President Russell M. Nelson was sustained and set apart as the 17th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple. And then in what felt like a very vulnerable moment. The couple had ten children; Marsha, Wendy, Gloria, Brenda, Sylvia, Emily, Laurie, Rosalie, and Marjorie and Russell Jr. Im just taking instruction and do it.. What did your parents do to create that feeling in your family? But we never felt that it was tied to their feelings for us. All rights reserved. The children learned from their father about keeping an eternal perspective when dealing with the loss of their mother Dantzel Nelsondied Feb. 12, 2005 and two sisters. You probably came into a little more chaotic home than, than the average son. And hes more personable. Laurie Marsh: OK. Im wondering if we can just start and have each of you share one quality that you think of when you think of President Russell M. Nelson. [24], In 2015, the University of Utah, along with the American College of Cardiology, created the Russell M. Nelson MD, PhD Visiting Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery. Friends by Mail. [37], After returning to Salt Lake City, he was called as priest quorum advisor in the Garden Park Ward, working with over 50 boys ages 16 to 18. "[101] Shortly after the change, Nelson said in a press release that the reversal was, "revelation upon revelation. During that time. The call to serve in this position had been extended to Nelson by Richard L. Evans, an apostle and the lead figure over publicity efforts on Temple Square. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: Maybe, yeah, maybe upon my first arrival it was a little chaotic and a lot of people coming and going, but you know as I aged up to a point where I can start remembering things and it actually was a more quiet home. He tended to walk through their home, turning off extra lights or the television, before sitting down to dinner with the family. Nelson took up this challenge and developed elementary proficiency in Mandarin. And, but yeah, I think he set a great example of, you know, studying and doing well in school. And I actually lament reaching this point in the podcast, because I could hear you guys talk about your father all day long. Its, What do you know now? And we always give our guests the last word. And the director approached him as he was, in his sophomore year, to invite him to come back and participate. Gloria Irion: Well, we always did, like almost everyone else, Im sure, did fun summer trips, whether we rented a cabin up at Brighton or, you know, went to the beach in California or drove up to Canada. Or I happened to be serving a mission during most of his time so far, and Preach My Gospel was another one that helped build my faith. I kind of watched him deflect some praise that someone was directing toward him. I tell people all the time that I think we owe Wendy Nelson and the Lord for his longevity and his ability to serve in his capacity right now, Marsh said. Welcome all of you to the Church News podcast. Gloria Irion: We would go on dates. And thats less great than his wonderful hugs, but we get to see FaceTime, Daddy gets to see FaceTime for people that are across the country, our missionaries in the world, you know, some of the family members that are missionaries every once in a while, theyll get to tune in on these calls. And Ive watched him help and love a lot of people along the way. I dont know if it happened a ton or if its just that such a fond memory that I remember that, but he was pretty hands on. I received the assignment in 2018 to write about your fathers global ministry. So hed leave the stake center and come and pick us up. In August 2022, President Nelson traveled outside of Utah for the first time since the . So sometimes a couple of us would show up at his door with dinner or something. Gloria Irion: Right, yeah, it was funny. Sarah Jane Weaver: Yeah, Ive heard him say it, too. [85], In March 2018, the First Presidency issued a letter on preventing and responding to abuse. [22], In 1955, Nelson returned to Salt Lake City and accepted a faculty position at the University of Utah School of Medicine. And so I think we had a lot of stuff going on on Saturdays to prepare for Sunday. And Gloria, lets start with you. And after about two weeks, I thought, Man, Im, Im getting tired and Im 14 years old. So hes, its pretty remarkable in that regard. Sarah Jane Weaver: Im Sarah Jane Weaver, editor of the Church News. She has this, this spirit of Elijah with her shes just so aware and, you know, just so focused on the temple and temple work and just such a great example. And it was a Saturday night when Mother passed. Hes going to be fine. What we need to do is focus on our little ones and continue to teach them and bring them up. They were not untouched by tragedy. [32], In 1981, Nelson held appointments as a visiting professor of surgery at the National Institute of Cardiology in Mexico City and the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile. Laurie Marsh: I dont think so. He treated her like royalty, Russell Nelson Jr. said. