Bonnie D. Parkin (born August 4, 1940) is an American religious leader, teacher, and speaker. She served as the fourteenth
Relief Society
The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...
General President of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church) from 2002 to 2007.
Early life and education
Parkin was born in
Murray, Utah
Murray () is a city situated on the Wasatch Front in the core of Salt Lake Valley in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for territorial governor Eli Murray, it is the state's fourteenth largest city. According to the 2020 census, Murray had a populat ...
and grew up with four siblings in
Herriman, Utah
Herriman ( ) is a city in southwestern Salt Lake County, Utah. The population was 55,144 as of the 2020 census. Although Herriman was a town in 2000, it has since been classified as a fourth-class city by state law. The city has experienced rapi ...
.
In 1963, she married James L. Parkin. She earned a degree in elementary education and early childhood development from
Utah State University
Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
(USU) in
Logan, Utah
Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 census recorded the population was 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Cache County and Franklin ...
. Parkin and her husband moved to
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
as he finished his residency. The couple returned to Utah when he took a position in the division of otolaryngology at the
University of Utah School of Medicine
The University of Utah School of Medicine is located on the upper campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was founded in 1905 and is currently the only MD-granting medical school in the state of Utah.
History
The school began ...
. She taught elementary school for three years. Parkin’s community service included work as PTA board president, docent for
Utah Symphony
The Utah Symphony is an American orchestra based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The orchestra's principal venue is Abravanel Hall. In addition to its Salt Lake City subscription concerts, the orchestra travels around the Intermountain West serving c ...
, and page on
Utah Senate
The Utah State Senate is the upper house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The Utah Senate is composed of 29 elected members representing an equal number of senate districts. Each senate district is c ...
floor. She was also a public speaker and at community and religious events. In 2008, she received USU's Giving Heart Award.
LDS Church service
Parkin served in various capacities in the LDS Church, including
stake
Stake may refer to:
Entertainment
* '' Stake: Fortune Fighters'', a 2003 video game
* ''The Stake'', a 1915 silent short film
* "The Stake", a 1977 song by The Steve Miller Band from '' Book of Dreams''
* ''Stakes'' (miniseries), a Cartoon Netw ...
Young Women president,
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
Primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
* Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea
* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Works
* ...
president, and ward Relief Society president.
In September 1990, Parkin served as chairman of a transition committee which helped young women transition to membership in Relief Society. In 1994, she was called to serve as second counselor to
Janette C. Hales in the Young Women General Presidency. She then served with husband when he was
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of the church's England London South
Mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
from 1997 to 2000. While in London, she suffered from an inner ear blood clot and lost hearing in one ear.
[
In 2002, Parkin was called as the church's Relief Society General President. Kathleen H. Hughes and Anne C. Pingree served as her counselors; both have professional backgrounds in education.]Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
's annual Women's Conference in the same year. In an open letter to the Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
, Parkin and the other members of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary presidencies asked for strict guidelines on children's television content, including asking that family relationships, schools, and religions not be ridiculed. Her speech at the 2006 general Relief Society meeting emphasized that feeling God's love would help comfort women in the church.
Personal life
Parkin and her husband have four children and they live in Utah.
References
External links
Bonnie D. Parkin Official Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parkin, Bonnie D.
Living people
1940 births
Latter Day Saints from Utah
Utah State University alumni
General Presidents of the Relief Society
American educators