Susan H. Porter (born July 31, 1955) has been the 15th Primary general president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since August 2022.

Susan H. Porter
15th Primary General President
August 1, 2022 (2022-08-01)
Called byRussell M. Nelson
PredecessorCamille N. Johnson
Personal details
Born (1955-07-31) 31 July 1955 (age 68)
Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States
Alma materBrigham Young University
Spouse(s)
(m. 1977)
Children4

Biography edit

Porter is the daughter of Hans J. Holland and Charlene Coleman. She is a native of Ponca City, Oklahoma, and grew up in New York.[1] She earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Brigham Young University (BYU).[2] She has a diverse professional background, having served as a lab assistant at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and as a mathematics teacher.[1] She also volunteered in schools and collaborated with various community organizations.[1]

She married the late Bruce D. Porter in the Washington D.C. Temple in 1977. He later served as an LDS Church general authority. He passed away in 2016 of kidney failure. They have four children, who all attended BYU.[3]

LDS Church service edit

For one year prior to her call as Primary general president, Porter served as first counselor in the Primary General Presidency.[1] She served previously as a counselor in a stake Relief Society presidency and as both a ward Relief Society and Young Women president.[4]

In April 2022, Porter was sustained to succeed Camille N. Johnson as the church's Primary general president, effective on August 1, 2022.[5] Amy A. Wright was sustained as her first counselor, with Tracy Y. Browning as the second counselor. Browning is the first Black woman to serve in a church-wide presidency.[5]

The LDS Church is introducing a new hymnbook, entitled “Hymns–for Home and Church,” and Porter is serving as an advisor on the project, with a rollout in the first half of 2024 in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "LDS Church names new Primary presidency and general authorities", The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 April 2021. Retrieved on 3 November 2023.
  2. ^ Linder, Emily. "12 fascinating facts about the new Primary General Presidency", LDS Living, 1 October 2022. Retrieved on 3 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Receiving the Gifts of God", BYU Speeches, 1 November 2022. Retrieved on 3 November 2023.
  4. ^ "So Great a Cloud of Witnesses", BYU Speeches, 2023. Retrieved on 3 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "A look at the new top female LDS leaders — including a historic Primary pick", The Salt Lake Tribune, 6 April 2022. Retrieved on 3 November 2023.
  6. ^ Pugmire, Genelle. "Rollout of new hymnbook for Church of Jesus Christ to start next year", Daily Herald, 2 October 2023. Retrieved on 3 November 2023.

External links edit

See also edit

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles
Preceded by Primary General President
2022 – Current
Succeeded by
Current