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and if you enjoyed the messages we shared today, please make sure you share the podcast with others. Russell is a prophet, Baptised at sixteen, His parents were less active; He was very keen. He talks about losing his wife to a heart attack after having spent his whole career studying and treating and operating on the heart. They have agreed to talk to us about President Nelson in his role as a father. He knew everything, not because hes a know-it-all, but because he legitimately has a thirst for knowledge and learning. Dr. Russell M. Nelson holds a model of the human heart. Hes curious. Russell Nelson Jr. remembers his father teaching him how to maintain the home, from changing a light bulb to shoveling the walks and taking out the garbage, as well as other home duties. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: So much of our activities had to do with just being together, whether it was, you know, very early on, we would have monthly family parties, Christmas traditions, we could almost dictate the whole month of December by the traditions that we would do day by day and week by week. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: I think one of the things that both of them, and especially our dad was really good at, is teaching us why we do things, less about the how and more about the why. And so, obedience or adherence to rules, laws, whatever came with that understanding of why we were doing it. Laurie Marsh: Thank you. And we just enlarge our circle of love and embrace them. [60][61] Nelson was involved in the first meetings between LDS Church leaders and government officials of Bulgaria,[62] Romania, and the Soviet Union, and worked to continue LDS expansion and recognition efforts in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. A good example is you see all of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles each having their own opportunities to dedicate temples. Absolutely not. He and his wife, the former Dantzel White, have ten children. Famous Military Physician Russell M. Nelson was born on September 9, 1924 in United States. Gloria Irion: My addition to that is when he taught me how to get the lenses out of the fish eyes. I think he counsels well with others. Watch this video that celebrates his love of children By Lindsey Williams December 22, 2020 04:57 PM MST In September, Church News shared what President Russell M. Nelson taught his 57 grandchildren and 140 great-grandchildren as part of his birthday celebration. But so much of it was just about being together and taking the time to strengthen those relationships. Dantzel suddenly died in 2005, and Russell immediately married another woman, Wendy L. Watson, in 2006. Sister Nelson passed away in February 2005. What was discipline like in your home growing up? leading the Church through a global pandemic, President Russell M. Nelsons prophetic ministry: 5 years of historic leadership, revelation and invitations, What 3 of President Russell M. Nelsons children have learned from him as a father, 15 experiences of people who followed President Nelsons invitations, including focusing on the temple, taking charge of testimony, Invitations President Nelson has given since he became Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson offers 3 deep sea fishing lessons to help improve lives in 2023, Sarah Jane Weaver: Why President Nelsons 5-year ministry is not so different from playing Scrabble, President Nelsons family gathered virtually to celebrate his birthday and hear his hopes for them, The 2 things President Nelson wants his family to know this Christmas, President Nelson is now a great-great grandfather, Calling every temple a symbol of Jesus Christ, President Nelson rededicates the Washington D.C. Temple, Episode 67: Sister Nelson on being an eyewitness to President Nelsons four years as Prophet, Episode 12: Sister Wendy Nelson joins Sister Sheri Dew to talk about President Nelsons 3 years as Prophet, Episode 47: In honor of President Nelsons 97th birthday, Sheri Dew and Michael Colemere share insights and lessons learned from the Prophet. Nothing. He was stern with us if we were rude to mom, but very, very, Christlike. And, Gloria, lets start with you. Welcome to the Church News podcast. Laurie Marsh: You know, nothing that my dad does surprises me. I think a perfect example is, quite often on Mothers Day he would buy her a corsage. It is anticipated that the process of creating the new unified hymnbook and children's songbook will take several years. [77][78], On February 10, 2019, Nelson spoke to church members in Arizona at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The proclamation coincided with the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith's First Vision and is the sixth proclamation issued by the church in its history.[103][104]. [120], In June 2018, the University of Utah endowed a chair in cardiothoracic surgery named after Nelson and his first wife, Dantzel. So I think the takeaway for me in that, is, you know, our number one job is just to try to learn how to become an eternal family and enjoy all the blessings that Heavenly Father wants to give each and every one of us. The visible sadness was gone. Were there other things that you did on a regular basis that you enjoyed doing together? [7] In 1984, Nelson and the American jurist Dallin H. Oaks were selected to fill two vacancies in the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: I remember the night when our mom passed away. How did you keep close as a family? Laurie Marsh: I think I have probably learned from President Nelson the importance of my relationship with my Savior and how that can help with everything that we do thats full of joy, or not full of joy, in our life. During his April 2018 visit to India, Nelson explained to church members that the Lord had instructed him to announce the temple the night before general conference, though he had not originally planned to do so. Dallin H. Oaks, then a law professor at Chicago and a fellow Latter-day Saint, actively worked to recruit Nelson. