Johnson was born in Lagos, Nigeria and 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 "Mormon" sect. Although he was not able to be baptized at the time, Johnson received support and encouragement in sharing the faith with others from Latter-day Saints who were expatriates that occasionally lived in or visited Ghana. This began primarily with Virginia Cutler, who was a visiting professor at the University of Ghana. Merrill J. Bateman also visited, along with M. Neff Smart, Edwin Q. "Ted" Cannon and Lynn M. Hilton. During these visits new literature was brought and members were encouraged to continue in faith. These visits all happened unofficially.
His leadership prior to baptism
In 1976, Johnson set out to contact all Latter-day Saints within Ghana and found the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 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 congregations in Ghana schismed when ongoing contact was not established with the LDS Church or RLDS Church in 1976. Some of the individuals in this group formed the Apostolic Divine Church of Ghana, however, this sect only lasted a few months. During this time he also helped establish a primary school called the Brigham Young Educational Institute. That same year, LDS Church president Spencer W. Kimball announced Official Declaration 2 which extended the priesthood to all worthy male members of the church regardless of race or color. In gratitude, Johnson sent a letter to Kimball, explaining that God had prepared the people in Ghana, asking him to send missionaries to the members. Kimball responded to his pleas and sent the first called missionaries Rendell N. Mabey and Rachel Mabey. They joined Edwin Q. Cannon and Janath R. Cannon.
Baptism and later religious achievements
Johnson was finally baptized into the LDS Church on December 9, 1978. The previous October a letter from Johnson had been among those read by Spencer W. Kimball in his speech to the training meeting for the Regional Representatives of the 12 and other Church leader urging that the sending of missionaries to Ghana and Nigeria be done quickly. He was ordained as a priest and called to be the first branch president. He later served as a district president. In 1990, the Ghanaian government decided to suspend the activities of the church in the country, claiming they thought it was a CIA plot. During this time, the church functioned very differently in Ghana. Foreign missionaries had to quickly withdraw from the country, including the acting mission president. Members held sacrament meetings in their homes on a family basis, instead of at formal meetinghouses. Johnson and his wife were called as the only missionaries at the time. After the end of the freeze, stakes were organized in Accra and Cape Coast. Johnson was called as the first stake patriarch in Ghana. In 2004, the Accra Ghana Temple was completed, the LDS Church's second temple to be built in Africa. Johnson served as a temple worker in this temple from the time it started operation.
Citations
Works cited
Haney, Veronica A., ""
Johnson, Joseph William Billy, "We Felt the Spirit of the Pioneers", in E. Dale LeBaron "All are Alike unto God": Fascinating conversion stories of African Saints pp. 13–23.
LeBaron, E. Dale "Joseph W. B. Johnson" in Garr, Arnold K., Donald Q. Cannon and Richard O. Cowan, ed. Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History pp. 577–578.
Morrison, Alexander B., The Dawning of a Brighter Day: The Church in Black Africa pp. 104–118.
