Russell M Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 101

Nelson, a former heart surgeon, was the oldest-ever president of the church. He joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984, serving in the church’s leadership for four decades. He became president of the church in 2018 following the death of his predecessor, Thomas S. Monson. In 2024, Nelson became the first LDS Church president to reach 100 years old.

Before committing to full-time church service, Nelson was known for his medical career. He performed the first open-heart surgery in Utah in 1955 and went on to serve as president of the Society for Vascular Surgery, director of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery for the American Heart Association, and president of the Utah State Medical Association.

Following his death, it is expected that Dallin H. Oaks, the senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Nelson’s first counselor, will become the next president of the church, in line with the church’s historical seniority system.

Nelson is survived by his wife, eight of his 10 children, 57 grandchildren, and more than 167 great-grandchildren.

Utah Senator Mike Lee, a member of the church, or a “Mormon” as they’re colloquially called, paid tribute to Nelson in a statement on social media.

“For as long as I’ve known him, he has exuded — and for me, he’s come to personify — the kind of faith, humility, and quiet confidence that tends to be the constant companion of a devoted servant and follower of Jesus Christ,” Lee said.