Church News - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

New mission presidents

Published: Saturday, March 6, 2004

E-mail story

It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.

Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.

Eight new mission presidents, called by the First Presidency, have been announced. The new leaders and their wives will begin service about July 1. Assignments for all mission presidents are announced in this issue on pages 8-9. The new leaders and their wives are:

Brent and Robin Bonham
Brent Reynolds Bonham, 50, India Bangalore Mission; Corner Canyon 1st Ward, Draper Utah Corner Stake; stake president, former bishop, high councilor, counselor in a bishopric and missionary. Owner of Stan Bonham Co. Born in Murray, Utah, to Stanley Bert and Anne Marie Reynolds Bonham. Married Robin Fay Stone; six children.

A gospel doctrine teacher, she is a former ward Young Women president, ward Relief Society president, counselor in stake Primary presidency and ward Primary president. Born in Murray, Utah, to Lloyd Phillip and Emily Ennis Stone.

Gary and Debra Gessel
Gary Frederick Gessel, 51, Missouri St. Louis Mission; Chambers Creek Ward, Tacoma Washington South Stake; multi-stake public affairs director, former counselor in stake presidency, bishop, Scoutmaster and missionary in the New Zealand North Mission. Vice president and chief financial officer for Milgard Manufacturing. Born in Opportunity, Wash., to Clain Frederick and Dorothea Call Gessel. Married Debra Elizabeth Beyer; five children.

A ward Young Women president, she is a former Primary teacher, Relief Society teacher, chorister, counselor in ward Young Women presidency. Born in Palo Alto, Calif., to Rodney Bringhurst and Delia Jean Callander Beyer.

Jeannette and Douglas Johnson
Douglas Russell Johnson, 55, Alabama Birmingham Mission; Salem 1st Ward, Salem Utah West Stake; former high councilor, ward nursery leader, Aaronic Priesthood adviser, bishop, counselor in bishopric and missionary in the Tonga Mission. Owner Project Control Inc. Born in Spanish Fork, Utah, to Russell Archibald and Veda Hicks Johnson. Married Jeannette Hughes; five children.

A Relief Society specialist, she is a former Sunday School teacher, nursery leader, ward Relief Society president and ward Primary president. Born in Spanish Fork, Utah, to Reed Gardner and Jean Creer Hughes.

James and Teresa Kougioulis
James Clyde Kougioulis Jr., 54, Chile Concepcion Mission; Little Cottonwood 18th Ward, Murray Utah Little Cottonwood Stake; counselor in stake presidency, former bishop, stake mission president, ward Young Men president and missionary in the Guatemala-El Salvador Mission. Owner and president of Nationwide Management Corp. Born in Butte, Mont., to James Clyde Sr., and Esther Marie Jago Kougioulis. Married Teresa Green; two children.

A stake visiting teacher specialist, she is a former seminary teacher, stake Young Women president, ward Young Women president and ward Young Women adviser. Born in Mount Pleasant, Utah, to Joe Billy and Dona Mae Siler Green.

Dan and Delayne Morris
Dan W Morris, 53, Peru Lima North Mission; Alma 13th Ward, Mesa Arizona West Stake; former counselor in stake presidency, ward Young Men president, bishop, counselor in bishopric and missionary in the Guatemala-El Salvador Mission. Vice president of Northern Trust Bank. Born in Safford, Ariz., to Max Arnold and Cherrial Josephine Updike Morris. Married DeLayne Littlefair; seven children.

A stake Young Women secretary, she is a former ward Young Women president, ward Relief Society president, stake Primary president, and missionary in the Uruguay-Paraguay Mission. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to John Henry and Vivian Viola Littlefair.

Steven and Joann Sorensen
Steven James Sorensen, 61, Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission; Columbia Heights Ward, Vancouver Washington Stake; counselor in a bishopric, stake mission president, supervisor of Portland Oregon Temple open house, counselor in stake presidency, counselor in Oregon Portland mission presidency and missionary in Austria Mission. Dentist. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Wesley Alvin "Brick" and Donna Durrant Sorensen. Married Joann Alder; seven children.

She is a former stake Relief Society president, counselor in ward Relief Society presidency, seminary teacher, stake Primary president and ward Relief Society president. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Bryant Alfred and Afton Carter Alder.

Joel and Alzina Warner
Joel Whiting Warner, 58, Australia Melbourne West Mission; Mandarin 1st Ward, Jacksonville Florida East Stake; former stake president, counselor in stake presidency, stake Young Men president, bishop, and missionary in the Montana Mission. Co-owner Liberty Tax Service. Born in San Francisco, Calif., to Clifford Elisha and Beryl Whiting Warner. Married Alzina Maria Higginson; seven children.

A seminary teacher, she is a former counselor in stake Relief Society presidency, stake missionary, counselor in stake Primary presidency, ward Primary president and counselor in stake Young Women presidency. Born in Denver, Colo., to Elmo Cassim and Lelia Hatch Higginson.

Connie and Roger Wright
Roger B Wright, 63, Colorado Denver South Mission; Idaho Falls 31st Ward, Idaho Falls Idaho Central Stake; former stake president and counselor, counselor in Idaho Boise Mission presidency and bishop. Attorney. Born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Orice B. and Zelda Williams Wright. Married Connie Revon Porter; five children.

A counselor in stake Relief Society presidency, she is a former stake Relief Society adviser, ward Relief Society and Young Women president and stake Young Women president. Born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to John Lloyd and Edris Revon Hayward Porter.