Samuel Smith is a natural teacher. As a native of Ontario, Canada, growing up near the cradle of the Restoration, Sam enjoyed giving tours of the Restoration sites to YSA groups. In his college years he spent a semester immersed living and studying in the Holy Land. Sam then completed his bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies (i.e., the Greco-Roman world that informs the New Testament) and a master’s degree in Hebrew Language and Literature. He led tours at BYU’s Museum of Art for the Masada and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibits. Sam earned his PhD in Instructional Psychology and Technology with an emphasis in second language learning with a focus on Arabic and Modern Hebrew.
Samuel has taught religion classes at both BYU and BYU-Idaho as well as Hebrew and Latin classes at BYU-Idaho. Sam loves studying all kinds of history, learning languages, and learning about other religions. He is the father of six daughters and the grandfather of one granddaughter. As such he empathizes with Zelophehad of old.