Professionally, Nelson was an accomplished heart surgeon before his full-time Church service began. He graduated from the University of Utah’s medical school at just 22 years of age. He was part of a research team that developed the first heart-lung machine. In the 1950s, Nelson performed the first open-heart surgery in the state of Utah, and later went on to complete more than 7,000 operations.
Many church members appreciated the way Nelson drew on his experiences as a medical doctor as he led the faith.
“We had the [COVID-19] pandemic that was super big in our history,” said church member Annie Robbins. “It was really cool that he was a world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon that had some great insight into that.”
Another hallmark of Nelson’s leadership was his continued call for church members to be peacemakers in an increasingly divisive world.
“We teach that God’s love for His children is infinite,” Nelson said during a General Conference address in April of 2010. “Regardless of race, nationality, or gender, He loves all of them. He has done so from the beginning and will continue to do so.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Robbins.
“I think after all the craziness that’s happened in the last few months, I think one message that sticks out to me is that peacemakers are needed,” she said. “The message of always being a peacemaker and being kind to others, I think, is what’s going to stick out to me.”
Morse also recalls Nelson’s messages of love and acceptance.
“I think he’ll be remembered for his kindness and generosity,” she said. “Regardless of where you may come from, regardless of if you left the Church, came back… whatever it may be. He always showed kindness and gratitude towards every single person that he met.”
Nelson’s successor likely won’t be formally announced until after his funeral, but it is expected that Dallin H. Oaks, current President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will be ordained as the new President of the Church. That would continue a pattern of succession that has existed throughout the faith’s 195-year history.
It’s a tradition that brings peace to church members like Scott Ruebush.
“I think it’s a blessing that we have this process to know that there’s a living prophet on the earth,” he said. “That even though President Nelson passed away, sadly, it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of a line or a legacy. It’s the continuation of prophets that we have in these last days.”
President Nelson was preceded in death by his wife Dantzel, who passed away in 2005. The pair married in 1945 and raised 10 children, nine daughters and one son. Their family eventually grew to include 57 grandchildren and 167 great-grandchildren.
In 2006, President Nelson married Wendy Watson who later accompanied him around the world when he became President of the Church.
President Nelson’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7. More information about services to commemorate his life can be found on the Church’s website.
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