Collected photo of slain Russell Nelson

WASHINGTON, Sept 28, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Russell Nelson, who headed the Mormon 
church since 2018, died on Saturday night at age 101, the church announced.

"With sorrow we announce that Russell M. Nelson, beloved President of The 
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away peacefully... at his 
home in Salt Lake City," it said in a statement, using the church's official 
name.

The former heart surgeon was "the oldest president in the history of the 
Church," the statement added, without specifying a cause of death.

Utah Republican senator Mike Lee lauded Nelson as a "bold, visionary leader 
prepared by God to testify of Jesus Christ in the very times in which we now 
live."

Nelson became the 17th president of the Church in January 2018 at age 93, 
succeeding Thomas Monson.

Before becoming president, Nelson successfully pushed for the church to label 
same-sex married couples as "apostates" and bar their children under the age 
of 18 from religious rites, including baptisms -- though that policy was 
scrapped after he took on the role.

He also broke with his predecessors and cautioned against using shorthands 
"LDS" or "Mormons" to refer to the church.

Nelson's successor will be chosen after his funeral by the Quorum of the 
Twelve Apostles, who like the church's president are considered prophets by 
believers.

The religious leader is survived by his wife, eight of his children, 57 
grandchildren and more than 167 great-grandchildren, according to the church.

Founded in 1830, the Mormon church considers itself a Christian body, but 
bases its doctrines on the Book of Mormon, a text purporting to contain a 
fuller version of the words of Jesus Christ than that recorded in the Bible.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims a total membership of 
more than 17.5 million people.