Mourners remember Latter-day Saints president as a ‘healer of hearts,’ spiritually and literally

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mourners remembered Russell M. Nelson, the surgeon-turned-faith leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a “healer of hearts” — both spiritually and literally — during a funeral service Tuesday in Salt Lake City.

Nelson served as president of the church up until his death in late September at the age of 101, making him its oldest-ever leader.

About 600 members of Nelson's family were in attendance at faith’s Conference Center, along with 20,000 people who quickly acquired tickets the church offered online, said church spokesperson Doug Andersen. The service also was broadcast globally on the church’s website and other online platforms.

Several of Nelson's 10 children shared stories about their father and lessons he taught them.

“When I think of our dad, I think of joy,” said his daughter, Laurie Marsh. “Daddy always chose to be happy, and that made him so fun to be around.”

Church officials described him as “the man for whom the word ‘gentleman’ was created" and celebrated his work building new temples around the globe.

Funerals in the faith known widely as the Mormon church are typically “marked by an atmosphere of hopefulness and peace,” Andersen said.

Nelson’s son, Russell M. Nelson Jr., echoed that sentiment, saying the “sting of separation is real, but we shouldn’t be too sad.”

He quoted his father’s own words about grief: “Mourning is one of the purest expressions of deep love," and, "The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life.”

Henry B. Eyring, one of Nelson's two top counselors, reflected on both aspects of Nelson's legacy — as a spiritual leader for four decades and as a heart surgeon who saved lives. Eyring shared that his own mother underwent several operations under Nelson's careful hand, and that he extended her life.

The funeral was closed-casket. However, in keeping with tradition, Nelson’s body was dressed in mostly white temple clothing, the ceremonial garments worn by adult members, Andersen said. The funeral occurred a day after a public viewing on Monday that was attended by an estimated 18,560 people.

The famed Tabernacle Choir performed a hymn written by Nelson titled “Our Prayer to Thee,” which was first published in the church’s official publication and performed at general conferences in October 2018 and April 2022. One musician described the song as a special, sacred representation of the relationship between God and the faithful.

Nelson's family selected other hymns performed during the funeral, including “Let Us All Press On” and “It Is Well With My Soul.”

While the funeral was public and open to Latter-day Saints and non-members, the burial is private. After the service, Nelson's family headed to Salt Lake City Cemetery, where many other pioneers of the faith are buried.

Family plays a significant role in the faith, not just in this life, but also in the afterlife, said Kathleen Flake, former professor of Mormon Studies at the University of Virginia.

Flake said once the body is escorted to the grave site, those who are not family will leave and a male family member will dedicate the grave.

In the church, temple sealings, which is the joining together of a man and a woman and their children for eternity, bind the family as a unit that crosses over from this life to the next. A sealing must be performed in a temple by a man who has the priesthood.

“The belief is that (Nelson) would be joining in the afterlife with predeceased family members,” she said. “You go from the family here on Earth to the family that is in heaven, and live together in eternity.”

A new president — considered a prophet by members — is expected to be named sometime after Nelson's funeral.

Announcing his successor, Dallin H. Oaks, is largely a formality because the church has a well-defined leadership hierarchy that helps ensure a smooth handover and prevent lobbying internally or publicly.

Oaks led Tuesday's funeral service and described Nelson as “my best friend and most effective teacher.”

In his first major address since Nelson's death, the 93-year-old Oaks encouraged members Sunday during the faith's twice-annual general conference to get married and have children.

Oaks also said Sunday that the faith will “slow down the announcement of new temples” — the first major difference from Nelson's presidency.

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Bharath reported from Los Angeles.

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