Every night was family night. Amidst the demands of civic and work endeavors, Marion and Edna Nelson chose family relationships as the hallmark of Nelson tradition. Son Russell, who would become the seventeenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recalled, “We read together, sang together, played together, and worked together. The poverty in our early years was profound; yet we seemed to have everything in life that money could not buy.”

Russell’s high regard for Marion and Edna’s parenting style is most apparent in Russell’s own written words: “They made love the prevailing influence in their home. Completely absent were expressions of anger, criticism, and denigration of others. Our parents led, guided, and provided; but they were not possessive, and they did not unduly interfere in the lives of their children. The important decisions in life—choice of career, selection of the marital partner, and all other opportunities—were to be made individually after parental counsel.”

Russell’s obvious affection for his father is perhaps most apparent in his word of choice when referencing his father in his autobiography and during interviews: “Daddy.” Russell recalls a “family night” in which he solicited his father’s help in crafting a campaign speech for school. Although Marion was more than happy to help, he expected Russell to do his part. “You do your best, and then I’ll help you.”

The Nelsons never missed a summer trip together. Marion and Edna considered storing up happy memories as one of their most important responsibilities. Russell recalls that his father “felt that vacations were for Mother as well as for himself and us children, so he arranged it so that she wouldn’t have to cook or make beds or wash dishes. When we took a vacation, it was a vacation for everyone.” But one vacation in particular has gone down in Nelson family lore as a most infamous family trip. It was a regular cascade of trials.

“While driving in Jasper National Park, Daddy tried to shoo a bumblebee out of the car and ended up in the ditch, causing minor damage to the car in addition to creating an embarrassing inconvenience. Then, while hiking in Yoho National Park, my mother twisted her ankle and sustained a very bad sprain, which caused her ankle to swell a great deal, and she had to be assisted for the rest of the trip. Later on, I received a bad bee sting on my thigh, which began to swell so much that I could not walk. My parents had to call a doctor to make a personal call at their hotel in Portland, Oregon.”

Later, as they walked together along the bank of the Columbia River, son Robert tumbled down a steep embankment, heading toward the river below. All the members of the family quickly locked arms to form a human chain to reach him, saving Robert’s life. Finally, Marion had had enough. He declared, “Everybody get in the car. I’m locking all the doors. We’re going straight home. We’re not going to make any stops except for gas!” After seventeen hours of driving, the family breathed a sigh of relief as they climbed safely into their own beds.

And yet, even with all of the focus on family, the children sensed that there was something missing. They often wondered at the absence of religious practice in their home, and they described Marion and Edna’s posture as “indifferent” to religion. Daughter Enid related, “Our parents lived for their children, but organized religion was not a priority in their lives.”

One evening, Russell overheard his parents raise their voices with one another after a night of social drinking. After his parents departed, he went to the basement where the alcohol was stored and smashed every bottle of liquor on the concrete floor. He fully expected to be punished, but his father never said a word.

By the time Russell was sixteen years of age, neither he nor any of his siblings had been baptized. Jonas Ryser, their faithful home teacher at the time, lovingly and persistently taught Marion and Edna the importance of baptism for their children. In time, they agreed. His “conscientious urging” led to the events of November 30, 1940, when all four of the Nelson children were baptized.

Following their confirmations on Sunday, the warmth of ward members kept the Nelson children connected to the Church. Marion was baptized in September of the following year. And, though he still chose not to participate fully, he did on one occasion make a prediction to his daughters: that Russell would one day be President of the Church.

As time went on, the Nelson children began to leave the nest. In 1945, Russell married Dantzel White in the Salt Lake Temple. Russell’s sister Marjory and her husband, Robert Rohlfing, attended the sealing along with Marion’s mother, “Grandma Nelson.” Russell recalls, “I felt very bad that my Mother and Daddy were not there, but they were most supportive in telling us to go ahead and marry the way we wanted to, even though it meant that they could not join us until after the wedding was over.” Indeed, Marion had encouraged Russell, “Whatever you need to do to get her, do it!” Marion and Edna hosted a wedding breakfast at the Hotel Utah following the marriage.

All four of the Nelson children were graduates of the University of Utah, with their parents openly sacrificing to ensure they received higher education. Marion and Edna often invited their married children over for Sunday dinner, and Russell was deeply grateful for those delicious meals at a time when he and Dantzel were subsisting on a meager college student budget. The parents gifted groceries at times, baby supplies when the grandchildren began to arrive, and encouragement regularly. “Whenever I became discouraged,” Russell recalled, “there was always [Daddy’s] sweet, understanding spirit to buoy me up.”