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: Yeah, he treated her like royalty. EP 42 - Huge episode packed to the gills! He knew everything, he said. And so we just try to follow their example, because theyre following the Lords example. It was a real love of my parents. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: Yeah, its been fun to kind of contrast and compare the way his teachings and ministry happens worldwide now, to the way it was done in our home when we were young, when I was young. Sarah Jane Weaver: I think thats a really beautiful thing. Laurie Marsh: And a lot of it was just going to each others performances and doing things together as a family and decorating the Christmas tree to Handels Messiah. So music really was a huge part of the things that we would do together. And I think we had as much fun after we came home from our dates as we did on the dates. We are children of God. Russell M. Nelson was born on September 9, 1924, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Floss Edna ( ne Anderson; 1893-1983) and Marion Clavar Nelson (1897-1990). And I had the chance to interview him and I said, Well, this is the first time youve been out and out among the Saints since the COVID pandemic. And he did not like that question. And they said, Oh were just ordinary men in extraordinary callings. But kind of like I was saying earlier, I think, with my perspective of age, theyre a lot more than just ordinary men. The meeting took place the day before the church's Rome Italy Temple was dedicated. He honored us as women as well as potential mothers.. And while we were there, he met with some families in this meeting before the devotional. Gloria Irion: I remember him coming over, we would have him over for a meal or something after mother had passed away. (KUTV) At least six people are suing the daughter and son-in-law of Russell M. Nelson, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nelson served in that bishopric for over five years at a time when the ward had over 1,000 members. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: Yeah, theres no question I was well-mothered. In April 2006, he . In today's world, marriage and the choice to raise children require increasing faith - but the blessings, mortal and eternal, of families are well worth it. We dont have time for that. He was stern to us if we were rude to mom, but very, very Christlike.. And then I also remember, Daddy coming, he was serving as our stake president of the time. In my personal life, I got called to be a bishop a few years back and he ordained me to the office of bishop in Melchizedek priesthood, but he let the stake president of that stake, set me apart as a bishop in that stake, letting him exercise his keys. He lived that saying.. [119] Watson, originally from Raymond, Alberta, was a professor of marriage and family therapy at BYU prior to her retirement in 2006. During the 1950s, Dantzel was a member of the Tabernacle Choir. And so, like Laurie said, hes always been very consistent throughout his whole life. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: Yeah, thats, thats well-documented in, in the books. He knew everything that could have been done was done. President Nelson supported his wife in becoming a member of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square for a few years. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Russell M. Nelson. In 1966, Nelson became head of the thoracic residency program that combined resources from the University of Utah Medical School, LDS Hospital, Primary Children's Hospital and the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City. When Daddy was called to be an apostle, I lived in Michigan at the time. In the five years since then, he has embarked on a fast-paced global ministry traveling to 35 nations, extending countless invitations, leading the Church through a global pandemic and overseeing the continuing restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. [13], Nelson studied at LDS Business College in his mid-teens (concurrently with high school enrollment) and worked as an assistant secretary at a bank. And now, the 96-year-old father of 10, has a new title: great-great-grandfather. In 1992, it was identified he was on the Strengthening Church Members Committee, alongside fellow apostle James E. Music was something we love to do together, Irion said. That was always No. But in a way, it was comforting, to me, to see the level of grief that he was experiencing. In 1960, he performed one of the first-ever repairs of tricuspid valve regurgitation. They have agreed to talk to us about President Nelson in his role as a father. And he would go over and start to play Schindlers List, and Id be in there in the kitchen, just crying my eyes out, because its such a passionate song. In 1964, he set up his own private practice with him as the