Reyna I. Aburto

Reyna I. Aburto
Reyna I. Aburto in 2018
Second Counselor in the general presidency of the Relief Society
April 1, 2017 (2017-04-01) – August 1, 2022
Called byJean B. Bingham
PredecessorLinda S. Reeves
SuccessorKristin M. Yee
Personal details
BornReyna Blanco
October 1963 (age 61)
Managua, Nicaragua
Alma materUtah Valley University
Spouse(s)Carlos Aburto
Children3
ParentsNoel Blanco and Delbi Cardoza

Reyna Isabel Aburto[1] (born October 1963)[2] is a Nicaraguan-born American religious leader, language translation specialist, and public speaker. She served as the second counselor to Jean B. Bingham in the Relief Society General Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from April 2017 to August 2022.[3][4][5][6]

Aburto was born in Managua, Nicaragua, to Noel Blanco and his wife, Delbi Cardoza. She moved to California in 1984 as civil violence increased in Nicaragua. She joined the LDS Church in California in 1989 and moved to Utah shortly afterward. In 1993, she married Carlos Aburto, a native of Mexico, in the Jordan River Temple, and they are the parents of three children.[7][8] She has a degree in computer science from Utah Valley University.[9] She worked in the language industry for more than 25 years and owns a translation company with her husband.[10]

Aburto's family attended Spanish-speaking congregations until 2013, when they began attending their neighborhood English-speaking ward. From 2012 to 2016, Aburto was a member of the LDS Church's Primary General Board. She has traveled widely as a counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. In August 2018, she visited residents of a shelter in Guatemala built by LDS Humanitarian Services.[11][12]

At the church's October 2019 general conference, Aburto spoke about issues of mental illness, including her father's death from suicide.[13][14] In March 2020, Aburto was the keynote speaker at the International Women-in-Diplomacy Day Luncheon.[15]

  1. ^ "Reyna I. Aburto". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. November 9, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  2. ^ Johnson, Valerie (July 20, 2017). "Sister Reyna I. Aburto: New Relief Society leader says the gospel was something she didn't know she needed". Church news. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  3. ^ "Sister Reyna I. Aburto". churchofjesuschrist.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  4. ^ "Sister Reyna I. Aburto Says Gospel Was Something She Didn't Know She Needed". churchofjesuschrist.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  5. ^ Passey, Brian. "LDS Church announces new female leaders". The Spectrum. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  6. ^ "Meet the New Relief Society and Primary general presidencies sustained during the April 2022 General Conference". Church News. April 7, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  7. ^ Toone, Trent (April 1, 2017). "New LDS general Relief Society presidency is unique". Deseret News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020.
  8. ^ "Mormon church announces new Relief Society and 'Primary' program leadership". St. George News. April 2, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Scholl, Jacob. "LDS Church announces new leadership for the Relief Society". Ogden Standard-Examiner. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  10. ^ Stack, Peggy Fletcher (April 7, 2017). "New Mormon women's leaders bring a global bent". Salt Lake Tribune.
  11. ^ "LDS Church Relief Society, Primary leaders visit victims of volcano eruption in Guatemala". KSTU-TV. August 31, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  12. ^ Pugmire, Genelle. "LDS Church sees growth coming from women, leaders say". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  13. ^ Roe, Ginna (October 7, 2019). "Latter-day Saint leaders offer message of hope for those with mental health issues". KUTV. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  14. ^ "Talk by Reyna I. Aburto". www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  15. ^ Deseret News report on luncheon speech