Once again, the Lord calls well-trained women who have served Him faithfully. Jean Barrus Bingham was serving in the Primary General Presidency before being called as the 17th president of the General Relief Society. Even before that, she served as a temple worker in the Chicago, Illinois Temple and a Seminary teacher.
Born in Provo, Utah, she has lived all over the United States with her parents; Texas, Minnesota, and New Jersey.
While in college, she married Bruce Bingham, in 1972, and stayed home to raise their two girls, as well as several foster children. But after raising all these children, she returned to school and received associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in teaching and education.
Two weeks after being called as the Relief Society General President, she addressed a faith-based panel discussion at the United Nations. She stated a hope that these organizations “will all work together through small and simple means to accomplish extraordinary things.” This is interestingly reminiscent of Emma Smith’s plea to the sisters in that first Relief Society meeting in Nauvoo.
In 2018, she was invited to pray at the White House, as part of the National Day of Prayer, along with four others. Those invited were Billy Graham’s granddaughter, a Hindu priest, a Hassidic Rabbi, and a Catholic Cardinal.
Traveling the world, Sis. Bingham has spoken about and seen first-hand, the great work of humanitarian aid that is being accomplished for those in great need. And she has returned to the United Nations sharing the humanitarian efforts made by our church.
Sister Bingham hopes sisters will recognize the good in themselves as well as one another. She says,
“It’s a temptation, with the influences of the world, to compare ourselves with others, which is counter-productive and opposite of what Heavenly Father wants for us. When we center our lives on Jesus Christ, we really know who we are.”
Information gathered from lds.org and various news articles.