniture arrived and Sister Torres said, "At last I have my own bed to sleep in." But the bed was defective and broke in half.
"At first it was sad, then we couldn't keep from laughing," recalled Brother Torres.
A year later, Brother McClellan visited and asked the couple to move to Arbolillo, near Mexico City, where the Church was building a large school - Benemerito de las Americas. Arbolillo was then a city outside Mexico City that has since been absorbed by the large metropolis.
Brother Torres was hired by the Church to supervise building contractors in the school construction. Later, however, many problems arose with the contractors. So Brother Torres started a construction company and became one of the contractors that helped build the school. The main part of the school was completed in 1967.
During this time, many General Authorities visited and Brother Torres became acquainted with them. He was ordained an elder in 1961 by Elder Boyd K. Packer, then an Assistant to the Twelve. In 1962, he recalls the instruction given to leaders by Elder Marion G. Romney, then of the Quorum of the Twelve.
He was called as a bishop in 1968, serving under Pres. Agricol Lozano H., who had become the first Lamanite stake president in Mexico a year earlier. Pres. Lozano is currently president of the Mexico City Temple. A year and a half later, Brother Torres was called as counselor to Pres. Lozano in the stake presidency, and a year later was called as president of the Mexico City North Stake, which then included Arbolillo.
The 1970s were impressive years in Mexico City, when new stakes seemed to multiply overnight.
Leaders worked hard to prepare for stakes, Brother Torres recounted. At that time, Elder J. Thomas Fyans of the Seventy was executive administrator of Mexico. "He had a saying, `Let's stake the country of Mexico.' "
The results of these efforts came with major stake creations in 1974 and 1975, when Elder Howard W. Hunter, then of the Quorum of the Twelve, visited. When 15 stakes were created Nov. 7-13, 1975, Pres. Torres was called to preside over the Mexico City Arbolillo stake.
Elder Hunter occasionally stayed at the Torres household. Guillermo Jr., now manager of Mexico City Temple block and counselor in the Mexico City Zarahemla stake, recalled those experiences. He said having the apostles visit the Torres home brought a good spirit. They were always grateful for what they received, he said. He remembered that one night when Elder Hunter was staying at their home, David Torres, then about 5, began looking for his parents. He finally found them in another bedroom. "There's a big man who speaks English in your bed!" exclaimed David to his parents.
Brother Torres described Elder Hunter as one who had a good memory and "could see into your soul. When I was serving as president of the Merida mission, he visited. I introduced him to my daughter. He said, `Yes, I remember her. I knew her when she was a baby.' "
Brother Torres was called as regional representative in 1977. In 1980, he traveled to Salt Lake City to general conference and attended a solemn assembly in the Salt Lake Temple.
"At this time, I had a large mustache," he recalled. "I cut it all off before attending the solemn assembly. When I arrived at the temple, President [Spencer W.] Kimball gave me a hug, like a father to a son. Afterwards he said, `That's for not having a mustache.' I have never grown one since."
He recalled with humility that he accompanied President Kimball in a visit to the president of Mexico to discuss the possiblity of a temple in Mexico. "I could not describe all my joy at the thought of having a temple in Mexico," he said. "I do not have the capacity to describe the spiritual moment - the moment in which the Spirit of the Lord came."
The prophets are each sent to bring important teachings for a certain time, he said. "Each address that a prophet gives, whether you hear it live, or by satellite, is to help us in these latter days."