Parkin was born in Murray, Utah, and spent much of her young life with her four siblings on her family's farm in Herriman, Utah. Money was tight, and Bonnie says her teeth remain crooked because her family didn't have money to buy braces. Rural upbringing taught Bonnie the value of work, and she went on to earn a bachelor's degree in elementary education and early childhood development from Utah State University in Logan, Utah. Bonnie believes she has had many experiences that have helped her prepare for service in the Relief Society.