, the most senior president in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away on Saturday in Salt Lake City. He was 101 years old.
The Church announced in a statement that he passed away peacefully at his home shortly after 10 p.m.
“His tenure as prophet will always be recalled for its global outreach… expanded temple construction… and significant transformation,” the statement indicated.
Dr. Nelson, a distinguished heart surgeon prior to dedicating himself fully to the church, was credited with enacting extensive changes within the church during his presidency.
He eased some of the church’s policies concerning LGBT members, permitting and rescinding a policy that categorized same-sex married couples as “apostates.”
He notably stressed the importance of church members using the correct name for the institution he guided, rather than the various informal names that had gathered over time, such as the “LDS Church,” “Mormon Church,” and “Church of the Latter-day Saints.”
“For much of the world, the Lord’s Church is currently recognized as the ‘Mormon Church.’ However, we, as members of the Lord’s Church, know who leads it: Jesus Christ Himself,” he stated in October 2018. “I acknowledge with deep regret that we have unintentionally allowed the Lord’s restored Church to be identified by other names, each of which omits the sacred name of Jesus Christ!”
Dr. Nelson pursued a highly successful career in medicine prior to joining the church. He was a heart surgeon who executed Utah’s inaugural open-heart surgery in 1955 and conducted over 7,000 procedures.
He was appointed one of the Church’s 12 Apostles in 1984, subsequently becoming its leader and prophet in 2018, at 93 years old. Following his assumption of the presidency, he journeyed to 32 countries and U.S. territories to engage with church leaders and ministries. A polyglot, Dr. Nelson was proficient in 11 languages, it was reported.
Dr. Nelson shared reflections on his life and career in a statement to commemorate his 101st birthday.
He wrote, “After living for over a century and spending decades studying both the human body and the human soul, I have discovered this truth: we achieve the greatest happiness when we acknowledge our divine worth and extend that same acknowledgment to others—starting with our own families.”
He further added, “My faith instructs me that over two millennia ago, Jesus Christ imparted these identical principles of happiness: to love God and to love our neighbor. After 101 years, I can assert that these are not theoretical theological concepts—they are actionable wisdom.”
Dr. Nelson is survived by his spouse, Wendy, eight of his ten children, 57 grandchildren, and more than 167 great-grandchildren.
