She was a Canadian nurse and educator. Doing taxes doesnt sound like fun at all as an adult, but its something we just did together and had fun doing together.. He would have worked very, very, long hours in his career as a surgeon. Can you share with us about what its like to be Russell Marion Nelson Jr.? For his only son, its President Nelsons activity and energy. Almost a fishy-smelling string of pearls. Sarah Jane Weaver: And I know your mother served for five years in the Tabernacle Choir. Dr. Russell M. Nelson holds a model of the human heart. Laurie Marsh: I felt like from both of my parents the importance of our education that that was stressed. While on duty, he was assigned to a research group formed by the commandant of the graduate school at Walter Reed, Col. William S. Stone and led by Dr. Fiorindo A. Simeone, a professor of surgery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland who had been a clinical investigator in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II. And I think thats a sentiment that is shared by all of our listeners, as well. Here he is in his 90s and always up on the latest technology with the great help that he gets. President Russell M. Nelson is the father of nine daughters and one son and has 57 grandchildren. As soon as he saw him, they discussed that and decided. That was fun. They can feel that he loves them and its not so distant. "Have faith to keep all the commandments of God, knowing that they are given to bless His children and bring them joy. Now, your father graduated from medical school at age 22, first in his class. 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. [23][24] That operation was performed at the Salt Lake General Hospital (SLGH, now University of Utah Hospital) on an adult with an atrial septal defect. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: He, a lot of times, even as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve has a lot of travel and a lot of comings and goings, and a question he would get asked a lot is, How do you deal with jet lag? And he would just say, I dont have time to deal with it. And he said, No, I, I walked through the door and I closed it behind me. Can you share with us what you observed from that time in his life, where he leaves this career that he had prepared so much for, and turned into full-time church service? Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, courtesy of Church News. In 1960, he performed one of the first-ever repairs of tricuspid valve regurgitation. 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? [10][11] His parents were not active in the Latter-day Saint faith while he was a youth, but they did send him to Sunday School,[12] and he was baptized a member of the LDS Church at age 16. [8] [9] He had two sisters, Marjory E. (1920-2016) and Enid (1926-2019), and a brother, Robert H. (1931-2014). And it was one of the biggest blessings of my life. And he did always emphasize how important education is, but as far as career choice goes, he never pushed one way or another. [32] Nelson traveled extensively as a medical doctor and addressed conferences in many parts of Latin America and Africa, as well as in India and China. How did President Nelsons academic and professional accomplishments influence his childrens education and career paths? He had a confirmation right then that this was a blessing that she went in a twinkling of an eye, basically, and kind of had to start accepting that. 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. And we have a couple of things in place. Russell Nelson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 9, 1924. Family bonds were also strengthened through holiday traditions and large gatherings. But as far as the details, my guess is, because Im the seventh, probably one of my older sisters was really making sure that I was presentable. Together, they had nine daughters and a son. He wrote a letter to me, right after I was born. How did you keep close as a family? [98], In December 2018, the church's First Presidency changed the process of youth class progression and priesthood ordination. 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. Come, Follow Me. 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. And I think the other thing is, weve talked about the consistency of my dad, and my parents consistently had family prayer. But, yeah, we have strong testimonies and gratitude that the Lord has blessed us with prophets, to have that guidance in our lives. I just move forward and do as Im directed. And that was a lesson for me too. [117] Dantzel White was a native of Perry, Utah, and first met Nelson when they were the co-leads in a musical produced at the University of Utah. But we just, out of love and not wanting to be left out. He treated her like royalty, Russell Nelson Jr. said. First his kind of fast-paced travel around the world 35 nations in about 19 months. [106] With the temple in Nicaragua, Nelson fulfilled an apostolic promise he had made to church members there six years earlier. And the rest of us are thinking, Oh., Gloria Irion: My mind would like to think that, but my bodys going, Are you kidding me?. 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]. And so that way we can kind of keep up on what hes doing and he can read what were doing. He also purchased one for each of his nine daughters, delivered with a note that read, With love as a potential mother.. But I wouldnt say that its an overwhelming thought thats always at the forefront of my mind. Church President Russell M. Nelson and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, pose for photographs with family members after a press conference at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. And these are the kind of the old school Christmas lights, the glass bulbs, the thick gauge cables. I remember vividly baths with Daddy, he would get three or four of us in the tub at a time. With the death of Monson on January 2, 2018, Nelson became the anticipated successor to the church's presidency. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I feel like the way he is leading the Church is exactly an example of the way we were raised, Marsh said. Hes always had a lot of responsibilities. