Linda Kjar Burton was born and raised in the church. When she was a teenager, her parents were called to serve as Mission President in New Zealand.

In college, she studied Elementary Education and married her husband in the Salt Lake Temple on August 7, 1973. She stayed at home, raising their six children over the years.

In 1984, as a mother of four small children, she was diagnosed with cancer six weeks before Christmas.

Her husband worked in Real Estate and when the economy took a plunge, no one was buying or selling their homes as interest rates had skyrocketed. For one year, there was no work. During this time, Sis. Burton fed her family on their food storage. Miracles happened occasionally. For example, one day they came home to a box full of fresh meat on their counter. To this day they don’t know how someone was able to get in and leave it there. But it had come at a fortuitous time. Just when her husband began bringing an income in, they were using the last of what had been stored.

Of this experience, she testified,

“We could look to the future with confidence, because we learned that if we do all we can and put our trust in Him, the Lord makes up the difference.”

She served on the Primary and Relief Society Board. Then she and her husband were called to serve as the president of the Korea Seoul West Mission. When they returned, she was called back into the Relief Society Board.

During her presidency, she focused on our temple covenants and claiming the blessings that come with them.

Milestones during her presidency:

The Church modified their Priesthood Executive Council to include women.

• “I Was a Stranger” was launched as the church refugee relief effort. Because of this outreach, the year 2016 was the most impactful year in the history of LDS Charities as Relief Society sisters rose to the effort. It continues to bring an outpouring of relief to the refugee situation.
• Our updated purpose of Relief Society, which now states:

Relief Society helps prepare women for the blessings of eternal life as they:

• Increase faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement;
• Strengthen individuals, families, and homes through ordinances and covenants; and
• Work in unity to help those in need.

Her presidency has influenced sisters to seek after the spiritual nature of Relief Society. More and more sisters are attending the temple and claiming their blessings.

Information from lds.org and various interviews.