The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the calling of a new counselor in the Primary general presidency during the 187th Annual General Conference on April 1.
Sister Jean B. Bingham, who was released as first counselor in the Primary general presidency, was called as Relief Society general president with Sister Sharon Eubank and Sister Reyna I. Aburto as counselors.
Sister Bingham’s calling left a vacancy in the Primary general presidency. Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, formerly the second counselor, became first counselor, and Sister Cristina B. Franco is the new second counselor.
Sister Franco is serving with her husband, Rodolfo Franco, as he presides over the Argentina Resistencia Mission. She will assume her new duties when their mission concludes in July. Learn about her life and testimony below:
Sister Cristina Franco
From a young age, Sister Cristina Franco, sustained April 1 as second counselor in the Primary general presidency, learned that if she had a question she could turn to Heavenly Father in prayer for an answer.
“I remember going to my mom when I was 11 or so, and I remember asking her a doctrinal question,” she said. “She answered my question, but told me, ‘You don’t have to take my word for it.’ So I prayed and asked my Heavenly Father if it was true.”
Her prayer was answered and from then on she knew she had a Heavenly Father who loves her and would answer her prayers.
Cristina Beatriz Fraga was born in 1958 to Hugo R. and Maria A. Godoy Fraga in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is the oldest child and has three younger brothers.
When she was only 3 years old, missionaries knocked on her parents door. After studying and attending Church for about eight months, the couple joined the Church and began raising their family in the gospel. It was in Primary that she first met Rodolfo C. Franco, a child who later became her “best friend.”
In 1977, when she was 18, Sister Franco’s parents decided to move their family to Utah. At that time, she and Rodolfo knew they wanted to be married but Rodolfo was required to serve in the Argentine military for a time. The two wrote letters and once he was done with his military service the couple married on Dec. 15, 1978, in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of three sons and have nine grandchildren.
The couple followed in the footsteps of Sister Franco’s father, a watchmaker, and together worked at a watch and clock shop in Salt Lake City for nearly three decades.
Sister Franco has served in many capacities in the Church within the Primary, Young Women, Relief Society and Sunday School organizations. She served on the Primary general board for five years beginning in 2005, and at the time of her call was serving with her husband as he presides over the Argentina Resistencia Mission.
mholman@deseretnews.com @marianne_holman
