The former heart surgeon had a vibrant and transformative tenure, especially in 2018, his first year, when he made a surprising announcement calling on people to stop using the shorthand names “Mormon” and “LDS” as substitutes for the full name of the religion, a sharp shift after previous church leaders spent millions to promote the moniker over decades. Nelson and one of his top counselors described their approach to LGBTQ+ members as trying to balance the “love of the Lord and the law of the Lord.” Nelson was known for leading the church through the COVID-19 pandemic and severing the faith’s century-long ties with the Boy Scouts of America, creating the church’s own youth program that also could serve the more than half of its 17 million members who live outside the US and Canada.
Author: Associated Press
Published at: 2025-09-28 09:17:18
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