Ironically, the first branch president and bishop in this ancient Inca stronghold was a direct descendant of the Spanish conquistadors of the 16th century.
Bishop Lazaro Lucio Rivera Del Carpio Marroquin is a descendant of Nicolas De Rivera Viejo, one of the Spanish leaders who served under Francisco Pizarro. After taking part in the conquest of the Inca Empire, Nicolas De Rivera was later named by Pizzaro to be the first mayor of Lima, a city now populated by nearly 8 million people.Rivera, who is nearly 90, is, himself, a blend of both the Spanish and Inca culture. He looks and acts like a man much younger. He is large in stature, erect, strong and agile. He reads without glasses, has never had a serious illness, and insists that the gospel keeps him young. He attributes his good health to daily exercise and living the Word of Wisdom. When he talks about the gospel, his whole body vibrates with excitement and enthusiasm.
Rivera recently completed a 23-year dream by going to the temple in Lima, receiving his own endowments and doing work for his ancestors.
He was reared by religious parents. However, he was never satisfied that his parents' church was true, and he began looking for truth at an early age. As a young man, he left his home in Lima and came to Cusco, about 500 miles southwest of Lima, where he learned the profession of a jeweler and the hobby of sculpting.
Cusco, located high in the Andes Mountains at an elevation of 10,000 feet above sea level, is the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, which during its peak, extended for some 5,000 miles and covered parts of five South American countries.
The city is rich in tradition, with many pre-Columbus ruins as well as buildings constructed in the 16th century by the Spanish. On the streets of Cusco are women dressed in the traditional native felt hats and colorful dresses, as well as men dressed in business suits.
In Cusco, Rivera spent many days in his first 67 years searching for the true Church. He visited all of the churches in the area, but felt he couldn't join any of them. He said they taught fine principles, but they were not the true Church of Jesus Christ.
One day, one of Rivera's sons came home and told him that a new church had arrived in Cusco. As the Mormon elders opened the doors of a private home for a meetinghouse, Rivera was there asking about their Church. He attended the first Sunday School and the Spirit of the Lord bore witness to him that the Church was true. He became the first convert to the Church here.
Soon he became the first native branch president and eventually the first bishop in Cusco. He has been instrumental in bringing many of his friends and acquaintances into the Church.
In the 23 years since he was baptized, he has watched the Church grow from a home Sunday School to a stake with wards and branches.
Several years ago, he was offered a well-paying job as jeweler in New York City. He politely declined, explaining that his Lamanite brethren in Peru needed him much more.
He is currently serving as stake family history director.
