Billy Johnson (Mormon)
Encyclopedia
Joseph William Billy Johnson (born 17 December 1934) was one of the first converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Ghana
. Prior to his baptism, he had worked for many years to spread the doctrines of the LDS Church to many of his fellow countrymen.
Johnson was born in Lagos
, Nigeria
. He grew up in the Roman Catholic faith. In 1964, Johnson learned about the Book of Mormon
from Frank A. Mensah. Upon receiving a copy of the Book of Mormon, Johnson started "Latter day Saint" congregations in Ghana independent from any other Latter day Saint sect.
Although he was not able to be baptized at this time, Johnson did receive support and encouragement in sharing the faith with others from Latter day Saint
expatriate
s who occasionally lived in or visited Ghana, such as Merrill J. Bateman
.
In 1976, Johnson went to find "The Mormons" (ie. the LDS Church) and found the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints instead. However, no further contact was established with the RLDS Church. After sharing the message of Mormonism
with many in Accra
, Johnson moved to Cape Coast, Ghana, where he set up at least ten congregations there and in the surrounding areas. Some of the Cape Coast group of these independent Latter Day Saint congregations in Ghana schismed when ongoing contact was not established with the LDS or RLDS churches in 1976. Some of the individuals in this group formed the Apostolic Divine Church of Ghana, however, this sect only lasted a few months.
Johnson was finally baptized into the LDS Church on 9 December 1978 a few months after Spencer W. Kimball
received his revelation
that allowed black people
of African descent to hold the priesthood
.
Johnson was the first branch president
of the LDS Church in Ghana. Later he served as a district president
. In 1990, when the Ghanaian government decided to suspend the activities of the LDS Church in the country, Johnson and his wife were serving as missionaries
. They were the only missionaries who served from then until mid-1991, a period known in the church as "the freeze".
After the end of the freeze, stakes were organized in Accra and Cape Coast, and Johnson became the first stake patriarch in Ghana. In 2004, the Accra Ghana Temple
was completed, the second LDS Church temple
to be built in Africa
.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. Prior to his baptism, he had worked for many years to spread the doctrines of the LDS Church to many of his fellow countrymen.
Johnson was born in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. He grew up in the Roman Catholic faith. In 1964, Johnson learned about the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
from Frank A. Mensah. Upon receiving a copy of the Book of Mormon, Johnson started "Latter day Saint" congregations in Ghana independent from any other Latter day Saint sect.
Although he was not able to be baptized at this time, Johnson did receive support and encouragement in sharing the faith with others from Latter day Saint
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
s who occasionally lived in or visited Ghana, such as Merrill J. Bateman
Merrill J. Bateman
Merrill Joseph Bateman is an emeritus general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . From 2003 to 2007, Bateman was a member of the Presidency of the Quorums of the Seventy of the church...
.
In 1976, Johnson went to find "The Mormons" (ie. the LDS Church) and found the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints instead. However, no further contact was established with the RLDS Church. After sharing the message of Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
with many in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, Johnson moved to Cape Coast, Ghana, where he set up at least ten congregations there and in the surrounding areas. Some of the Cape Coast group of these independent Latter Day Saint congregations in Ghana schismed when ongoing contact was not established with the LDS or RLDS churches in 1976. Some of the individuals in this group formed the Apostolic Divine Church of Ghana, however, this sect only lasted a few months.
Johnson was finally baptized into the LDS Church on 9 December 1978 a few months after Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
received his revelation
1978 Revelation on Priesthood
The 1978 Revelation on Priesthood was a revelation to the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which reversed a long-standing policy excluding men of black African descent from the priesthood.-Background:...
that allowed black people
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
of African descent to hold the priesthood
Priesthood (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind...
.
Johnson was the first branch president
Branch President
A branch president is a leader of a "branch" congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The calling of branch president is very similar to the calling of bishop, except that instead of presiding over a ward, the branch president presides over a branch...
of the LDS Church in Ghana. Later he served as a district president
District (LDS Church)
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...
. In 1990, when the Ghanaian government decided to suspend the activities of the LDS Church in the country, Johnson and his wife were serving as missionaries
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
. They were the only missionaries who served from then until mid-1991, a period known in the church as "the freeze".
After the end of the freeze, stakes were organized in Accra and Cape Coast, and Johnson became the first stake patriarch in Ghana. In 2004, the Accra Ghana Temple
Accra Ghana Temple
The Accra Ghana Temple is the 117th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .The building of the Accra Ghana Temple was announced on February 16, 1998. Years before the temple was announced President of the LDS Church Gordon B. Hinckley had promised members in the area...
was completed, the second LDS Church temple
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
to be built in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Sources
- Johnson, Joseph William Billy, "We Felt the Spirit of the Pioneers", in E. Dale LeBaronE. Dale LeBaronElwin Dale LeBaron was a Canadian scholar of the Latter Day Saint movement and a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University...
(ed.) "All are Alike unto God": Fascinating conversion stories of African Saints (Salt Lake City, Utah: BookcraftBookcraftBookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
, 1990) pp. 13–23. - Kissi, Emmanuel AbuEmmanuel A. KissiEmanuel Abu Kissi is a Ghanaian medical doctor, founder of a medical clinic, and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He is one of only a few black Africans to have served as area authority seventies in the church...
. Walking in the Sand: A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University PressBrigham Young University PressBrigham Young University Press is the university press of Brigham Young University .-History:Brigham Young University Press was formed in 1967 through the consolidation of BYU's various publishing activities into one central organization....
, 2004). - LeBaron, E. DaleE. Dale LeBaronElwin Dale LeBaron was a Canadian scholar of the Latter Day Saint movement and a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University...
"Joseph W. B. Johnson" in Garr, Arnold K.Arnold K. GarrArnold Kent Garr is the chair of the department of Church history and Doctrine in the Religious Education Division of Brigham Young University . He was also the lead editor of the Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History....
, Donald Q. CannonDonald Q. CannonDonald Quayle Cannon is a retired professor at Brigham Young University who specializes in Mormon history, particularly early Mormon history and international Mormon history....
and Richard O. CowanRichard O. CowanRichard Olsen Cowan is a historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a professor in the Church History Department of Brigham Young University . He is one of the longest-serving BYU faculty and the longest-serving member of the Church History Department ever.-Biography:Cowan...
, ed. Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret BookDeseret BookDeseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
, 2000) pp. 577–578. - Morrison, Alexander B.Alexander B. MorrisonAlexander Baillie Morrison is a Canadian scientist, academic, and public servant and has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1987.-Professional life:...
, The Dawning of a Brighter Day: The Church in Black Africa (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret BookDeseret BookDeseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
, 1990) pp. 104–118.
External links
- E. Dale LeBaronE. Dale LeBaronElwin Dale LeBaron was a Canadian scholar of the Latter Day Saint movement and a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University...
, "African Converts Without Baptism: A Unique and Inspiring Chapter in Church History", 1998-11-03.