Global faith leader and medical trailblazer Russell M. Nelson dies at age 101
News Team
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KIFI) — Communities worldwide are mourning the passing of Russell M. Nelson, the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a former world-renowned heart surgeon. President Nelson passed away peacefully at his home in Salt Lake City shortly after 10 p.m. MDT on Saturday at the age of 101, according to the Church.
Nelson became the prophet and leader of the global faith on January 14, 2018, after serving as an Apostle for the Church since April 7, 1984. His time as President was marked by a commitment to global engagement and unprecedented growth.
Legacy of Global Outreach and Historic Expansion
During his tenure, President Nelson visited 32 countries and U.S. territories, connecting with Latter-day Saints and government and religious figures. He spoke conversationally in 11 languages, underscoring his emphasis on global unity. A key theme of his leadership was the exponential increase in temple construction, with 200 new temples announced worldwide, a historic number for the Church.
His efforts to build relationships extended beyond his own faith. In March 2019, he held a notable meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, which he described as a “cordial, unforgettable experience.”
Courtesy: The Vatican
“His Holiness, he was most gracious and warm and welcoming,” President Nelson said of his visit with Pope Francis. “What a sweet, wonderful man he is, and how fortunate the Catholic people are to have such a gracious, concerned, loving, and capable leader.”
President Nelson also established a significant relationship with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), meeting with its leaders multiple times, most recently in June 2021, to promote civility and racial harmony.
Courtesy Photo: President Russell M. Nelson shakes hands with Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, in the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City, May 17, 2018. The Rev. Amos C. Brown, NAACP board member, far left, and NAACP chairman Leon W. Russell, far right, looks on.
In a speech to the NAACP’s annual convention in Detroit in July 2019, President Nelson emphasized unity: “We don’t have to be alike or look alike to have love for each other. We don’t even have to agree with each other to love each other.”
Distinguished Medical Career
Courtesy Photo: Russell M. Nelson in 1982. He was a world-renowned heart surgeon for many years before being called to be an Apostle in 1984.
Before his call to full-time Church service, Dr. Russell M. Nelson was a world-renowned pioneer in cardiothoracic surgery. His distinguished medical career includes performing the first open-heart surgery in Utah in 1955. He was also a key figure in developing a compact artificial heart and lung machine, an advancement that saved untold numbers.
His professional leadership included serving as president of the Society of Vascular Surgery, a director of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, and chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery for the American Heart Association.
“I think a surgeon is in a unique position to understand one of God’s greatest creations — the human body,” President Nelson once said, reflecting on his career, linking his medical expertise to his faith.
President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, who was called as an Apostle on the same day as Nelson in 1984, praised his character: “All of us who have worked with Russell M. Nelson… have marveled at his extraordinary modesty for a man of his great accomplishments… And [we] have marveled at his gentleness. He is just the gentlest and sweetest person you could ever hope to associate with.”
President Nelson is survived by his wife, Wendy, eight of his 10 children, 57 grandchildren, and more than 167 great-grandchildren.
A successor is not expected to be formally chosen by the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles until after President Nelson’s funeral. Local News 8 will provide updates on the funeral arrangements as details become available.