BYU Professor Susan Easton: My Testimony of Joseph Smith

My name is Susan Easton Black. I’m a professor in religion in Brigham Young University. I was born a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was baptized at age 8 by my father and during the time I was growing up, my grandmother lived in our home. Her job, among many other responsibilities was to make sure that I went to sleep. She would tell me stories at night and she would tell me stories about a man named Joseph Smith. Stories about people in the Book of Mormon and about pioneers…

The stories I had remembered the most were about pioneers, particularly about my own ancestors. I remember her telling me about a young girl that crossed the plains, escaped from religious persecution and arrived in the Salk Lake Valley with gunny sacks on her feet. My grandmother asked me: Would you have done that? And my comment was “No, what if someone had seen me?” And suddenly, my grandma said “She had faith and you don’t”.

Now, I actually took that as a challenge. And I suppose the challenge is still on. As a young girl I would read scriptures with the flashlight in bed when it was told that lights should go off. I would read such books as The history of Joseph Smith, by his mother Lucy Smith. I would read books like The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt – one of the great apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

And it was not long that I began to realize that I was reading to write. Through the process, I’ve written many, many books and several of them now on a man named Joseph Smith. Through that process I’ve learned some very interesting things. I’ve learned that from the time of his youthful utterance, there in the Palmira Woods in the spring of 1820, to his manly cry in the Jail at Carthage – that Joseph Smith was all that he said he was. That he was truly called by God to be a prophet, much like other prophets that have walked the Earth such as Moses, Isaiah, Elijah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Now if you were to say: What do I think about his teaching? He teaches us about God the Father. That God the Father loves us and that we are his children. He teaches us about Jesus Christ. We learn about Christ through the Holy Bible. But, in addition, as a member of the Church or Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I learned about Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon. I decided to make a most unusual study of that book – it was actually a simple process. But I went through the book and underlined every time the name of Christ appeared. I found that there were, on an average, on every 1.7 verses, the name of Christ appeared. If you were to compare that to the New Testament, on an average, every 2.1 verses has the name of Christ.

If you were to say just 5 word count of long – which Scripture was the best witness for Jesus Christ? Hands down, it’s the Book of Mormon. Now what’s been so interesting to me is that as life has gone on, I pursued a doctorate and was fortunate enough to be a professor. For 30 years now I’ve been a professor at Brigham Young University. During these years I’ve had an opportunity to teach many subjects. My most favourite has always been about the life of Joseph Smith. I had a chance to read primary sources. I had a chance to travel where Joseph travelled. To literally live at times, where he’s lived.

I’ve seen people who have said “I don’t think Joseph’s a prophet. I really like your church, I like the idea that families can be together forever. I like the idea of being morally clean and not smoking and not drinking. But it’s that Joseph Smith that I struggle with”. I then say to them – Without Joseph Smith, the prophet of restoration, all the things you say you like about our church, it just wouldn’t happen. Because Joseph was a prophet, because of Joseph Smith, I know that my husband has the authority to act in the name of God. That when I’m sick, he can give me a blessing. I also know that my husband, because he has the authority to act in the name of God, that he has the right to arraign our children to various priesthood offices. I joyed when my son became a deacon, when he became an Elder and I’m forever grateful for their lives. And more especially, for the life of my great husband.

I also know that because of Joseph Smith, I’ve been privileged to be sealed to my husband for all time and all eternity. You know, as time passes and you get older, we know that we have the privilege to be together forever. Now, the question is, wouldn’t you like that for yourself too? Wouldn’t you like to know that you have the right to call on the Heavenly Father that you can kneel in prayer? Wouldn’t you like the blessing of knowing that you have the priesthood in your home, that you had somebody in your home that loved you and that was worthy to act in the name of our Father in Heaven? Well, I feel most blessed. If you were to ask how I feel about the prophet Joseph Smith – I love his memory. I love what he taught. I’m always overwhelmed by his sacrifice. I am overwhelmed by his statement that he could not deny it and he would not, less it would come in accommodation with God.

I will be forever grateful for a man named Joseph Smith. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Lord’s church upon the earth. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I also know that the men have succeeded him as presidents of the church are also prophets of God. It is my hope that you will take the time to read the Book of Mormon, to find out the Mormon Church in your area, to pray and ask the Father in Heaven if the Book of Mormon is true. I testify that if you will do these things with sincerity and be humble, that you will find greater joy and happiness in this life than you had ever imagined.