Russell’s pursuit of a medical degree, however, was met at first with some reservation by Marion and Edna, who had hoped that at least one of their sons would take over Marion’s business. They nonetheless gave their support in the form of a two-door blue Chevrolet for Russell and Dantzel to take to his internship in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Marion counseled Russell, “Well, if you want to do it, be the best.”

With Russell’s training under way, Marion and Edna were anxious to go visit the couple in Minnesota and celebrate his developing skills. Russell was already participating in trailblazing techniques in the field of medicine and had recently performed a surgical procedure on a dog with very promising results. He was excited to inform his parents of his success. Upon their arrival, Russell invited Marion over to the research lab, where he promptly brought the dog inside. Russell describes how he “fed it, watered it, and petted it, proudly showing it off to Daddy, explaining that this was the first dog in medical history ever to survive a thirty-minute period with the circulation being maintained entirely by an artificial heart-lung machine!”

In the midst of Russell’s enthusiasm, Marion turned his back to him and appeared to be shedding tears. It took Russell a moment to realize that these were not tears of joy. “Your mother and I have sacrificed and worked all these years to have a doctor son of whom we could be proud. Now we find that you’re just a dog doctor!” Both would later laugh heartily at the memory of that exchange. Russell’s work with the canine would play a key role in his future success as a heart surgeon, a fact of which Marion certainly grew to be proud.

For decades, Russell had longed to be sealed to his parents and siblings in the temple. He and Dantzel had “nagged” Marion and Edna repeatedly on the subject, even gifting them with scriptures and songbooks with their names engraved on them. These gifts were never opened. “They were the kind of people who didn’t like to be pushed,” Russell recalled. But the tide turned during President Spencer W. Kimball’s eightieth birthday celebration.

The Nelsons had a special relationship with Spencer and Camilla Kimball. The Kimballs were beloved mentors, and both had undergone surgery at Russell’s hand. When President Kimball spotted Marion and Edna in the banquet room for the birthday celebration, Russell recalled, “[President Kimball] deviated on his trip to the head table and came over and I introduced him to my mother and father. He kissed my mother … and said ‘I want to thank you for being the mother of the man that saved my life.’ President Kimball gave Daddy a kiss and said, ‘Thanks for teaching your son to be a man of integrity.’” Apparently, the exchange had a profound effect on Marion.

A few days later, Russell received a long-awaited communication from his father: “Son, I think we’re ready. We want to get our marriage solemnized in the temple. How do we do it?” Russell reflected, “All my cajoling, nagging was for naught. But one act of love made a difference. … The minute you can turn the love valve on, you’ve got a chance. The more [we] nag, the less likely [we] are to be successful. Because who wants to live eternally with a nag?!”

The following month, on the beautiful spring day of March 26, 1977, Marion and Edna received their endowments and were sealed for time and all eternity in the Provo Utah Temple by a member of the temple presidency, Joseph T. Bentley. Following these sacred ordinances, their children were sealed to them. Russell recorded in his journal in all caps, “MOTHER AND DADDY WERE SEALED FOR TIME AND ETERNITY.” The change in Marion and Edna was “total,” Russell related. “They became totally dedicated. In fact, Daddy said to me one day, ‘What are we going to do about your brother? We’ve got to get him active in the Church.’”

Marion passed away the day after Thanksgiving on November 27, 1990. He was ninety-three years old.

In reflecting on the ways in which his father influenced his life and ministry, President Russell M. Nelson related: “I couldn’t begin to give you the list. It is endless. Every day I do something that I learned from my dad. …

“To Mother and Daddy I acknowledge my gratitude—for life, encouragement, and continuous love. So much of the gratitude I feel is inexpressible. From my first hours in infancy … their help and expertise have been most valuable. … As I reflect upon my particular debt of gratitude for the example of this noble father, an Old Testament scripture comes to mind: ‘He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?’” (Micah 6:8).

▶ You may also like: What’s it like having President Nelson as a father? His children share delightful stories and insights

Fathers of the Prophets

In a world where the role of fatherhood is increasingly maligned, marginalized, and even dismissed, this book highlights the irreplaceable role of fathers in the lives of the chosen servants of the Lord, and in the lives of children the world over. Fathers of the Prophets is filled with stories and moments that will both inspire and delight.

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