President Russell M. Nelson, Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, turned 101 years old on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
He enjoyed a pre-birthday celebration with a small gathering of family members in the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Sept. 7.
The celebration included reading birthday cards and sharing some cake with his children.
In a post on social media on Tuesday morning, President Nelson said:
“Brothers and sisters, I feel truly humbled to be celebrating my 101st birthday with my children so close — whether in person or forever in my heart.
“Even though those pictured are all adults with children, grandchildren, and even a great grandchild of their own, I still feel the tenderness I felt for them when they were small enough to rock in my arms.
“From then to now, I’ve done my best to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. The glad tidings I have taught them are the same lessons I have often shared with you.
“God is our Father. We are His children. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This is His Church, which is reflected in the name He gave it. It is only through Jesus Christ’s Atonement that we can repent of our sins and return to God’s presence.
“We will find joy in life as we ‘think celestial’ and follow the covenant path that begins with baptism and leads us to The House of The Lord. God speaks to us when we make the effort to hear Him. The world needs peacemakers, so please be kind.
“Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for expressing gratitude. Thank you for your prayers. You inspire me to strive to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ.”
President Nelson’s life and ministry
Born Sept. 9, 1924, just five years before the stock market crash of 1929, Russell Marion Nelson is the son of Marion C. and Edna Anderson Nelson and grew up in Salt Lake City.
President Nelson was set apart as the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Jan. 14, 2018, after serving 34 years in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He became the second prophet — the first being Joseph Fielding Smith — to be called as President of the Church while over the age of 90.
He was a world-renowned heart surgeon and medical researcher before entering full-time Church service in 1984.
Graduating first in his class from medical school at age 22, he received doctoral degrees from the University of Utah and University of Minnesota. A cardiothoracic surgeon, he helped pioneer the development of the artificial heart-lung machine, a means of supporting a patient’s circulation during open-heart surgery.
President Nelson married Dantzel White in the Salt Lake Temple on Aug. 31, 1945. They are the parents of nine daughters and one son. She died Feb. 12, 2005, just shy of the Nelsons’ 60th wedding anniversary.
President Nelson married Wendy L. Watson on April 6, 2006.
Prior to his call to the apostleship, he served as a regional representative, the Church’s Sunday School general president, stake president, high councilor and bishopric counselor.
President Nelson’s testimony
In a Time magazine op-ed published Friday, Sept. 5, President Nelson wrote that “living to 101 is a privilege I never expected.” And, he offered “enduring truths” learned over his lifetime.
The first is that “each of us has inherent worth and dignity.” And second, “Love your neighbor and treat them with compassion and respect,” he wrote in the article titled “We All Deserve Dignity and Respect."
At his 100th birthday celebration last year, he said, “With joy in my heart and a spirit of deep thanksgiving, I express my love for you, dear brothers and sisters.”
He admitted that he has passed through experiences when he thought his life might end but did not. He recalled the blessing of visiting with individuals in more than 130 countries around the world and said to all those he has met, “You have made my life more wonderful.”
On that day, President Nelson again shared his testimony of Heavenly Father’s plan and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
“How grateful I am for His unfailing love and His generous guidance to me as He leads His Church,” he said.
He told those watching that the length of their lives is not as important as the kind of lives they live.
“My prayer is that you will let God prevail in your life. Make covenants with Him. Stay on the covenant path. Prepare to return to live with Him again,” he invited.
On New Year’s Day, he reflected on the 25th anniversary of the publication of “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.”
“Over the last quarter century this testimony has been read, studied and even memorized by countless disciples of Jesus Christ. My study of this testimony increases my desire, every day, to be more like Him,” he wrote. “As I celebrate my 101st New Year’s Day, I continue to love the opportunity it provides for fresh starts, new perspectives, and new and renewed resolutions.”
During a 2019 celebration marking President Nelson’s 95th birthday, he shared his testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored Church.
“If I have learned anything certain in [my life], it’s that Jesus the Christ is the Son of God,” he said. “His Church has been restored in these latter-days to prepare the world for His Second Coming. He is the light and life of the world. Only through Him can we reach our divine destiny and eventual exaltation.”
President Nelson said that everyday he thanks his Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ for the gift of life and the privilege of serving His children.
“Jesus the Christ is literally my Savior, my Redeemer, my exemplar and friend,” he said.
Reflections from Latter-day Saints and Church leaders
President Nelson’s 101st birthday has prompted Latter-day Saints and friends around the world to note the lessons they have learned from him and how they have grown closer to the Savior Jesus Christ, with just a sampling included in this Church News article.
His counselors in the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and general officers of the Church also all shared their tributes and thoughts in the past week. Those can be found here.
