As President Russell M. Nelson’s Latin American Ministry Tour draws to a close one week shy of his 95thbirthday, the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints briefly reflected on his life and experiences and then — characteristically — looked forward.
“This work is moving forward at an accelerated pace,” President Nelson said in an interview moments before flying out of Brasilia. “I can hardly wait to bounce out of bed each morning and see what the day will bring.”
Brasilia — Brazil’s capital city known for its unique city plan and architecture — was the fifth stop on President Nelson’s five-country Latin American Ministry Tour. Traveling with his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, and Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Mary Cook, President Nelson has visited Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina, meeting with dignitaries and addressing large devotional congregations in each place.
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, say goodbye at the conclusion of a Latin America Ministry Tour devotional in Bogota, Colombia, on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019. Credit: Ravell Call, Deseret News
There are 1.4 million Church members, 273 stakes, seven temples and 35 missions in Brazil, the largest Latin American nation. “This is a very special part of the world, the American hemisphere,” said President Nelson. “The Lord loves these people.”