Nearly a third of Mexican Latter-day Saints broke away from Church headquarters in the early 20th century not because they rejected Mormon doctrine, but because they demanded the right to lead themselves, according to new research by Aidan and Tristan Caplan published on the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk.

The movement known as the "Third Convention" emerged from a surge of Mexican national identity after the Revolution, with members insisting they believed in the Restored Gospel deeply enough to govern their own congregations without Salt Lake City's control. Using newly translated documents, the Caplans trace how the schism reflected tensions between institutional authority and local autonomy that still resonate in global Mormonism today.

The movement eventually reconciled with the Church, but its legacy shaped how the institution approaches international membership and local leadership.