The passing of President Russell M. Nelson, the 17th prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marked the end of an era. At 101 years old, President Nelson was recognized as the world’s oldest leader of a global faith organization when he died on September 27, 2025. To honor his remarkable life and service, the Church has arranged several tribute and funeral events accessible to members and observers worldwide.
Special Tribute Broadcast
Before the Church’s semiannual general conference began in October 2025, a special tribute broadcast was held on October 1 at 10 a.m. MDT to commemorate President Nelson’s contributions. The broadcast featured remarks from several Church leaders alongside performances from The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Although this event was not open for public attendance, it was widely available via live stream and on-demand through multiple platforms such as ChurchofJesusChrist.org, YouTube, BYUtv, and KSL. The tribute was made accessible in 13 languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and American Sign Language.
Public Viewing and Funeral Services
Following the October general conference sessions, public events were held to provide opportunities for Church members and the public to pay their respects:
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October 6 – Public Viewing: The Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City welcomed visitors from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for a public viewing. People of all ages were invited to attend and reflect on President Nelson’s life and legacy.
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October 7 – Public Funeral: The public funeral service was conducted at 12 p.m. MDT in the Conference Center on Temple Square. Attendance was open to individuals aged eight and older, with tickets required for entry. Tickets became available online starting October 2 at 10 a.m. The doors opened at 10:30 a.m., with attendees expected to be seated by 11:30 a.m. The service itself was also broadcast globally with translations available in over 30 languages, including British Sign Language, Armenian, Cambodian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mongolian, Norwegian, Samoan, Swedish, Tagalog, Tahitian, Thai, Tongan, and Ukrainian, among others.
The Church’s administrative buildings on Temple Square were closed from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to observe the solemn occasion.
Private Burial and Expressions of Sympathy
A private burial service followed the public funeral to provide a more intimate farewell for family and close associates. In lieu of flowers, the Church encouraged donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund or the General Missionary Fund, enabling President Nelson’s legacy of service and compassion to continue.
Expressions of sympathy and condolences were welcomed through social media platforms such as President Nelson’s official Facebook and Instagram pages or via email to sendcondolences@ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Continuing the Legacy
President Nelson served as the prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since January 14, 2018. His leadership spanned a transformative period marked by worldwide outreach and spiritual growth within the Church. The scheduled general conference sessions proceeded as planned, offering the world an opportunity to hear words of comfort and inspiration from the Church’s Apostles and leaders.
Through these thoughtfully arranged events and broadcasts, millions worldwide had the chance to honor President Russell M. Nelson’s enduring legacy—one defined by faith, dedication, and service to others.
