Russell M. Nelson

Russell Marion Nelson Sr., born on September 9, 1924, in Salt Lake City, was a distinguished American religious leader and surgeon. He served as the seventeenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2018 until his passing in 2025. Prior to his presidency, Nelson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for nearly thirty-four years, holding the position of quorum president from 2015 to 2018. Recognized by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator, his leadership left a significant impact on the faith.

Nelson's academic journey began at the University of Utah, where he completed both his undergraduate and medical education. He furthered his training at the University of Minnesota, where he was part of the pioneering research team that performed the first human open-heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass in 1951. After serving in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during the Korean War, he returned to Salt Lake City to accept a professorship at the University of Utah School of Medicine, dedicating nearly three decades to the field of cardiothoracic surgery.

Throughout his surgical career, Nelson held various leadership roles within the LDS Church, starting locally in Salt Lake City. He served as the Sunday School general president from 1971 to 1979, and in 1984, he was called to fill a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles alongside jurist Dallin H. Oaks. His contributions to both medicine and the church were profound, and he became a respected figure in the medical community, serving as president of the Society for Vascular Surgery and the Utah Medical Association.

Living to the remarkable age of one hundred and one, Nelson holds the distinction of being the oldest president in the history of the LDS Church. His legacy as a heart surgeon and spiritual leader continues to inspire many.