Elder Peter M. Johnson and Sister Stephanie Johnson invite all to come unto Christ .
The first African American General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Peter M. Johnson, has been assigned to lead the England Manchester Mission (EMM) with his wife, Sister Stephanie Johnson, from July 2020 through June 2022. They succeed former EMM President Stuart N McReynolds and Sister Sheryl McReynolds.
While it is not typical for General Authorities to serve as mission presidents, it is not unheard of for them to be assigned in this capacity. Since 1975, 12 sitting General Authorities have been called to serve in this role.
About Racism
When asked about racism and the civil unrest that exists in society, President Johnson said, “We can’t fight hate with hate. We must look to love to have peace and harmony, and be willing to make a sacrifice ourselves to make that happen. Racism is a chronic — and for some, a self-inflicted disease — whose symptoms can be mitigated through a variety of remedies and programmes. But it can only be cured with a true understanding of what it means to love God with all our heart, mind and strength, and to love our neighbours as ourselves.”
He continued, “We need to be kind to one another and accept each other’s differences. The Lord loves diversity — if he didn’t, he would have created everything exactly the same. The Lord also loves oneness, inclusiveness and belonging. This is our Father in Heaven’s design and that’s why he placed us here on earth with different opportunities, backgrounds, cultures, nationalities and differences — so that we can all come together and, through Christ, lift each other up.”
“This may sound like a dream, but it is possible. It takes humility and faith. It takes wanting to learn and understand one another; knowing that it’s okay to disagree but not be disagreeable. We have to figure out a way. We can do it — we have to,” President Johnson said.
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Hear Him As We Minister to the One – BYUI Devotional (Elder Johnson)
Elder Peter M. Johnson Biography
Elder Peter M. Johnson was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019, at age 52. At the time of his call, he had been serving as an Area Seventy and a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southeast Area.
Elder Johnson received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Southern Utah University and a PhD in accounting from Arizona State University. He began his career in 1992 as staff accountant for a major international accounting firm. He has worked as an associate professor at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, assistant professor of accountancy at Brigham Young University, and associate professor of accountancy at the University of Alabama.
Elder Johnson has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Alabama Birmingham Mission, counselor in a bishopric, ward Young Men president, stake financial clerk, ward mission leader, and stake president.
Peter Matthew Johnson was born in New York City. He married Stephanie Lyn Chadwick in 1990. They are the parents of four children.
