Upon moving to Brigham City, the Johnston family traveled to Ogden, UT three times weekly to attend Church of Christ services. But during their first year in Utah, the Church of Christ rented a building in Brigham City, and, within a few years, church members built the first Brigham City Church of Christ meeting house, across the street from the local high school. This decision was a strategic one, motivated by a desire to compete with a nearby Mormon training center, which high school students attended as part of the school’s official curriculum.
While in Utah, the elder Johnston kids took turns hunting with their father Bill, climbing up the side of a nearby mountain, and traveling through a canyon, into lush, wooded areas. The wooded areas featured opportunities for trout fishing, and pathways to the flats, where they visited “Indian Caves” and Promontory Point, which is now a ghost town. The Johnston’s attended state-wide church camps in the summer, and they vacationed in California, to visit Mabel’s family, and West Virginia, to visit Bill’s family. Photographs document Daniel’s fourth birthday, which was celebrated with sled rids to visit reindeer in the mountains. In summertime, it was typical for anywhere from 10-25 neighborhood children to gather at the Johnston house to play games together, including “No Bears Are Out Tonight.”