Lewiston Mayor Made Bishop of Smithfield YSA

Tensions were high on July 23 for the Smithfield YSA 4th Ward as the Bishopric was being reassigned. Bishop Clint Ward of Ward Plumbing in Richmond has been serving the position as of 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Brother Ray Neilson of Richmond was also called as his first Counselor, and Lynn Goodsell of Newton as his Second Counselor. 

As the members of the ward came together on the morning of that day, many speculated on who would be called as the new Bishop, and who his counselors would be. It was hard not to notice as many members of the Hall family from Lewiston, including Richmond Utah Stake President Mike Hall, stepped into the building. 

Jeff Hall—Mayor of Lewiston, Utah—was called as the Bishop of the Smithfield YSA 4th Ward, with Dustin Porritt from Newton as his First Counselor, and Bryce Christensen from Cove as his Second Counselor. 

Jeff Hall had previously served as a High Councilor of the YSA, so he is familiar with how a YSA Ward works. The Hall family have been long-time residents of Lewiston for generations. Jeff is an 8th generation dairyman, and warned the YSA that there would be plenty of dairy talk, corn chopping, and Oreo analogies.

Dustin Porritt has been working at Central Valley Machine Inc as of 2022.

On December 1st, 2022, the Church made an announcement saying that "An emphasis on young single adults serving in all YSA callings except stake president and bishop is one of the several newly adjusted guidelines cited in a notice titled 'Strengthening Young Single Adults.'" Bryce Christiansen has been a member of the YSA for a number of years and was serving as the Ward Executive Secretary before his call to the Bishopric, being the youngest member of the Bishopric at 23 years old.

All members of the Bishopric are humbled about their new calling, and the YSA ward members are excited to have their new Bishopric. The old members of the Bishopric will be missed, and are welcome to visit the YSA whenever they feel.

Bryce Christensen, Jeff Hall, Dustin Porritt