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: Yeah, he treated her like royalty. And to see him follow that, like he said, follow instruction, has been a really remarkable thing to see and witness, so close. We chose to come. Nothings ever too hard. Laurie Marsh: Yeah, he committed pretty fast. He was stern with us if we were rude to mom, but very, very, Christlike. When we were younger, jumping from bed to bed, we had one bedroom that had five kids sleeping in, and it was right directly under their bedroom. Most of the children learned to play the piano and at least one additional instrument. Her marriage to Nelson is her first. Sarah Jane Weaver: Is there anything about your fathers service as President of the Church that surprised you or that caught your attention? And the first thing he would do was look for, and find, and greet my mother. And I think I have learned from my own, personal experiences, that God calls prophets to lead and guide us while were on this earth. But I think his outward focus was a good example to us, too. The guidance also had a clear emphasis on using counseling to assist in healing from abuse. [43] In 1993, he was the church's lead delegate to the Parliament on World Religions. He earned an M.D. And so he was always very loving and caring. So the fact that it was her heart, everything that could have been done to help her was done. I think really, like I say, Im seventh, so Im a younger perspective. But I also remember, I guess I have the perspective for being one of the older ones, but like on a Saturday morning, if we got our chores done, Daddy could take us to swim or to ice skate or the Salt Lake Country Club to swim or Salt Lake swimming and tennis club or, you know, he would take us on an outing if we got our stuff done and at least took a few mess-makers out of the house for a few hours so mom could try to catch up. A family photo of President Russell M. Nelson on a swing. He talks about losing his wife to a heart attack after having spent his whole career studying and treating and operating on the heart. Sarah Jane Weaver: And, you know, when you think about the influence of women in his life, its hard not to also think about Sister Wendy Watson Nelson, who he married after your mothers death. Of course, we were all in tears and trying to deal with that. At one point, the team came close enough to the front that they received fire from enemy artillery positions, which missed them. Baptism. And I think shes a great sounding board for Daddy and plays a critical role. Music was something we love to do together, Irion said. . And theyre difficult times for us. We still have our family newsletter that everybody contributes once a month a little article. I dont remember him watching TV. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: I always knew that I could ask my dad anything, and he would have the answer. Nelson took up this challenge and developed elementary proficiency in Mandarin. [28] Later, he performed the same operation on future LDS Church president Spencer W. Kimball, replacing his damaged aortic valve. Everything amazes me, but nothing surprises me. [23], Nelson first operated out of the University of Utah's medical school. You know, we were all really close in age, and hed spend his whole time untangling our lines, because we would throw them wherever. [87], Nelson also introduced major changes in church organization during the April general conference. In the general conference talk " Covenants ," President Russell M. Nelson teaches that "when we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us." The covenants we have made direct our lives and give us a deeper purpose. An example I know a lot of us have shared with each other is doing taxes at the end of the year. And I had quite a collection, so I thought, What would Mother love, a string of these for a necklace. So I got a needle and thread and strung those beautiful pearly looking things together for my mother and gave it to her. Welcome all of you to the Church News podcast. Not because hes a know-it-all, but because he legitimately has a thirst for knowledge and learning.. LDS apostles serve full-time for life, and so Nelson retired from all of his prior professional positions. And we were going to be working together to see how we could get that goal accomplished. And thats how they met, I think the play was called Hayfoot Strawfoot. So that was, we liked that play and love that story. And so a lot of these adjustments that the Church has gone through over these past five years or so its been interesting, for me having been, I was 12 years old when he was called to be in the Quorum of the Twelve. None of the Nelson children was told they must go to weekly church services. In Massachusetts, Nelson was the secretary for the adult Aaronic priesthood organization in his Boston-area branch. You know, we talk about the things that are positive and the things that my parents did great. Welcome all of you to the Church News podcast. "[101] Shortly after the change, Nelson said in a press release that the reversal was, "revelation upon revelation. You get more joy from letting other people have that experience than you do from having that experience yourself. And I thought that was such a beautiful sentiment. Those grandchildren are now having their own children, President Nelson wrote in an Instagram post on July 7. Nelson told members that the use of nicknames such as Mormon or LDS was "a major victory for Satan. 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. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: Oh, I dont know, Ive got a couple of funny stories, but I dont know. He spent the next 29 years working in the field of cardiothoracic surgery. He then moved to the Yale Second Ward, still in the Bonneville Stake, and was called as a member of the stake high council. And hes helped me and loved me all these years. Mother was a beautiful singer. And so he always just took even simple moments like that, to teach and to show how things worked. [49] He was succeeded as chairman of the executive committee by Oaks. But I really feel like their love for us was not tied to any kind of accomplishment at all. Sarah Jane Weaver: Im Sarah Jane Weaver, editor of the Church News. And there was a high expectation that we would be an eternal family and we were going to be working together to see how we could get that goal accomplished. