The Mormon Land newsletter is The Salt Lake Tribune’s weekly highlight reel of news in and about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Join us onPatreon to receive the full newsletter and access to all of our religion content.
A word or two — or 101 — about President Nelson
Russell M. Nelson, the oldest church president in Latter-day Saint history, died Sept. 27.
Here are 101 words that can be used to describe him — one for every year of his life:
Son. Husband. Widower. Father. Grandfather. Great-grandfather. Great-great-grandfather. Friend. Believer. Churchgoer. Convert. Worshipper. Graduate. Football player. Exerciser. Tennis player. Swimmer. Skier. Singer. Veteran. Pianist. Patient. Doctor. Transplanter. Helper. Healer. Learner. Teacher. Professor. Heart surgeon. Researcher. Scientist. Vaxxer. Vitamin advocate.
Stake president. Sunday school president. Regional representative. Elder. Minister. Sealer. Follower. Leader. Exemplar. Prize winner. Hard worker. High achiever. Witness. Disciple. Apostle. Speaker. Preacher. Reader. Writer. Lyricist. Optimist. Gentleman. Bridge builder. Unifier. Testifier. Anti-racist. Language lover. Globe-trotter. Vatican guest. Humanitarian.
Early riser. Templegoer. Temple builder. Organizer. Innovator. Motivator. Transformer. Refiner. Reformer. Persuader. Dynamo. Decider. Diplomat. History maker. Peacemaker. Centenarian. Prophet. Seer. Revelator. Christian.
Tribune stories related to Nelson’s death
• His long life and lasting legacy.
• An interactive look at his milestones.
• Reactions from political figures and Latter-day Saints.
• His funeral plans.
• His likely successor, Dallin Oaks, and whom Oaks might pick as his counselors in a new First Presidency.
• During a livestreamed tribute, Oaks recalls his last meeting with Nelson.
Mourning in Michigan and beyond
The morning after Nelson’s death, a gunman rammed a truck into a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse during Sunday services in Grand Blanc, Michigan, opened fire and set the building ablaze.
The deadly shooting and flames sent shock waves across the nation.
On Tuesday, apostle David Bednar visited the grieving community.
“This is no easy task to see beyond the immediate separation, the injury, the anguish — even the separation through death,” he said in a news release. “…In the midst of this horrible event, what I have seen are faithful Latter-day Saints following the admonition of President Nelson to be peacemakers in how they respond to this episode and how they support and serve each other.”
In a video, the lay bishop of the affected congregation said his flock is “quite shaken in body and spirit, and it hurts.”
You can also read this harrowing eyewitness account from the Deseret News.
The latest ‘Mormon Land’ podcast: Nelson, Oaks, the past and the future
Historian Ben Park looks back at Russell Nelson’s presidency, forward to an anticipated Dallin Oaks administration and who might be joining the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Listen to the podcast.
Special pre-General Conference section
Here are stories and commentaries from our preconference special section:
• The family proclamation is 30 years old. Is it relevant in the present or a relic of the past?
• In an exclusive book excerpt, revisit Joseph Smith’s final General Conference address.
• See how a pious but progressive “rebel” apostle battled his fellow brethren over politics, social justice and civil rights.
• God wants married couples to have better sex, writes Tribune columnist Gordon Monson.
• A former Latter-day Saint proselytizer has a new mission — as a Lutheran pastor.
• For Latter-day Saints, Tribune guest columnist Rebbie Brassfield argues, Lake Powell is heaven on Earth.
• Joseph vs. Brigham. Polygamy deniers. Historian Matthew Bowman examines why some insist on rewriting the Mormon past.
• Scholar Ben Park explains why policies from the Trump administration and the Utah Legislature threaten the study of church history.
• The pioneer legend of the Salt Lake Valley’s “Lone Cedar Tree” is, at its roots, about the value of preserving history, writes Tribune guest columnist Eli McCann.
Around the world
• President Camille Johnson, worldwide leader of the women’s Relief Society, wrapped up her tour of Australia, Vanuatu, Samoa and New Zealand.
Johnson had been to Samoa before to pick up a son after his mission there.
“My heart has been in Samoa since 2009,” she said in a news release. “…The beauties of nature in Samoa are rivaled only by the beauty of these covenant-keeping Saints.”
• The church is helping to supply thousands of laptop computers to hundreds of Mongolian schools that, in time, will boost the learning of 100,000 students.
“I dream of pursuing computer science when I grow up,” a student said in a news release. “Last year, I couldn’t study well because our school didn’t have a regular computer teacher. With this [laptop], I promise I will learn diligently this time.”
• The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts will stage a gathering of scholars and artists Oct. 10 at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.
From The Tribune
• Anti-Latter-day Saint chants break out again at a BYU football game, this time at the University of Colorado. The Big 12 fined the school $50,000.
• A pioneering Black Latter-day Saint, who co-founded the Genesis Group, has died.
• Residents say a mudslide that struck a Provo meetinghouse, displacing four congregations, could have been avoided.