With an early September fall resulting in the injury of muscles in his back and virtual participation in First Presidency meetings and October 2023 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson has reported that he is slowly returning to work in person, thanking those who have prayed for his recovery.
“Thank you for your prayers for me during the last two months,” wrote the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “My recovery from my fall in September when I injured the muscles in my back has been rigorous. I have needed your prayers.”
The updates were posted on President Nelson’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday, Nov. 10.
President Nelson quoted the teachings of the apostle James, that the effectual fervent prayers of righteous men and women “availeth much.” (See James 5:16.) “Your prayers opened the heavens, and the Lord is blessing me,” President Nelson said.
“Your prayers have lifted my spirits and bolstered my courage and my great desire to soldier on. In short, the Lord has responded to your prayers and expressions of love, and He is helping me to heal.”
President Nelson reported that throughout last two months, he has been able to attend most meetings of the First Presidency virtually. “Now I am slowly returning to the office on selected days while continuing to use technology as needed,” he added.
The Prophet noted that the work of the Lord continues to move on, under His direction. He specifically cited the creation of 36 new missions in 2024. “The Lord is truly hastening His work, and we are blessed to be part of it,” President Nelson wrote.
“Thank you again, my dear brothers and sisters,” he concluded his Nov. 10 posts. “You have blessed me to feel the power of prayer and the reality of the Lord’s love in a most personal way. I love you!”
On Sept. 28, just days before the October 2023 general conference, President Nelson posted on his social media accounts that because a fall — occurring just one day after his 99th birthday on Sept. 9 — had injured the muscles in his lower back, he would be participating remotely in the weekend conference sessions.
President Nelson wrote in his Sept. 28 post: “As my physician says, ‘We don’t have much data on how 99-year-olds recover from an injury like this one, so I am prescribing a slow, careful approach to healing so that you achieve a full recovery.’ Having prescribed just such a course of action for many of my own patients years ago, I feel duty-bound to follow doctor’s orders.”