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: But and then, you know, another, since were talking about fishing, a related memory to that is he would, you know after we would clean the fish out. And while we were there, he met with some families in this meeting before the devotional. 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 he said, Oh, no, Im just good at taking instruction. Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). They have agreed to talk to us about President Nelson in his role as a father. I remember to when he had business trips, Im not sure how long this lasted, but I remember quite a few times, he would take one or two of us along when he had to go give a paper somewhere or something. Laurie Marsh: I think for me, too, I just have, as weve gone through those times that are more difficult, Ive just held on the example of my parents. Sarah Jane Weaver: It is great to have you with us today. [99], In April 2019, the church's First Presidency published a revelation reversing a controversial November 2015 policy classifying same-sex marriage couples as apostates, and barring children of same-sex marriages from baby blessings, and from baptism until age 18. 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. Image The Lord Jesus Christ, by Del Parson I thought, What a commitment for a large family to make, for her to have that opportunity to go and be gone one night a week and then on Sunday mornings. And so Im totally interested in how that worked at your house. So thats not surprising, but its been neat to see. Friend. Monson. Laurie Marsh: I think, to Daddy gets some credit for trying to keep everybody together. And were talking, boxes and boxes, because mother love to decorate the house for Christmas. Shes precious and an angel mother, he called her, Irion said. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [129], Media related to Russell M. Nelson at Wikimedia Commons, "Russell Nelson" redirects here. Gloria Irion: I think its kind of fun for people to get to see him in the light other than just twice a year at the podium, you know. And so he would try to teach me how to, from simple things like change a light bulb, to shovel the walks, or do the garbage and, you know, take care of things around the house. The hymn practice time in Sunday School was also renamed to worship through music. 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. And theres no surprise to me that we all were so excited to be mothers, because the way he felt that position was such a calling of honor. That was always a primary point of emphasis and point of teaching throughout my whole life, even still. But he would also buy us daughters a corsage with a note with love as a potential mother. And if you chose not to come, youd be missing out on a really great opportunity to be together and do something neat. He honored us as women as well as potential mothers.. The children noticed when their father complimented their mother. 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. [114] The following year, Nelson married Wendy L. Watson (b. Ordained an Apostle on 12 April 1984, Elder Nelson received his B.A. And there was a high expectation that we would be an eternal family. 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. Nelson was set apart as the quorum president on July 15, 2015, by Thomas S. They had a wonderful married life. He said, I never left them. And, and then you look back. I had a flashback of when mother had kind of gotten a baby, usually a girl, at that point in time, to sleep, finally, at night. Dantzel White Nelson and Russell M. Nelson. President Nelson, the leader of almost 17 million Latter-day Saints worldwide, has traveled to 35 nations, changed Church organization, utilized technology, led the Church through a pandemic, issued historic invitations I don't know how long Wendy has been sick, but because . It doesn't matter what language you speak or where you were born, President Russell M. Nelson told children gathered in the Smith family log home in Palmyra, New York. You know, we do a lot of Zoom calls. . Children(s) Emily Nelson Wittwer, Brenda N. Miles, MORE [X] Biography. And even so, he was going to do what he was called on to do and I knew he loved her and was grieving. There was no question he was the head of the home. . You know, Sunday mornings, I guess. Laurie Marsh: Besides having all of his sisters think that were talking to our dad when its really our brother! I think most of us took piano lessons and then got to choose another instrument, but music was really big. [Laughing]. We just need to be a child of God and we all are. And shes always a cheerleader for Daddy in front of us, for sure. Gloria Irion: We would go on dates. That was always No. What have you observed from their relationship? We always had fun. and M.D. Sister Nelson passed away in February 2005. Programa: Welcome to the weekly MormonNewsRoundup where Al & Dives ruminate on the great and spacious Beehive!, ep. And as the evening was winding down, it was time for us to go and go back to our homes. Poor guy. They consistently had family scripture reading. Gloria Irion: As a father, hes very loving, and, well, as the prophet to youve seen, just very loving, very, Christlike love for everyone. Friends by Mail. [110] This was the first time all ordained apostles of the church had been gathered in one location outside the United States. And we, every one of us, has such a strong testimony, that hes here for such a time. And Ive watched him help and love a lot of people along the way. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: Even, a long time ago, I was 14, right after my freshman year of high school, I was the only one at home. Russell M. Nelson Jr.: Yeah, Laurie mentioned it earlier that when Mother and Daddy were married, they made their motto, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God. And thats what hes encouraging all of us to do now is put the Lord first in our lives and let Him prevail and well be blessed. President Spencer W. Kimball, replacing his damaged aortic valve you do from having that experience than you from. Been gathered in one location outside the United States other thing is, weve talked about the consistency of dad... 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