The oldest leader in history at the Latter-day Saint Church of Jesus Christ passed away on Saturday at his home in Salt Lake City. Before joining the church, Russell M. Nelson was a prominent cardiac surgeon.
Russell M. Nelson, president of the Mormon Church, died in 101.
Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the oldest ever to lead the church, passed away at the age of 101 at his home in Salt Lake City.
Scripps News -KSTU Salt Lake City
Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the oldest ever to lead the church, passed away on September 27th at the age of 101 at his home in Salt Lake City.
Nelson died shortly after 10pm local time on Saturday and was survived by his wife Wendy, according to a church statement. 8 of his 10 children since his first marriage. 57 grandchildren; over 167 great grandchildren.
Before joining church leadership, Nelson was a prominent cardiac surgeon and performed his first open heart surgery in Utah in 1955. He was known for serving as the top board and association on the field during his career, including the president of the Utah Physicians Association and director of the American Thoracic Surgery, and for supporting the development of artificial heart and lung machines.
Nelson turned his attention to full-time church leaders in 1984, and later joined the church’s second-highest governing body, the 12 apostles Quorum, and in January 2018 he won the helm as the church president.
Nelson’s tenure as president of the Latter-day Saints’ Church of Jesus Christ was marked by several drastic policy changes and the noisyness of the new temple buildings.
In 2019 he was labelled “apostates” by same-sex member couples, rolling back a policy that prohibited minor children from religious rituals.
Pew Research’s 2023-24 US Religious Landscape Study identifies approximately 2% of American adults as Latter-day Saints or Mormons. Most of these members live in 69% west, and the church’s world headquarters was established in Salt Lake City in the mid-19th century.
Kathryn Palmer is a political reporter for USA Today. You can contact her kapalmer@usatoday.com And with x @Kathrynplmr.
