Russell M Nelson

The 93-year-old Nelson, a cardiothoracic-surgeon-turned-Mormon-apostle, is poised to become the 17th president of the nearly 16 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nelson, as the faith’s longest-serving apostle, is expected to be set apart in the coming days as the successor to the late Thomas S. Monson, who died Tuesday night at 10:01 p.m. at his Salt Lake City home. Nelson became next in line to guide the Utah-based faith when he was set apart July 15, 2015, to replace the late Boyd K. Packer as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Russell Marion Nelson was born Sept. 9, 1924, in Salt Lake City, to Marion C. and Edna Anderson Nelson.