Russell M. Nelson, the oldest-ever president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has died at the age of 101. Church officials announced his death late Saturday. Church spokesperson Candice Madsen says Nelson died Saturday night at his home in Salt Lake City. The former heart surgeon had a vibrant and transformative tenure, especially his first year in 2018 when he made a surprising announcement calling on people to stop using the shorthand names “Mormon” and “LDS” as substitutes for the full name of the religion, a sharp shift after previous church leaders spent millions to promote the moniker over decades.
