From Russell’s autobiography, From Heart to Heart. Salt Lake City: Russell M. Nelson. 1979, pp. 166-168
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote:…In the midst of the understandable discouragement and depression following an open-heart operation, plus an attack of facial weakness due to Bell's palsy, came the death of President Joseph Fielding Smith in July of 1972. President Kimball would now become president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, not just acting president, as he had hitherto been. I went immediately to his home upon learning of the death of President Smith, and on that Monday morning Sister Kimball and I helped him get dressed and get to the meeting of the Council of the Twelve where the leadership of the Church was to be reorganized. I even sat down at his typewriter and wrote a medical report on President Kimball that I hoped would be of some value to President Harold B. Lee as he, the new president of the Church, considered the reorganization.
From that time forward President Kimball began to gain power and strength. As more was asked of him in the Church, and as more was expected from him, his ability to perform increased remarkably.
On November 1, 1972, Sister Kimball became ill. She was in Relief Society and became distressed, but not wanting to disturb the teacher, she stayed until the meeting was over. Then, not wanting to disturb her husband, she went directly to Dr. Wilkinson, who made the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, sent her to the hospital, and called for my help. President Kimball and I arrived at the hospital about the same time, and of course, we knew that an emergency appendectomy was required. They wanted me to do it.
President Kimball was so upset with the illness and imminent operation that he was somewhat beside himself. I said to him, "President Kimball, we'd have time for you to give Sister Kimball a blessing before her operation, if you'd like to do that.”
With tears in his eyes, he looked up at me and said, “Will you do it for me, Brother Nelson?”
Thus I had the great privilege of giving Sister Kimball a blessing, aided by her beloved husband, the president of the Council of the Twelve. After that an acutely inflamed appendix was removed. There was already some purulent material spreading beyond the area of the appendix. She developed a deep pelvic abscess later on, which prolonged her convalescence. This complication, miserable as it was for all concerned, brought me the sacred privilege and blessing of coming into their home on nearly a daily basis to monitor Sister Kimball’s progress. She responded to the blessings of the priesthood and the assistance that antibiotic therapy provided.
In November 1973, President Kimball sustained what we initially thought may have been a small stroke. We admitted him to the hospital, did a cerebral arteriographic examination, and found the anatomy of the circulation to the brain to be perfect. There was no evidence of a stroke. President Kimball pledged me to secrecy about this study. He did not want the Brethren to know that he'd been in the hospital again, for above all, he did not want to be a drain on them or the Church. I assured him that I did not discuss the affairs of my patients even with my wife and that he need not worry.
It was not long, though, before I received a phone call from President Harold B. Lee, who in his commanding tone said, "I want you to tell me about Spencer. I want to know why he was in the hospital, what you did, and how ill he is, for he has assigned himself to go to Great Britain and South Africa, and I just don't want him to go on such a long journey if it would constitute risk to his life. Therefore, I need to know what's going on.” President Lee was truly concerned for the welfare of President Kimball.
I was torn by two very profound loyalties: one, the loyalty of a doctor to his patient, which is always one of great confidence and privilege, and which in this case had been reinforced by my word to President Kimball that nothing would be said to the Brethren. On the other hand, I was now speaking with the president of the Church, the prophet for whom I prayed daily, who was asking for help that only I could give. I knew that the request of the president of the Church, the prophet of God, had to take higher priority than any other loyalties. I told him all that I knew about President Kimball's illness.
Immediately after that conversation, I telephoned President Kimball and confessed to him that I had been required to break a trust. Contrary to his request. I had revealed the nature of his illness to President Lee. President Kimball was most gracious; he understood the dilemma in which I had been placed and supported me fully.
President Kimball then went on to his assignments in England and Africa, rededicating Africa to the preaching of the gospel and prophesying that stakes would dot that land. He returned just before Christmas of 1973.
Then that fateful night of December 26, 1973, arrived. I heard on television that President Lee had died and that President Romney and President Kimball were at the hospital. I immediately left home, knowing that my place was beside President Kimball. I went into the board of director’s room at the LDS Hospital and there found President Kimball and President Romney. We embraced each other and wept, and I said, “I thought maybe you needed me.” And he said, “I surely do. Thanks for coming.” I shared a very special hour with President Kimball.
