The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a new Young Women general presidency and a new first counselor in the Primary general presidency during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Annual General Conference. President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency announced that Bonnie H. Cordon will serve as general president of the Young Women organization, which is for female Church members ages 12 through 17. Michelle Craig has been called as the first counselor, and Becky Craven will serve as second counselor.
Below is biographical information for each member of the new presidency:
Young Women President: Bonnie H. Cordon
Sister Bonnie H. Cordon was called as the new Young Women general president. At the time of her call, Sister Cordon was serving as the first counselor in the Primary general presidency.
Sister Cordon served with her husband, Derek, as he presided over the Brazil Curitiba Mission. She has also served in various callings in the Primary, Young Women and Relief Society organizations. She served a full-time mission in the Portugal Lisbon Mission.
Sister Cordon received a bachelor’s degree in education from Brigham Young University. She worked in management in the software industry.
Sister Cordon and her husband are the parents of four children and have four grandsons.
Young Women First Counselor: Michelle D. Craig
Sister Michelle D. Craig was called as the first counselor in the Young Women general presidency. Sister Craig was serving as a member of the Primary general board at the time of her call.
She has served in many positions in the Primary, Young Women and Relief Society organizations, as well as gospel doctrine teacher in Sunday School. Sister Craig served a mission in the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo Mission.
She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Brigham Young University.
Sister Craig and her husband, E. Boyd Craig, have three children and six grandchildren.
Young Women Second Counselor: Becky Craven
Sister Becky Craven was called as the second counselor is the Young Women general presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in March 2018.
Sister Craven’s parents joined the Church when she was four-years-old while her father, a career Army officer, was stationed at Ft. Bliss, Texas. She received a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Brigham Young University.
Sister Craven met her husband are the parents of five children and have 18 grandchildren.
Mostly recently, Sister Craven was an ordinance worker in the Bountiful Utah Temple. She also served with her husband when he was president of the North Carolina Charlotte Mission.
Primary First Counselor: Lisa Harkness
Sister Lisa Harkness was called as the new first counselor in the Primary general presidency. Sister Harkness has been serving on the Primary general board since September 2017. The Primary organization is for children ages 18 months to 11 years.
She was born in Los Angeles, California, to Ronald and LaRae Long.
Sister Harkness has served in many positions in the Church, including stake Young Women president, Relief Society president and Gospel Doctrine teacher. She served a full-time mission in the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission, where she taught in Spanish.
Sister Harkness has a bachelor’s degree in political science and secondary teaching from Brigham Young University. She and her husband, David, have five children and two grandchildren.
