The official portrait of Russell M. Nelson.
Born
Russell Marion Nelson
9 Sep 1924
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Calling(s)
TitlePresident of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
OrganizationFirst Presidency
Call Date14 Jan 2018
Calling(s)
TitleQuorum of the Twelve Apostles
OrganizationQuorum of the Twelve Apostles
Call Date7 Apr 1984
Conference Talks
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Russell M. Nelson was sustained and set apart as the 17th president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, January 14, 2018, in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple.

Why does Heavenly Father ask us to listen to his son, Jesus Christ? President Russell M. Nelson introduces #HearHim, which invites us to explore how we listen to and follow our Savior. (Subtitled)
President Russell M. Nelson shares his testimony of the reality of Jesus Christ and the power of His Atonement.
Russell M. Nelson
South America World Tour: Lima, Peru
Russell M. Nelson: Biography - 1936 Portrait
Nelson, Russell M.
Nelson, Russell M.
Russell M. Nelson: Biography - Horseshoes
Russell M. Nelson as general Sunday School president in 1971.
President Nelson and his son
The Nelson family in 1982.
Nelson, Russell M. & Dantzel. 1984
Nelson, Russell M.
Russell M. and Wendy W. Nelson
185th Annual General Conference: Russell M. Nelson
Elder Russell M. Nelson speaks to Latter-day Saints in Germany, June 11, 2013.
Capture the Ministry. Nelson
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 2015
President Russel M. Nelson and Wendy Nelson at Devotional
England: 2018 Global Ministry Tour
Jerusalem: 2018 Global Ministry Tour
Russell M. Nelson and Wendy Nelson wave to a crowd in India.
President Russell M. Nelson speaks at the NAACP's 110th annual national convention in Detroit, Michigan, on July 21, 2019. 
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embraces the Reverend Amos C. Brown at the 110th annual national convention for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Detroit on Sunday, July 21, 2019.
President Russell M. Nelson smiles at church members during a devotional in Guatemala.
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints greets His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Abdulkarim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League, on November 5, 2019.
President Russell M. Nelson receives the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, in Salt Lake City.
South America World Tour: Lima, Peru
South America World Tour: Lima, Peru
South America World Tour: Concepcion Chile Temple
South America World Tour: Concepción Chile
South America World Tour: Concepcià  à ³n Chile
Latter-day Saints meet their prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, in Kona, Hawaii, May 16, 2019 following his devotional.
The Honorable Prime Minister Susuga Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi of Samoa enjoys a moment at a reception with President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Wendy, in Apia, Samoa, May 18, 2019. 
Samoa: Russell M. Nelson
New Zealand: Russell M. Nelson
President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Wendy, and other Church leaders, met with the king and queen of Tonga, May 23, 2019. Elder ‘Aisake Tukuafu; Elder O. Vincent Haleck and his wife, Peggy; Her Majesty Queen Nanasipau‘u and His Majesty King Tupou VI; President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Wendy; Elder Gerrit W. Gong and his wife, Susan; and Mark Woodruff. 
President Édouard Fritch of French Polynesia and President Russell M. Nelson take in the festivities of the 175th anniversary cultural celebration, May 24, 2019, of the Latter-day Saint missionaries coming to Tahiti. 
Church President Russell M. Nelson greets various people at a devotional held in Singapore on November 20, 2019.
Religious leaders in Singapore attend a devotional with President Russell M. Nelson on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. Many of these leaders participated together in May at an event with the Church to promote interfaith harmony and unity in Singapore.
President Russell M. Nelson and his wife Wendy Watson Nelson greet religious leaders in Guatemala.
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, center, and Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, left, present gifts as they meet with Colombia president Iván Duque Márquez, right, in Bogotá, Colombia, Monday, August 26, 2019.
Argentina: Russell M. Nelson's 2019 Latin America Ministry
President Russell M. Nelson and his wife Wendy Watson Nelson visiting with young adults in Brazil
President Russell M. Nelson greets the Reverend Dr. Amos C. Brown prior to a news conference with NAACP leadership in the Church Administration Building on Temple Square in Salt Lake City on June 14, 2021.
The Reverend Dr. Amos C. Brown speaks at a news conference with NAACP leadership in the Church Administration Building on Temple Square in Salt Lake City on June 14, 2021.
Government Leaders Visit from the Sudan
Devotional in Orlando, Florida. greeting people
Seattle: 2018 Pacific Northwest Tour

Personal Life

Born September 9, 1924, President Nelson is the son of Marion C. and Edna Anderson Nelson. He and his wife, the former Dantzel White, have ten children. Sister Nelson passed away in February 2005. In April 2006, he married Wendy L. Watson.

Professional Life

Prior to his service as head of the Church, President Nelson served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from July 15, 2015, until his call as the Church’s leader. He has served as a member of that quorum since April 7, 1984.

An internationally renowned surgeon and medical researcher, Dr. Nelson received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah (1945, 47). Honorary scholastic societies include Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha. He served his residency in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded his Ph.D. Degree in 1954. He also received honorary degrees of Doctor of Science from Brigham Young University in 1970, Doctor of Medical Science from Utah State University in 1989, and Doctor of Humane Letters from Snow College in 1994.

His professional work included the positions of research professor of surgery and director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency at the University of Utah and chairman of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Author of numerous publications and chapters in medical textbooks, President Nelson lectured and visited professionally throughout the United States and in many other nations prior to his call as a General Authority. A host of awards and honors have come to him, including the Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Utah; the Heart of Gold Award from the American Heart Association; a citation for International Service from the American Heart Association; and the Golden Plate Award, presented by the American Academy of Achievement. He has been awarded honorary professorships from three universities in the People’s Republic of China.

Dr. Nelson has served as president of the Society for Vascular Surgery, a director of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery for the American Heart Association, and president of the Utah State Medical Association.

He is listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in Religion.

President Nelson has held numerous positions of responsibility in the Church. He served as stake president of the Bonneville Stake from 1964 to June, 1971, when he was called as general president of the Sunday School. Prior to his call to the Quorum of the Twelve, he was serving as a Regional Representative assigned to the Kearns Utah Region. He had previously served as Regional Representative for Brigham Young University.