Leaders of worldwide religions commonly remain at the helm well past the typical retirement age, but it’s rare to find centenarians overseeing major faiths. That’s the milestone The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reached on Monday when their church president, Russell M. Nelson, turned 100. Three years ago, he had already become the oldest president ever of the Utah-based faith, and now he stands as its first to reach the century mark.
“Age, wisdom, and spiritual authority go together,” remarked Angie Hong, a program director for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School.
While Pope Francis is 87, the Dalai Lama is 89, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople is 84, Nelson surpasses them all at 100, joining the ranks of senior religious figures like Ali al-Sistani, the 94-year-old grand ayatollah for the world’s 200 million Shia Muslims.
On Nelson’s milestone birthday, the church commemorated the occasion with a special broadcast in his honor. Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican and church member, also declared Monday “President Russell M. Nelson Day” in the state. “President Nelson is a leader not only in Utah, but across the world. He has worked tirelessly to build bridges of understanding and kindness and has led a life full of family, faith, and selfless service,” Cox said.
Nelson, who oversees the denomination known widely as the Mormon church, is tasked with managing everything from financial holdings worth billions to church doctrine and policy. He is also believed to be a prophet of God, serving until his death.
Traditionally, new presidents are chosen from the Quorum of The Twelve Apostles, one of the faith’s top governing bodies, specifically its longest-tenured member. Nelson, selected to join the Quorum in 1984, has spent four decades in church leadership’s upper echelons. In 2018, at 93, he became the church’s 17th president, the second oldest to assume the role at the time. Scholars and those who have known him say he quickly began reshaping the church, including overhauling worship services and constructing new temples.
Nelson’s advanced age has not been a concern due to his dynamic leadership, stated Patrick Mason, a religion and history professor at Utah State University. Mason depicted the church’s service opportunities for its older members as one of its strengths. “There is a general sensibility that there is wisdom and steadiness that comes with age,” Mason said.
Even as the church continues to expand, Nelson’s 100th birthday highlights the aging composition of its predominantly white male leadership. Nelson’s top two counselors, who form “the first presidency” and include his presumed successor, are both in their 90s. In total, six of the 15 men in the church’s top leadership panels are 80 or older.
While some argue the church could benefit from younger leadership in a changing world, others defend the wisdom and spiritual maturity its aging leaders bring. Hong, from Duke, emphasizes that good spiritual leaders “always look to mentor and raise up younger leaders.”
This trend is seen across faith traditions. In Hinduism, for instance, aging leaders from various sects choose and guide their successors while remaining active in day-to-day operations.
During a ceremony at church headquarters in Salt Lake City, close relatives, church leaders, and clergy from other faiths paid tribute to Nelson. “Nelson has been both the ‘Lord’s mouthpiece’ and ‘unfailingly kind and composed, gentle and forgiving,’” said Jeffrey Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “We celebrate the sweet, robust, history-making 100 years of your life. We have come to say we love you and we say it in the name of Jesus Christ.”
In the months leading up to his 100th birthday, Nelson called on church members to reach out to someone in need, referencing the biblical parable of the shepherd who left the 99 sheep to find the one that was lost. “He’s a very loving leader. He is easy to love,” Dallin H. Oaks, next in line to become church president, said in a pre-recorded video interview aired during the broadcast.
Nelson, in his own video message, reflected on his centenarian status by saying, “The length of your life is not as important as the kind of life you live. For each of us, even for a 100-year-old man, life passes quickly. My prayer is that you will let God prevail in your life.”
Rank-and-file church members expressed admiration for Nelson’s leadership at 100. Church member Mark Chavez praised Nelson for his global temple-building initiatives and the appointment of leaders from various countries, ushering in a more internationally focused era for the U.S.-based faith.
Known for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nelson also made waves when the church severed its century-long ties with the Boy Scouts of America, following the organization’s decision to allow openly gay youth members and adult volunteers, as well as transgender boys and girls. Under Nelson, the church has said it welcomes LGBTQ+ members but maintains that same-sex marriage is a sin.
Recently, the church issued new policies for transgender members, barring them from roles such as priests or teachers and restricting them from working with children or staying overnight at youth camps. Previously banned from being baptized, transgender individuals may now use single-occupancy restrooms at church meetinghouses.
One of Nelson’s first acts as president was urging members to stop using shorthand names like “Mormon” and “LDS” in favor of the church’s full name.
Born in Salt Lake City in 1924, Nelson became a church member as a young adult. At age 22, he served a two-year Army medical tour during the Korean War before resuming a distinguished medical career that included directing thoracic surgery residency at the University of Utah.
“He walks a very gentle line between underscoring what the doctrine states while expressing love for all involved,” said Sheri Dew, Nelson’s biographer and executive vice president of the Deseret Management Corporation, which the church owns. “You may not agree with everything he believes,” Dew said, “but any fair assessment of his life would conclude that he has truly tried to make life better for millions of people.”
