Russell Nelson

Russell M. Nelson was the 17th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as the Mormon Church), serving from January 14, 2018, until his death on November 30, 2023. A renowned cardiothoracic surgeon before his full-time church service, Nelson was instrumental in modernizing church practices and emphasized the importance of personal revelation and global outreach. His leadership was marked by a focus on increased temple construction and a push for the church to be better understood in the public sphere. Nelson's passing at the age of 101 occurred just before a tragic shooting incident at a Mormon church in Grand Blanc, Michigan.