This story was originally published by LDS Living in January 2018 and has been updated to celebrate President Nelson’s birthday.
In celebration of our prophet’s 97th birthday on September 9, 2021, we wanted to take a look at the remarkable life of our prophet. We have gathered a few of our favorite photos and hope they provide insight into the life of the valiant man who now serves as God’s representative on earth.
Traveling to the South Pacific with President Kimball would prove to be but one of the Nelsons’ experiences in that beautiful part of the world. Image fromInsights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson.
From left to right: Elder Gary E. Stevenson, President Russell M. Nelson, and Elder Enrique Falabella, General Authority Seventy, leave the Government Palace in Lima, Peru, after speaking with the president of Peru on October 20, 2018. Image by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
President Nelson hugs Tate Chan, age 3, in Singapore on November 20, 2019. Image by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
President and Sister Nelson at a Worldwide Devotional. Image from Facebook.
President and Sister Nelson, along with Elder Gong, visiting with His Highness Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aleto'a Eti Sualauvi II, Samoa Head of State, and his wife Fa'amausili Leinafo Tuimaleali'ifan. Image by Ravell Call, Deseret News.
President Nelson greeting Sheik Mohammad Amir and Elder Gong shaking hands with Dr. Mustafa Farouk after the mosque shootings in Auckland, New Zealand. Image by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.
President Nelson meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Image from Facebook.
President and Sister Nelson with Latter-day Saints who greeted them in Samoa during a pacific ministry tour. Image from Facebook.
President and Sister Nelson meeting with Latter-day Saints impacted by the Paradise Fire. Image from Facebook.
President Nelson gifting a Book of Mormon to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern. Image from Facebook.
President Nelson at the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. Image from Facebook.
President Nelson receiving a hug from a young boy in Orlando, Florida. Image from Facebook.
President and Sister Nelson greeting those who are receiving wheelchairs donated by the Church in Argentina. Image from Facebook.
President Nelson shared this photo on Facebook during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sister Nelson wrote the following: "Knowing that our dining table will become the sacrament table on Sunday, both of us take special care on Saturday to make sure our home is clean and tidy. My husband finds such JOY as he folds the laundry and vacuums. And I am happy to find joy in his joy!" Image from Facebook.
President Nelson and Sister Wendy Nelson welcome a new baby to the family during the pandemic. Image from Facebook.
President Nelson and Sister Wendy Nelson stand outside the temple. In a post on President Nelson’s Facebook page on July 5, 2021, the prophet said that temples reopening to some degree since the pandemic is cause for rejoicing. Image from Facebook
On May 1, 2021, President Nelson announced that a temple will be built in Ephraim, Utah. The temple will be the 252nd temple in the Church. Image from Facebook.
President Nelson plays the piano with his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, seated beside him. Image from Facebook.
President Nelson puts his arm around the Rev. Amos C. Brown at the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City on June 14, 2021, as the Church announces a partnership with the NAACP. Image by Scott G Winterton, Deseret News.
President Nelson and Sister Wendy Nelson. Image from Facebook.
