As he bore his testimony to LDSBC students, Brother Durrant said, “You don’t have to have self-confidence. You have to have Christ-confidence.” He shared how experiences in his life had helped him understand that the type of man he always wanted to be was a Priesthood man. As he tried to serve and do his best, he understood how in Christ’s name everything is possible.
Sister Black shared how before retiring she was a professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU for several years. As she studied the life of Joseph Smith, she deepened her testimony of him as the Prophet of the Restoration. Sister Black said that had she been alive in 1844, she would have voted for Joseph Smith when he ran for President. “He was a good man trying to change the world,” she testified.
She explained why Joseph Smith had decided to be a presidential candidate. As he watched over the pioneers, he sent letters to presidential candidates asking what they would do with the land taken from the pioneers. When he did not receive a solid answer, in January 1844 he called a political meeting consisting of Church leaders.
During the gathering, Joseph Smith agreed to be launched as a presidential candidate to help the Saints. The Council of Fifty was organized as a political body to help promote the idea. The leading brethren of the Church were supportive, and 350 volunteers traveled around the country to campaign for Joseph Smith’s candidacy. Eventually, opposition was created as Joseph Smith gained popularity among the citizens. Shortly after that, he was martyred in Carthage Jail.
Sister Black noted that people have always had questions about Mormon history, and that focus has grown. “Many people leave the Church because they have so many questions,” she said, “but we have stayed because we have received so many answers.” Along with her husband, she was proud to proclaim, “We have a message for you. The Church of Jesus Christ is true!”