Relief Society General President Camille Johnson Leads 2026 Pioneer Day Parade

Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints served as grand marshal of Utah’s 2026 Days of ’47 Parade on Friday, July 24, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

President Johnson received the invitation to lead the annual parade from Church President Dallin H. Oaks, who made a surprise appearance in the parade with his wife, Kristen. 

President Johnson and her husband, Doug, were dressed in their Western apparel, including jeans, cowboy boots and hats, as they participated in the annual Pioneer Day tradition alongside parade entries celebrating Utah history, culture and community service.

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“It’s a celebratory time when we reflect upon our pioneer ancestors, those that came to the Salt Lake Valley,” said President Johnson.

“They sought unity. They were devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were consecrated in their efforts. They made it a priority to build a temple so that they could receive ordinances there,” she said.

President Johnson reflected on her own pioneer ancestors who came to Utah from mostly European countries. Some migrated to Canada before settling in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.

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“I did have pioneer ancestors who made their way to Salt Lake City in September of 1847,” President Johnson added.

“I’m touched by their devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ, because many of them left lives that were relatively comfortable ... so that they could follow the call of prophets to assemble to Zion,” she said.

Today, Latter-day Saints are encouraged to build Zion locally within their own communities across the globe.

“I’ll be thinking about pioneers all over the world, people who are pioneering in their own way, forging a new path either in their own family or in their community,” she shared.

The Days of ’47 Parade is held each year in conjunction with Pioneer Day, which commemorates the arrival of Latter-day Saint pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. Between 1847 and 1868, some 60,000 to 70,000 Church members migrated across the North American Great Plains to Utah and the surrounding area.

This year's parade precedes the Salt Lake Temple Celebration following a more than six-year renovation of the pioneer-era structure. Several floats in the parade featured the Salt Lake Temple, which will be open to the public from April 5 to October 1, 2027.

Jeremy Moser of the Herriman Utah South Stake helped create an award-winning float featuring 350 dolls. 

Moser said all the dolls represent ancestors of people in his congregation.

“We encouraged our stake members to research their pioneer ancestors,” he said. “Once they came back with some memorable stories, we had the members come and decorate the dolls.

Another float featuring the pioneer-era temple was created by the South Jordan Utah Glenmoor Stake.

“It's being carved out of a granite rock, and the blessings that are flowing from the temple, or symbolically the Church, are flowing down and blessing the world,” explained Cori Shaw.

The Salt Lake Temple was the primary feature of the float created by the Sandy Utah Cottonwood Creek Stake. Organizer Joe Williams said a committee of up to 18 people put the float together in three months.

Since 2022, President Johnson has served as Relief Society General President, helping lead the Church's 8 million women and humanitarian initiatives that bless women and children throughout the world.