SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Russell M. Nelson, the oldest president in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away on Saturday night at the age of 101. His death was confirmed by church spokesperson Candice Madsen, who stated that he died at his home in Salt Lake City.

A former heart surgeon, Nelson joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984 and had four decades of leadership within the church. He ascended to the presidency in January 2018 following the death of Thomas S. Monson and became the first church president to reach the age of 100 in 2024. The church has not announced his successor yet, but it is likely to be Dallin H. Oaks, the next longest-serving member of the Quorum.

Following Nelson's passing, Utah Senator Mike Lee paid tribute to him on social media, commending his faith, humility, and quiet confidence. Nelson held a transformative presidency that included significant changes in church policy and outreach.

In 2018, Nelson made headlines by urging members to refrain from using the terms “Mormon” and “LDS” as informal substitutes for the church's full name, a marked change from previous leadership's longstanding efforts to promote those nicknames. The following year, he repealed rules that prohibited baptisms for children of gay parents, addressing widespread criticism of the church's earlier stances. Nonetheless, the church’s official position on same-sex marriage remained unchanged, and new policies were implemented that limited participation for members pursuing gender-affirming medical procedures or changing their names and pronouns, prompting criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates.

Throughout his presidency, Nelson emphasized a balanced approach to LGBTQ+ issues, describing efforts to align the "love of the Lord" with the "law of the Lord." Presidents of the church are regarded as prophets, guided by revelations from God, in collaboration with their counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve.

During his term, Nelson led the church through the COVID-19 pandemic and also facilitated the church's disassociation from the Boy Scouts of America after that organization began to allow LGBTQ+ youth members and leaders. In response, the church initiated its own youth programs catering to the more than half of its 17 million members located outside the U.S. and Canada.

Nelson's tenure included scrutiny of the church's handling of sexual abuse allegations. An Associated Press investigation revealed that the church's abuse reporting hotline could potentially be misused by local leaders, redirecting accusations to church attorneys rather than law enforcement. In defense, Nelson and church leaders claimed that the hotline was intended to protect children and not to cover up abuse.

In response to these concerns, the church updated its guidelines, instructing lay leaders to take all reports of abuse seriously and permitting minors to bring a parent or trusted adult to one-on-one interviews with local leaders.

Nelson also worked toward diversifying church leadership, appointing non-American leaders to its governing bodies and publishing hymnbooks that celebrate global music and culture. He reduced the duration of Sunday services and rolled out plans for a temple-building initiative aimed at expanding the church’s presence worldwide, despite local resistance in some U.S. areas.

Moreover, he established a formal partnership with the NAACP, acknowledging the church's historical prohibition against Black men in the lay priesthood—centered on a now-disavowed belief that black skin was a curse. While the church has expressed a desire to move past this chapter in its history, it has not issued a formal apology, a matter that remains sensitive within the faith.

Born in Salt Lake City in 1924, Nelson became a doctor at the age of 22 and served in the Korean War before resuming his medical career. Noted for his precision as a surgeon, he emphasized obedience to church law and the "covenant path," an essential aspect of life in the faith, noted by Mormon scholar Matthew Bowman. Nelson first married Dantzel White, with whom he had 10 children, and later married Wendy Watson in 2006 after Dantzel's passing in 2005.