lead and Conrad Jenson as an associate. Yeah, he might watch a bowl game and we were just Gloria Irion: It was the only time I saw him turn on the TV. Hes always doing something, always engaged.. You just dont hear him say that. The way he is leading the Church is exactly an example of the way we were raised, a daughter said. In Washington DC, he was a counselor in the bishopric of the ward Ezra Taft Benson, then an apostle, regularly attended while serving as Secretary of Agriculture to Dwight D. Eisenhower. [15][16] While at the University of Utah, he was a member of the Beta Epsilon chapter of Sigma Chi and Owl and Key. He would come find that baby in the crib, pick her up and nuzzle his nose in her neck, and hold her and smell her, and sing to her,and coo to her, and put her back down and then go back if it was you know, at night after the baby had been put to bed. Its been five years since President Nelson was sustained and set apart on Jan. 14, 2018, as the Churchs 17th President. The Soccer . I think if theres any dirtying up of the name to happen, its going to be on my shoulders. He made time for it. I think hes good at making decisions and moving forward. Subscribe for free and get daily or weekly updates straight to your inbox, The three things you need to know everyday, Highlights from the last week to keep you informed. Programa: Welcome to the weekly MormonNewsRoundup where Al & Dives ruminate on the great and spacious Beehive!, ep. Can you share with us about what its like to be Russell Marion Nelson Jr.? And it takes time, you know, we cant have everything, right that very minute. degrees from the University of Utah and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Gloria Irion: I know mother saw you when she was pregnant with Emily. And a constant forever is that routine of coming home and finding mother and greeting her and then having dinner together was always a great thing. After the death of his first wife, Nelson proposed to Wendy L. Watson. It was probably 10 years ago that he taught Katie how to AirDrop photos. In addition to the large crowd in attendance, the devotional was broadcast across the state. The children were grateful to see their fathers cheerful countenance return after he married Wendy Watson. I feel like we were so secure because we knew they were secure. I don't know how long Wendy has been sick, but because . And the first thing he would do was look for, and find, and greet my mother. We just loved to help him. What have you observed from their relationship? Being as smart and skilled as he is, I kind of took some of that for granted. Youve made such an impact in that world of open heart surgery. And he says, Quite frankly, Laurie, I havent had time to think about it. I love the fact that just this year before conflict broke out between Russia and Ukraine in Eastern Europe, he had given a message and directed it to all the Saints in Europe, and told him that the future was bright for the Church in Europe. President Russell M. Nelson was sustained and set apart as the 17th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple. Her marriage to Nelson is her first. [87], Nelson also introduced major changes in church organization during the April general conference. It has been four years since Russell M. Nelson became prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But none of us were ever forced to come.. He doesnt look for anybodys approval, but the Lords. Both parents played the piano and their mother was a talented singer. You know, we were all really close in age, and hed spend his whole time untangling our lines, because we would throw them wherever. [91] On June 18, the First Presidency created committees assigned to form a unified hymnbook and children's songbook for the worldwide church membership, with each language edition having the same hymns (and other songs) in the same order, and that these committees would be taking submissions and collecting surveys until July 2019. Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. [30], In 1965, the University of Chicago offered Nelson the position as head of their department of thoracic surgery. And so he does seem to always know what to do at the right time and that has become a hallmark of his ministry. She was 78 at the time of her sudden death. I want to talk about President Nelson before he was a Church leader. Unfortunately, in 2005 Russel M Nelson's wife died unexpectedly at their home in Salt Lake City. He always is going and doing things, Russell Nelson Jr. said. What can we do for you? And he just said, Just go home and be with your, your children and love them and teach them. And so that right there was to me a good window into the eternities of how we just keep going. They both played the piano and the organ. Sarah Jane Weaver: Well, I have to agree with all of you. President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints poses in his office in the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. Here he is in his 90s and always up on the latest technology with the great help that he gets. and M.D. And it was a nice reinforcement of, you know, Dont worry about him. It could perceive a lot of weight on my shoulders, because hows he going to besmirch, our name? Shes precious and an angel mother, he called her, Irion said. 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