We’ll probably get to hear from him at general conference this weekend.
In 1979, President Spencer W. Kimball (who was President of the Church at the time) encouraged people to bring the gospel to all nations—including China. So what did Russell M. Nelson do? He started learning Mandarin! Here are some other fun facts about him.
President Nelson:
- Remembers asking for permission to eat a banana, an expensive item for the family budget during the Great Depression.
- Served on medical duty for two years in the United States Army during the Korean War.
- Raised 10 children with his wife Dantzel. After she died, he married Wendy Watson.
- Became one of the world’s most renowned heart surgeons—and even performed open-heart surgery on President Kimball!
- Kept skiing until the age of 88.
- Was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984 and set apart as the 17thnullPresident of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January 2018.
General conference starts today!
Tune in today at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. (MDT) Tomorrow there are sessions at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. We can’t wait to watch with you!
NOTES
You can watch general conference at ChurchofJesusChrist.org or on the Church’s YouTube channel.
Learn more about President Nelson here.