Susan Evans McCloud

Susan Evans McCloud (born July 28, 1945) is an American novelist, author, poet and hymn-writer. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and her work often reflects her religious beliefs.

McCloud lived much of her adult life in Provo, Utah.^[1] She is the mother of six children.^[2] She is an active member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, has written several programs for ldsradio.org,^[clarify] and other materials for the LDS Church.^{[citation needed]} She and her family are involved in their Scottish heritage.^{[citation needed]} Her only son plays the bagpipes, and was featured in "A Celebration of Family History" held in the LDS Conference Center in April 2010.^{[citation needed]} She was a docent at Brigham Young's Beehive House in Salt Lake City for over 20 years, and docent for the Etruscan Exhibit at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art.

McCloud was a member of Joseph A. Cannon's 1992 Utah County Steering Committee when he was seeking the Republican Nomination for Senate.^[3]

In 2004, McCloud was given the Reed Smoot Citizenship Awards business women of the year award.^[4]

Two of McCloud's hymns appear in the LDS Church's 1985 hymnbook. One of these, "Lord I Would Follow Thee," has also been recorded by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.^[5] Lines from this hymn have been quoted in essays by church leaders,^[6] and it has even been called "one of the best-loved songs in the LDS Church"^[7] McCloud wrote her other hymn, "As Zion's Youth in Latter Days," with the goal of giving strength to a "vacillating youth."^[8]

McCloud has also contributed to film music used by the LDS Church's seminaries.^[9]

McCloud has published more than 45 books, both fiction and non-fiction.^[10] Since the late 1970s she has published nearly one novel annually, many through the publishers Bookcraft or Scribe Publishing. Her novel Black Stars Over Mexico was a best seller in January 1985.^[11] Her non-fiction Brigham Young: An Inspiring Personal Biography was partly developed as a result of her 30 years as a docent at the Beehive House in Salt Lake City, a former home of LDS Church leader Brigham Young.^[12][13]

Many of her novels are historical fiction of 19th-century Latter-day Saints in far-flung places, such as England or India, and feature elements of chaste romance and mild suspense. Some reviewers have criticized her novels as being heavy-handed with their pro-Latter-day Saint messages, and of being repetitious of previous themes, but reviews have also noted McCloud's strong characters and the power of her descriptions.^[14] Her work has been reviewed by Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought^[15] Although rejected by some critics, her work is praised by others, such as Deseret News columnist Jerry Johnston.^[16]

McCloud's poetry first appeared in the Ensign magazine in 1972.

McCloud has also written scripts for film and television productions, including the script for making one of her books into a made-for-TV movie.^[17] In the late 1960s, she wrote by-line feature articles for the Dixon Evening Telegraph in Dixon, Illinois, the hometown of Ronald Reagan.

• Mentioned in Lavina Fielding Anderson (1994) "Utah Literature". Utah History Encyclopedia.
• Susan Evans McCloud at the MLCA Database