Primary General President Rosemary K. Chibota was sustained in April 2026 general conference and began her service on Aug. 1, 2026. Born on Oct. 16, 1967, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to Malawian parents, she is the ninth of 10 children. When she was 17, missionaries came to her parents’ home, and she was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Chibota met Joel Basil Chibota a few years after his brother served a mission in her home city. They were sealed in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple on Sept. 11, 1997. They moved to the United States, where they raised their daughter.
President Chibota earned a master’s degree from Western Governors University and a bachelor’s degree from Colorado Technical University. She has worked in various capacities for the Church in Salt Lake City, and the Chibotas served as mission leaders of the Alabama Birmingham Mission from 2022-2025.
In honor of her birthday today, here are nine of her quotes since she began serving as Primary general president.
1. Labels versus eternal identity
“The world invites us to focus on labels rather than eternal identity. However, labels can never fully capture who we truly are.”
— “A Child of God,” October 2026 general conference
2. Children can learn to pray
“They [children] will know that they can talk to their Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere, whether they’re at school or whether they are lost. They can stop and pray, and help will be sent to them by our Heavenly Father.”
— Devotional in Tacloban, Philippines, Sept. 19
3. The Lord loves families
“Participating in family activities and prioritizing quality time together can strengthen family bonds now and forever. The Lord loves families. And we love you.”
— September 2026 Friend to Friend broadcast, Sept. 13
4. Learn about the temple
“We invite everyone to come and see. And the children and youth, we are inviting you to come and we’re inviting you to take the lead in celebrating this wonderful temple, the house of the Lord. Children, we invite you to learn about the temple. ... We invite you to come and celebrate with us.”
— Primary Worldwide social media post, Sept. 8
5. Come closer to Jesus Christ through the temple
“Everyone is invited. We invite you to come and tour the temple. But this is more than touring a remarkable building, it is about coming closer to Jesus Christ.”
— Salt Lake Temple Celebration announcement, Sept. 1
6. Children are at the center of His work
“When the Savior visited the people of Nephi after His Resurrection, He asked that the little children be brought to Him. He took them ‘one by one,’ blessed them, and prayed for them (3 Nephi 17:21). I love this reminder that children are never an afterthought in the Savior’s work. They are at the center of His love. He sees them, He blesses them, and He invites us to help them know that they belong to Him.”
— Primary Worldwide social media post, Sept. 1
7. Stay tuned to the Holy Ghost
“Please do the work necessary to keep the Spirit with you. Stay tuned to the Holy Ghost through sincere prayer, through daily study of Preach My Gospel and the scriptures. Stay tuned through worthily partaking of the sacrament and keeping your covenants.”
— Devotional at Provo Missionary Training Center, Aug. 18
8. Children are very precious
“I know that children are very precious to our Father in Heaven and that He loves them and He has given us commandment through the scriptures that we need to be like little children. And I just am so excited to be able to teach these principles to the children of the Church, both young and old.”
— New Primary general presidency shares hope for children, Aug. 11
9. The Lord increases your capacity
“When you take on that gift [of a calling], the Lord increases your capacity to serve. He blesses you with the gifts and talents that you need to fulfill that calling that you wouldn’t otherwise have if you had not accepted that call.”
— Meet Primary General President Rosemary K. Chibota, July 11
