100-year-old prophet expected to participate at general conference

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This weekend President Russell M. Nelson will participate in and speak at his 82nd consecutive general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At a time when few people are alive, let alone leading a global organization, President Nelson will share a message as part of the global broadcast.

President Nelson is the first president of the church to hit the century mark, and his centennial birthday prompted global attention.

On his birthday , The New York Times noted that when President Nelson was born on Sept. 9, 1924, Utah had been a state for less than 30 years. The reporter also pointed out that “he has been alive for more than half of the life span of the church itself.”

Let’s add that the Salt Lake Temple had been dedicated just 31 years before.

“In a presidential election cycle that has prompted soul-searching about aging and leadership, Mr. Nelson’s milestone suggests that, at least in his church, a triple-digit birthday does not merit much hand-wringing. He remains a popular figure among church members, who view their president not just as an executive but as a ‘prophet, seer and revelator,’” the Times added.

Newsweek stated that President Nelson is now “the the oldest living leader of a major religion” and provided a list . Pope Francis, who is 87, is sixth on that list.

The Associated Press also interviewed people for an article on President Nelson’s birthday, one of whom was Sheri Dew, executive vice president and chief content officer of Deseret Management Corporation, which owns the Deseret News.

“He walks a very gentle line between underscoring what the doctrine states while expressing love for all involved,” she said . “You may not agree with everything he believes. But any fair assessment of his life would conclude that he has truly tried to make life better for millions of people.”

Of course, President Nelson shared his own message that day:

Here are some other notable, fun and memorable messages from President Nelson’s birthday, which included a statement celebrating his lifetime of service and leadership being added to the Congressional Record and Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox declaring it “President Russell M. Nelson Day ” in Utah:

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