While aiming to be perceived as a direct conduit of divine revelation, his tenure ultimately yielded no foundational restoration of doctrine. Instead, he presided over the hoarding of vast resources and, ironically, spurred a significant number of members to conclude that the church lacked divine truth and its leader was anything but specially appointed.
What other aspects of Russell M. Nelson's legacy should be considered?
Encouraged members to get vaccinated.
Nelson's spiraling, fiery flight of death.
Nelson's Miracle in Mozambique, where an attacker's gun misfired when put to his head.
General Conference talk admonishing members to "never take advice from those that do not believe" which further alienated relationships/friendships between non-members and members.
Nelson's Miracle of the Woman Wearing a Hat (the woman was not a nurse, never lived in Korea, and did not know Nelson until her husband introduced them).
Declared the term "Mormon" to be a "victory for Satan."
Orchestrated a COVID PR stunt consisting of a handful of worldwide fasts, that needless to say were demonstrably ineffective.
2015 revelation concerning LGBT members and the 2019 revelation reversing that prior revelation.
Announced hundreds of temples that his successors will find difficult to build and impossible to fill with worshipers.
Presided over the 2019 whistleblower SEC scandal.
General Conference talk where he described those that leave as "lazy learners" and "lax disciples."
Implemented significant policy changes, including the Scouts program discontinuation and the shift to two-hour church meetings.
Last edited by Everybody Wang Chung on Wed Oct 01, 2025 12:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."
Premise 1. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable.
Premise 2. The best evidence for the Book of Mormon is eyewitness testimony.
Conclusion. Therefore, the best evidence for the Book of Mormon is notoriously unreliable.
I can't imagine him taking young children on a trip like this.
When I saw what was ahead, I immediately asked to beach the raft and hold an emergency family council meeting, knowing that if we were to survive this experience, we needed to plan carefully. I reasoned with our family: “No matter what happens, the rubber raft will remain on top of the water. If we cling with all our might to ropes secured to the raft, we can make it. Even if the raft should capsize, we will be all right if we hang tightly to the ropes.”
I turned to our little seven-year-old daughter and said, “All of the others will cling to a rope. But you will need to hold on to your daddy. Sit behind me. Put your arms around me and hold me tightly while I hold the rope.”
I can't imagine him taking young children on a trip like this.
When I saw what was ahead, I immediately asked to beach the raft and hold an emergency family council meeting, knowing that if we were to survive this experience, we needed to plan carefully. I reasoned with our family: “No matter what happens, the rubber raft will remain on top of the water. If we cling with all our might to ropes secured to the raft, we can make it. Even if the raft should capsize, we will be all right if we hang tightly to the ropes.”
I turned to our little seven-year-old daughter and said, “All of the others will cling to a rope. But you will need to hold on to your daddy. Sit behind me. Put your arms around me and hold me tightly while I hold the rope.”
As we started our journey, we had no idea how dangerous this trip could be.
The first day was beautiful. But on the second day, when we approached Horn Creek rapids and saw that precipitous drop ahead, I was terrified. Floating on a rubber raft, our precious family was about to plunge over a waterfall! Instinctively I put one arm around my wife and the other around our youngest daughter. To protect them, I tried to hold them close to me. But as we reached the precipice, the bended raft became a giant sling and shot me into the air. I landed into the roiling rapids of the river. I had a hard time coming up. Each time I tried to find air, I hit the underside of the raft. My family couldn’t see me, but I could hear them shouting, “Daddy! Where’s Daddy?”
So basically Nelson was a negligent parent who put his kids into life threatening situations due to a lack of planning (does that sound like Nelson the surgeon?), or he’s prone to telling tale tales that aren’t necessarily 100% true. #paulhdunn
Premise 1. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable.
Premise 2. The best evidence for the Book of Mormon is eyewitness testimony.
Conclusion. Therefore, the best evidence for the Book of Mormon is notoriously unreliable.
At what point can Sheri Dew attach herself to the Russell, Danzel, and Wendy eternal thruple?
Premise 1. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable.
Premise 2. The best evidence for the Book of Mormon is eyewitness testimony.
Conclusion. Therefore, the best evidence for the Book of Mormon is notoriously unreliable.
As we started our journey, we had no idea how dangerous this trip could be.
The first day was beautiful. But on the second day, when we approached Horn Creek rapids and saw that precipitous drop ahead, I was terrified. Floating on a rubber raft, our precious family was about to plunge over a waterfall! Instinctively I put one arm around my wife and the other around our youngest daughter. To protect them, I tried to hold them close to me. But as we reached the precipice, the bended raft became a giant sling and shot me into the air. I landed into the roiling rapids of the river. I had a hard time coming up. Each time I tried to find air, I hit the underside of the raft. My family couldn’t see me, but I could hear them shouting, “Daddy! Where’s Daddy?”
So basically Nelson was a negligent parent who put his kids into life threatening situations due to a lack of planning (does that sound like Nelson the surgeon?), or he’s prone to telling tale tales that aren’t necessarily 100% true. #paulhdunn
As we started our journey, we had no idea how dangerous this trip could be.
The first day was beautiful. But on the second day, when we approached Horn Creek rapids and saw that precipitous drop ahead, I was terrified. Floating on a rubber raft, our precious family was about to plunge over a waterfall! Instinctively I put one arm around my wife and the other around our youngest daughter. To protect them, I tried to hold them close to me. But as we reached the precipice, the bended raft became a giant sling and shot me into the air. I landed into the roiling rapids of the river. I had a hard time coming up. Each time I tried to find air, I hit the underside of the raft. My family couldn’t see me, but I could hear them shouting, “Daddy! Where’s Daddy?”
