Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson will lead this year’s Days of ’47 Parade as grand marshal, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced.
Her husband, Doug, will join her for the Pioneer Day parade to be held July 24 in commemoration of the Latter-day Saint pioneers who entered the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. President Johnson will be the second woman to be grand marshal of the annual parade.
“I am delighted to serve as the grand marshal of the Days of ’47 Parade,” President Johnson said in a church press release.
“Of course, I love a good parade but also appreciate the significance of this assignment where we honor our pioneer ancestors. So, I’m honored to do this and I’m excited for the parade.”
President Johnson is a descendant of pioneers who came to the Salt Lake Valley in the 1800s, the church press release states. She draws strength from her ancestry, and her service has enabled her to learn from modern-day pioneers worldwide.
“I know there are pioneers all over the world pioneering in their own ways,” President Johnson said. “I think we ought to emulate the qualities of those early pioneers who were tenacious, sought unity in their efforts and remained faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
President Johnson was called to the Relief Society general presidency in April 2022. Before then, she served as the church’s Primary general president for 16 months and led the Peru Arequipa Mission with her husband from 2016 to 2019.
She studied at the University of Utah, graduating in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in English and in 1989 with a law degree. She practiced law for nearly 30 years.
As leader of the church’s Relief Society, President Johnson has led initiatives focused on the temporal and spiritual relief of women and children worldwide, according to the church’s release. She has led major church humanitarian efforts and strengthened collaborations with nonprofits worldwide.
“Whenever we do anything to bring relief to others — temporal or spiritual — we are bringing them to Jesus Christ and will be blessed to find our own relief in him,” President Johnson has said.
Learn more about President Johnson and how service and trust in Jesus Christ has shaped her life here.