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Russells' first wife died in February 2005, he married Wendy in April 2006.

Did Russell already know Wendy whilst his wife was alive? Did they bump into each other at a Singles ward munch and mingle? Mormon Tinder? Well let's find out, LDS Magazine has published a 'How the Prophet and Apostles met their wives'.

http://www.ldsliving.com/How-the-Prophe ... es/s/88782

How he met his first wife:

According to Russell M. Nelson: Father, Surgeon, Apostle, President Nelson met his wife, Dantzel, at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus in 1942. He was asked to participate in the musical Hayfoot, where Dantzel was cast in a leading role. While Dantzel was singing on stage, President Nelson was overwhelmed by her beautiful soprano voice. After meeting her in the musical production, President Nelson felt that this beautiful young woman might someday become his wife. President Nelson recalled, “My attention for her was so immediate and so compelling. I find it very easy to believe that my affinity for her may have been established in a holier pre-mortal sphere.”

Two months after they met and began dating, Dantzel returned to her home in Perry, Utah, for a three-month summer vacation. She announced to her parents that she had met “the perfect man.” As President Nelson and Dantzel’s relationship became more serious, President Nelson commuted to visit Dantzel as often as he could.

How he met Wendy:

In 2005, after 60 years of marriage, Dantzel passed away. According to LDS.org, their son, Russell Nelson Jr., said, “The passing of our mother, we could tell, was a deep hit for him (President Nelson).” However, he says the family saw “an immediate change” in President Nelson when he met Wendy L. Watson, whom he married in 2006.

One of President Nelson’s granddaughters, Katie Irion Owens, says, “With Wendy, he (President Nelson) has now found another amazing complement and match.”

Wendy says after searching for her eternal companion, she never thought she would marry the member of the Quorum of the Twelve. “When I think about Dantzel why wouldn’t I love her? She and my husband had almost 60 years together to grow and help each other. So what do I get? I got a Danztel White improved version of Russell M. Nelson,” says Wendy in an interview with KSL News. “I try to do everything I can to make sure my husband feels loved, adored, wanted, and needed. We call it L.A.W.N. in our family.”

Lot's of words, but no explanation of how he met Wendy. In fact, they seem pretty tight-lipped about it.

So, just how did Russell meet Wendy?

They were probably brought together through friends, although I bet they knew one another beforehand - perhaps from beyond the veil. Those friends knew that Elder Nelson was expected to be married, and they knew that Wendy was the live-in companion of Sherri Dew. With the new housing arrangement of the Nelsons living next door to Ms. Dew, everyone could have their cake and enjoy it with red Kool-Aid. It was a win-win made for Temple Square.

moksha wrote:They were probably brought together through friends, although I bet they knew one another beforehand - perhaps from beyond the veil. Those friends knew that Elder Nelson was expected to be married, and they knew that Wendy was the live-in companion of Sherri Dew. With the new housing arrangement of the Nelsons living next door to Ms. Dew, everyone could have their cake and enjoy it with red Kool-Aid. It was a win-win made for Temple Square.

Hmmmmm. I wonder if Wendy and Sherri let Russell watch them eat their (cup)cakes? Not that there is anything wrong with that

LDS The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Singles.com of course.

My money is on Sherri being a part of this. Extremely reliable gossip has it that they are close neighbors and close in other ways.

Well what I heard was she was 12 and he was 42 visiting in Canada. The Sunday after having lectured at the local medical school he attended the local ward where Wendy's family attended. After the meetings he took her aside and told her a prophesy he had--he'd marry her someday. She having caught his eye, as nights before he was visited by an angel who carried a flaming sword saying he'd be dashed through if he did not pursue marriage with others. Her father, a bit younger than this visitor, had no concern with is young daughter closed in a room with a strange man. As it was her father felt a certain conviction that this man was going to be a prophet someday, as he exited the building and let the two share personal time together.

Having faithfully attended church his previous 4 decades, unacquainted with Church history and things he was unaware that a similar story happened to his spiritual idol over a hundred years earlier. What joy filled his heart when he learned of Mary Elizabeth Rollings Lightner Smith Young, at the age of 88.

Not many years after their brief encounter in the dark empty hallways of that Canadian building they secretly wed in the Cardston temple as he traveled again under the guise of business, Dantzel unaware of the scrape. Having intermittent visits after that, one night, peering through the crack in the barn doors...well...we all know what happened then. Poor young Wendy was exiled and forbidden from seeing him. the torturous separation lasted 4 decades, but finally, her waiting paid off. The man whom she fell in love with at age 12 was free. they waited a good year to avoid the appearance of evil and their secret ceremony was repeated.

Why don't they - the Church, Nelson and Watson, want us to find out how their meeting came about?

She was most likely assigned to him, just like Elder Poelman's wife was assigned to him after his own first wife died.

No, I'm neither joking nor making this up.

Jesse Pinkman, I believe you can add relevant commentary to this.

Dr. Shades wrote:She was most likely assigned to him, just like Elder Poelman's wife was assigned to him after his own first wife died.

No, I'm neither joking nor making this up.

Jesse Pinkman, I believe you can add relevant commentary to this.

Are you sure "assigned" is the right word? Maybe set up? Who did this assigning?

Stem wrote:Who did this assigning?

Most likely the Marital Assignment Committee headed by Elder A. Stirling Yentl.