President Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women general president, was born on March 11, 1964. She was sustained on March 31, 2018. At the time, she was serving as the first counselor in the Primary general presidency. She has also served in her ward and stake Primary, Young Women and Relief Society organizations, and taught early-morning seminary.
President Cordon grew up on an 80-acre farm in Idaho Falls, Idaho, the third of seven children. She served a full-time mission in the Portugal Lisbon Mission. She married her husband, Derek, in the Salt Lake Temple in April 1986 and they have four children. She served with her husband as he presided over the Brazil Curitiba Mission from 2010 to 2013.President Cordon worked in management in the software industry, and later started her own business in Boise, Idaho. She was a school volunteer in Idaho and Utah, serving in PTA, the classroom and community council.
In honor of President Cordon’s birthday today, here are nine of her quotes from the past year.
1. 'How do you trust in the Lord?'
"I hope you’ve been able to see a bit of yourself in some of the people we met today. We’ve heard, for example, that trusting the Lord with all of our hearts sometimes means stepping out of our comfort zone and finding strength and courage in the Savior’s comfort."
“It means that even though we don’t understand everything, we can know and trust that the Lord loves us.”
— Face to Face event, March 9, 2022
2. Attending the temple
“My friend Valynn simply extended an invitation to do something she loved with someone she loved—me! No, I couldn’t go, but the thought kept piercing my mind. Maybe I could make it more of a priority. A holy invitation was a catalyst for change....Soon I found myself attending the temple more regularly, even when it took juggling not just schedules but children too! The temple has changed me from the inside out, and it was all because of an outside phone call in — from Valynn to me.”
— Social media post on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2022
3. Lessons from the bamboo tree
"Do not be discouraged if you feel you are standing still. The growth is happening within, and you have the most incredible and the most gentle gardener: your Father. Continue with your valiant efforts. The growth is happening; the year is coming!
“Just trust with all your heart.”
— This Week on Social, Feb. 17, 2021
4. 'He is the way'
"Sometimes the ache to know we belong bursts out of us like it did Jack-Jack, but there is purpose in the ache. It guides our hearts to look to heaven for answers, giving our Savior the chance to speak to us. Without the ache, would we search?
"So maybe it’s on purpose. Maybe what we think is an ache is really a call from home. We don’t just long to belong; we long to belong to Him."
— This Week on Social, Jan. 9, 2021
5. Trust in the Lord
“If I’m going to trust anyone in my life, it’s usually because I have a great relationship with them,” President Cordon said. “So I hope this year, as youth do so well, that they can create an enhanced understanding of who the Savior is.”
— Young Women and Young Men general leaders: 3 ways youth can ‘Trust in the Lord’ in 2022, Jan. 2, 2022
6. Know your purpose
“One of Satan’s most powerful weapons is to distract us with good and better causes which, in times of need, may blind and bind us away from the best cause, the very work that called us into this world. …
“Our eternal purpose is to come unto Christ and to actively join Him in His great work.”
— “Come Unto Christ, and Don’t Come Alone,” Oct. 2, 2021
7. Youth as leaders
“Truly, this is a remarkable time for these youth. And this is a remarkable time for you as parents, as grandparents, as leaders, to watch this come to fruition as they step up.
“And as they lead, and as they direct, as they petition heaven for others … they will be the mighty youth that will help us be victorious as we prepare the world for the Second Coming of our Savior.”
— BYU Education Week remarks, Aug. 20, 2021
8. The Children and Youth Program of the Church
″[A]s we come to know the Savior, no one is settled to know Him by ourselves. And then what happens is, everyone wants others to know Him also. And so the end goal is we strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; it’s to let others also know about the good news. And as these youth come to know the Savior — and they’re starting to progress, and they’re doing as the Savior did to grow spiritually and physically, intellectually, and socially — they are remarkable, because they’re always putting an arm around someone else, and letting that person know about the Savior.”
— Church News podcast, June 15, 2021
9. 'Kindness in Christ'
“My beloved friends, no matter the rubble that may surround your feet, no matter the mess you feel you are in, look up and know that the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ shines through you for those around you. The Lord’s light is more than enough. You are enough. Stand tall, and shine on.”
— BYU Women’s Conference remarks, April 29, 2021
