Sister J. Anette Dennis was sustained as first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency in the April 2022 general conference and began her service on Aug. 1, 2022. She was born on June 27, 1960, in Provo, Utah, and raised in Mississippi, Tennessee, Iowa, Nebraska and Utah.
Sister Dennis studied elementary education and Spanish at Brigham Young University. While on a cultural trip with the BYU Spanish Department to Hermosillo, Mexico, she met Jorge Dennis, and they married in 1980. They have four children.
Before her call to the Relief Society general presidency, Sister Dennis was a member of the Primary general advisory council. She and her husband served as mission leaders in the Ecuador Guayaquil West Mission from 2013 to 2016. From 2017 to 2018, Sister Dennis served as assistant to the matron and her husband served as a counselor in the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple presidency. She has also served in Relief Society, Primary and Young Women on the ward and stake levels.
In honor of her birthday, here are nine quotes from Sister Dennis over the past year.
1. ‘You are not here by chance’
“We are all different, but what will unite us more than anything else is to remember who we are as daughters and sons of heavenly parents — we are spiritual sisters and brothers. ... You are children of the Most High God, and you are not here by chance. You have an important mission and purpose for being here on earth at this time.”
— Ensign College devotional, May 20, 2025
2. ‘At this time and for this time’
“You have been sent at this time and for this time. What does that say about who you are? What does that say about who you were before you came to this earth and the confidence your Father in Heaven had in you to send you in this time? What does that say about your purpose and mission of being here?”
— Pocatello YSA Conference in Pocatello, Idaho, May 15, 2025
3. ‘He knows what He’s doing’
“In the middle of life’s storms, we must remember that our Father loves us, that He knows what He’s doing, that everything is in His hands, and that He would not have us go through difficult challenges just to see us suffer.
“That is not His character, nor is it His plan.”
— Facebook post, May 2, 2025
4. ‘You do not need to fear the future’
“As you choose to abide in the Savior, He will abide in you, and you need never walk alone no matter where you go or what you do in this life. You do not need to fear the future because the Savior will be with you.”
— BYU Women’s Conference, April 30, 2025
5. Shared goals and collaboration in humanitarian work
“Humanitarian work is the common ground that can unite diverse groups in a shared goal. This includes religious institutions and humanitarian organizations, which, by collaborating, achieve greater reach and impact.”
— Panel remarks at World Congress on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue, March 17, 2025
6. Profound peace during chaos or uncertainty
“Dear brothers and sisters, I testify that you too can feel profound peace and God’s love for you in the middle of whatever chaos or uncertainty you may experience in your life, now or in the future. There is power, peace and protection in choosing a strong covenant relationship with our Father in Heaven and the Savior.”
— BYU devotional, Dec. 10, 2024
7. Blessings through a covenant relationship
“I tried to help the sisters understand the great blessings that can come to them and to their families by entering that covenant relationship and how much they would need that power and those blessings in the years ahead between now and the Second Coming. I invited them to prepare to enter the temple if they had not yet done so and to return to the temple if they haven’t been for a while.”
— Ministry in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, November 2024
8. ‘He will not leave them’
“I know some of you have loved ones who have left the Church or may have chosen a path that you know will lead to heartache. ... But I witness to you that the Savior knows them, He loves them, and He will not leave them. He takes the long view and never gives up on any of us. He will put people who can help them in their paths, and He can ultimately turn all things to their good — even things that may seem irreversible."
— Facebook post, Sept. 27, 2024
9. The journey to a heavenly home
“I am sure on that day we will all feel that the great effort to get there — the challenges, the trials, the heartaches, the work, the tears, the uphill climb — was all worth it, and we will be eternally grateful that we kept going even though many times the journey was incredibly difficult.”
— BYU–Idaho graduation, July 25, 2024