So basically Nelson was a negligent parent who put his kids into life threatening situations due to a lack of planning (does that sound like Nelson the surgeon?), or he’s prone to telling tale tales that aren’t necessarily 100% true. #paulhdunn
I'm guessing the river trip never happened, based on all the other whoppers Nelson told.
"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."
President Nelson demotes Dieter Uchtdorf from the First Presidency after Uchtdorf devotes the entirety of his October 2017 general conference address to systematically taking apart Nelson’s oft-told miraculous diving-airplane story.
Nelson announces that elders quorums and high priest groups will henceforth swap meetinghouse rooms so that the elders quorum “gets to sit in the soft seats for once.”
Nelson axes home and visiting teaching in favor of the Old Testament-based practice of stoning congregation members who are lazy learners and lax disciples.
Nelson issues new guidelines for youth interviews that recognize the God-given right of youth to refuse to answer questions from bishops without a lawyer present.
Nelson announces that the church is dropping the Boy Scouts program but warns church members to stay out of the “woke” Girl Scouts program.
In a surprising move, Nelson announces that missions are optional for young men and women, admitting, for the first time, that “I sure as hell didn’t serve one and neither did my counselors in the First Presidency.”
Citing a recent court decision, Nelson announces that youth ages 8 and older are immediately eligible for advancement from Primary to Young Women and Young Men. He quickly adds that the church is appealing the decision and that such youth are perfectly free to take a “gap year” before advancement if they so choose.
Nelson announces that sister missionaries can now wear modest culottes and capri pants, but they “must be made by ZCMI, consistent with an inspired 1875 letter from the First Presidency and the Twelve.”
2019
Nelson announces that young missionaries can communicate with family each week, but he asks that calls be limited to 60 seconds or less each to avoid running up the church’s “outrageously expensive monthly phone bill.”
Wendy Nelson reveals that her husband reaches for a lighted pen and a notebook when he receives revelations during the overnight hours. She admits that Nelson usually tells her to “go to the kitchen and make a large batch of homemade doughnuts and I’ll tell you later what I learned tonight.”
Nelson announces that couples who are civilly married can be sealed in the temple immediately thereafter but must be accompanied at all times by same-gender chaperones until the sealing is complete.
Nelson announces that women can serve as sealing and baptismal witnesses. Asked by a Deseret News reporter to comment on the landmark change, Nelson replies, “Aw hell, anyone breathing 8 or older who has been baptized and can see worth a lick can be a witness.”
Nelson announces that 2020 will be a “bicentennial year” with April 2020 general conference “different from any previous conference.”
2020
Nelson fails to wake up during the night in early 2020 when God tries to tell him that a worldwide pandemic is coming.
Nelson issues a new proclamation about some Gospel topic at the “memorable and unforgettable” April 2020 general conference attended by no regular church members.
Church members immediately forget that Nelson issued a new proclamation at the April 2020 general conference. (In fact, as of September 30, 2025, not a single Deznatter has demanded that the proclamation be canonized at general conference and made the topic of a temple recommend question.)
Church leaders announce that the Ensign magazine has been renamed The Thinking Has Been Done.
2021
Church leaders announce that the Minerva Teichert murals in Manti Temple will be “ripped from the temple walls. burned, and buried in a big ol’ hole.”
Admitting that they “gave a half-hearted prayer and failed to remain on their knees listening for an answer” and that they “received thousands of emails from ‘T.O.ed members,” church leaders announce that the murals in the Manti Temple will be moved to decorate the walls of the Provo Temple.
Church leaders announce that the Saturday evening session of general conference will be discontinued because “all sessions of general conference are now available to anyone who desires to watch or listen.”
Church leaders announce that the Saturday evening session of general conference will continue because “after additional study and prayer, we have felt impressed to continue to hold the Saturday evening session of general conference, albeit in a different format than in the past” and “the reason we gave last month was irrelevant.”
Nelson announces that the Provo Temple will be demolished and replaced with a temple featuring a “classical design.” (He does not comment on the fate of the Teichert murals recently moved from the Manti Temple to the walls of the Provo Temple.
Church leaders announce that “tithing settlement” has been renamed “tithing pay-up and shakedown.”
2023
Explaining that they have better things to do than micromanaging every single ward and stake creation and boundary adjustment, Church leaders announce that stake leaders can “use any flipping numbers they feel like in splitting and creating wards and stakes.”
2024
The LDS Church and the Community of Christ announce that they have reached an agreement in which the LDS Church will receive the Kirtland Temple in exchange for Dieter Uchtdorf, City Creek Mall, and cash.
Nelson announces that Snoop Dogg is the new voice of “Music and the Spoken Word.”
Church leaders authorize wearing of “Immodest is Hottest” temple garments.
2025
Church leaders announce that the Addiction Recovery Program renamed Healing through the Savior: The Addiction Recovery Program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: A Thirty-Step Program Requiring Absolution by Bishops and Commitment of Miracle of Forgiveness to Memory.
Church announces that the Provo Missionary Training Center’s cafeteria food will be reformulated to be 100 percent free of saltpeter.
Last edited by Tom on Fri Oct 03, 2025 11:28 pm, edited 4 times in total.
