Thousands of BYU-Idaho students gather to honor late LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson
News Team
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — A touching scene unfolded at BYU-Idaho’s campus today, Tuesday, October 7, 2025, as thousands of students and faculty gathered to watch the funeral and celebration of life for President Russell M. Nelson, the late prophet and 17th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
With all noon classes canceled, a quiet campus filled the I-Center auditorium to view the live broadcast of the services, which were held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The gathering served as a collective moment of mourning and remembrance for a leader who served as Church President for seven years.
Students attending the viewing shared with Local News 8 the profound impact President Nelson had on their lives and the Church during his tenure.
“It’s really cool to see a giant group like that gather together to, you know, sort of make a life of just one person,” said BYU-Idaho student Norrah Nielsen. “It’s awesome to see how one person can mean so much to the lives of many.”
President Nelson passed away on the evening of September 27, 2025, at the age of 101. The public funeral service officially concludes the period of tribute, which began with a special tribute broadcast on October 1, followed by a public viewing on October 6.
The funeral featured moving tributes to President Nelson, a world-renowned heart surgeon before his full-time church service. President Dallin H. Oaks, who currently serves as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — the governing body of the LDS faith, offered powerful words praising Nelson’s life and service.
“He will be remembered not only as a prophet, but as a bridge builder, a healer, and a man whose life bore witness to the power of faith in action,” said President Oaks
The passing of a Church President dissolves the governing First Presidency. Following established LDS Church precedent, President Dallin H. Oaks is expected to be named the next President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the coming days or weeks, succeeding President Nelson as the prophet.