Peter M. Johnson facts for kids

Peter M. Johnson was born on November 29, 1966. He is a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as a General Authority Seventy. He made history as the first African-American General Authority in the church.

Johnson grew up in Queens, New York City. When he was a teenager, he was a rapper. He performed at parties and school dances. Around age 12, he became a Muslim in New York.

When he was 14, Johnson moved to Hawaii to live with his mother. There, he played basketball. He even got a scholarship to play at Brigham Young University–Hawaii. He met missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A religion professor also encouraged him to join.

The next year, he moved to Dixie State College. He kept playing basketball there. After his first year at Dixie State, he was baptized a member of the Church in Hawaii. After his second year, Johnson served as a missionary for the Church in Alabama.

Education and Basketball Success

Johnson went to Southern Utah University (SUU). He earned two degrees in accounting there. He also played on the SUU basketball team. He scored 753 points in total. After the 1990–91 season, he was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

After graduating in 1992, he started working. He was a staff accountant for an accounting firm called Grant Thornton International in Salt Lake City.

Becoming a Professor

After working as an accountant, Johnson decided to teach. He earned a Ph.D. in accounting from Arizona State University. Then, he became a professor at BYU–Hawaii.

In 2003, he joined the accounting team at Brigham Young University. Later, in 2011, he moved to the University of Alabama. There, he was a tenured associate professor. He also led diversity and inclusion efforts for the business college. He taught accounting classes to college students.

Church Service and Leadership

Peter M. Johnson has held many important roles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has served as a financial clerk and a leader for young men. He was also a ward mission leader.

In 2013, Johnson was called as the president of the Bessemer Alabama Stake. This was a big step. He was the first black man to serve as a stake president in Alabama.

In 2018, he became an Area Seventy. In April 2019, he was called as a General Authority Seventy. This was a historic moment. Some news reports called him the first high-ranking "black" leader. However, other black leaders had served before him. These included Helvécio Martins from Brazil, Joseph W. Sitati from Kenya, and Edward Dube from Zimbabwe. Johnson is the first African-American to hold this position.

In October 2019, Johnson spoke at the church's worldwide General Conference. His talk was called "Power to Overcome the Adversary." It was noted as the first talk by an African-American at General Conference in the modern era.

In January 2020, the Church announced a new assignment for Johnson. Starting in July 2020, he would serve as the president of the England Manchester Mission.

Family Life

In 1990, Peter M. Johnson married Stephanie Lyn Chadwick. Stephanie also played college basketball. They have four children. Their daughters, Kiana and Whitney, both played college basketball. At one point, they both played for the SUU team, just like their father.