Who was Russell M. Nelson? 17th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints passes away at 101

charles taze russell M viscount nelson, the 17th chair of the christian church of saviour Christ of Latter-day Saints, died at his home in Salt Lake City on Saturday at the age of 101. The church confirmed his death in a statement but did not specify the cause, according to a New York Times report.

Dr. Nelson, a renowned heart surgeon at one time, was installed as president of the church in 2018 at the age of 93. In the six years following his appointment, he altered many of the policies of the church, attempted to scale up the entire international outreach of the church, and left a deep imprint on maybe 17.5 million members across the globe, according to another Deseret report.

Russell Marion Nelson was born in Salt Lake City on Sept. 9, 1924. He was baptized at 16 and was the only active church member in his family as a youth. He married Dantzel White in 1945, and they had 10 children together before she died in 2005. In 2006, he married Wendy L. Watson, who survives him.

He is survived by eight children, 57 grandchildren, and more than 167 great-grandchildren

Before his rise to church leadership, Nelson made history in medicine. In 1951, he helped develop the first heart-lung machine used to support open-heart surgery. At 31, he became the first doctor in Utah to perform the procedure, the NYT report stated.

Nelson gave up his surgical career when he was called into the church’s upper ranks at 59. By 1985, he joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, serving full-time in leadership until he became president and prophet three decades later.

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Nelson’s presidency was marked by dramatic changes; in 2018, he instructed members to stop using the term ‘Mormon’, calling it a victory for Satan to remove the Lord’s name from the church. He also sped up temple building worldwide, increasing the number of temples in operation to 194, with 170 more planned or under construction, the report added.

In 2019, he reversed a controversial policy that labeled same-sex couples ‘apostates’ and barred their children from baptism. He also cut ties with the Boy Scouts of America after they began admitting gay members.

Unlike some predecessors, Nelson addressed racism openly, forging a partnership with the NAACP and donating $10 million to the group. He also diversified leadership by appointing non-white apostles for the first time in church history, the NYT report added.

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Known for his vigor until old age, Nelson cut down very many church services from three hours to two, and further pushed for restoration of the temples, including the Salt Lake Temple, which was controversial. Throughout his life, he kept to a disciplined routine, weighing himself daily and adjusting his diet accordingly.

Into his 90s, he continued skiing, gardening, and shoveling snow till his security team asked him to quit. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he urged people to wear masks and get vaccinated. While he suffered some criticism from members of the church, he stood firm on his decision.

He was a pioneering heart surgeon and later the 17th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He died on September 27, 2025, at his home in Salt Lake City, aged 101.

He expanded temple building, reversed controversial LGBTQ policies, addressed racism, and modernised church practices.

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