The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died late Saturday night at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Russell M. Nelson was 101.
The president of the Dartmouth, N.S., stake (similar to a diocese) mourned the passing the Church’s leader.
“Not only will he be remembered for his many contributions to the medical profession at large, but even more so for his contributions to our lives,” Jonathan R. Fox said.
Nelson became president of the Latter-day Saints in January 2018.
Prior to full-time service, Nelson was a heart surgeon. In 1955, he performed the first open-heart surgery in Utah. He 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.
Nelson is survived by his wife, Wendy, eight of his 10 children, 57 grandchildren and more than 167 great-grandchildren.
