For the first time in history, an African will lead a general presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Rosemary K. Chibota will lead the Primary general presidency, President D. Todd Christofferson announced Saturday during the afternoon session of the 196th Annual General Conference.
The Primary general presidency oversees the worldwide operation of the church’s children’s organization.
President Chibota’s first counselor will be Sister Nina M. Garfield and the second counselor will be Sister Theresa A. Collins.
The new presidency will begin service Aug. 1, 2026.
They replace the outgoing presidency of President Susan H. Porter and Sisters Amy A. Wright and Tracy Y. Browning.
The Primary is responsible for teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to children ages 18 months to 11 years, helping them build their faith.
The Primary General Presidency meets with and teaches Primary leaders and children throughout the world. They counsel with other general and local church leaders as they serve children and families.
President Chibota, 58, is a church employee of Malawian origin who was raised in Zimbabwe, according to a church news release. She now resides in South Jordan, Utah.
She works as a human resources generalist and previously worked as a senior executive assistant in the Quorum of the Seventy office.
President Chibota holds a master’s degree in management and leadership from Western Governors University and a bachelor of science degree in information technology from Colorado Technical University, per the release.
She and her husband, Joel, served together as mission leaders in the Alabama Birmingham Mission from 2022 to 2025. They have one child.
She has been serving as a Sunday School teacher and with her husband as a stake mission preparation instructor. She previously has served as a ward activities chair, in a ward Relief Society presidency, as a Primary teacher, in a ward Primary presidency, as seminary teacher, district Young Women president, Relief Society teacher, and branch Young Women president.
Sister Garfield, 67, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and American father, lives in Orem, Utah. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ in high school.
A homemaker who studied at Brigham Young University, she has been serving as a stake Relief Society president.
Sister Garfield has served as a stake Relief Society president and a ward Relief Society president and in a stake Primary presidency and a ward Primary presidency.
She and her husband, David, who is deceased, are the parents of five children.
Sister Collins, 64, lives in Draper, Utah. A homemaker who studied special education at Utah State University, she has been serving as a nursery leader, a temple ordinance worker and with her husband as a stake mission preparation instructor.
She and her husband, Richard, served together as mission leaders in the Arkansas Bentonville Mission from 2021 to 2024. They have four children.
Sister Collins previously served as a ward Relief Society president, a ward Young Women president and a ward Primary teacher, and in a stake Young Women presidency.
The Primary helps prepare children for service in the temple, which they can provide on a limited basis beginning at age 12, according to the church’s website.
Children in Primary receive gospel instruction in Sunday meetings and learn valuable skills in weekday activities.