[MUSIC PLAYING]

Brothers and sisters, we welcome you to this birthday celebration for our beloved prophet and friend, President Russell M. Nelson.

President Nelson, we love you and are honored and grateful to gather to honor you on your 100th birthday.

[APPLAUSE]

We are gathered in the Conference Center Theater at the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. Present are President Nelson’s family,

General Authorities and Officers of the Church, and numerous government, civic, and religious leaders. A worldwide audience joins us via broadcast for this centennial celebration of President Nelson's life, a life that has blessed us all.

Characteristic of President Nelson,

his only desire for marking this milestone was to follow

the example of Jesus Christ and look with love beyond the 99 to reach out to the one in need.

Many responded to this invitation in inspiring ways.

Thank you for being with us for this historic occasion.

We will open this celebration with the hymn “Rejoice, the Lord is King!”

after which Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will offer the invocation.

[MUSIC PLAYING] “Rejoice, the Lord Is King!”

Our beloved Heavenly Father, with our hearts full of joy and love

we come together before Thee to express our deep gratitude for the opportunity and privilege to be together to celebrate the 100th birthday of our dear prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. Dear Father, we love Thee and we love Thy Son. We are so grateful for the opportunity to serve Thee

and to be part of this wonderful celebration of the life of our dear prophet.

Dear Father, we are grateful for President Nelson’s ministry around the world, for his positive influence in the lives of all people who heard him, who listened to his teachings and his voice.

We are grateful for his tender and loving heart,

for listening to Thy children, but especially to listen to Thee and to Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and for all the revelations that he has received to guide us in these difficult days we are living. We are grateful, Father, to have a prophet on the earth to guide and lead us, to help us to walk on the covenant path that will bring us back together to

Thy presence. Dear Father, as we start this beautiful and marvelous celebration,

we ask Thee to bless President Russell M. Nelson with the strength, energy, and health he needs to continue guiding and leading us in these days.

Please bless him and bless his family,

his entire family, who have been his joy and his strength during during his ministry throughout his life.

We ask Thee to bless all of us that we have the courage and faith to adhere to his words, to his teachings, to take them to heart,

and to walk on the covenant path and rejoice in the blessings of this gospel that has been restored in this dispensation.

We ask Thee to bless President Oaks and President Eyring,

President Nelson's marvelous and noble counselors that have been supporting him and

and helping him in his marvelous ministry.

And finally, Father, we ask Thee to give us Thy Spirit during this special celebration that we can all enjoy the music, the words, the messages that will be delivered here, and we can rejoice in this marvelous, wonderful opportunity to celebrate our dear prophet’s birthday.

For all this we pray with much love and gratitude in our hearts,

and we do so in the sacred name of our Savior, Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Elder Soares.

We will now enjoy tributes and reflections on President Nelson's remarkable life of love, service, and dedication to the Savior, Jesus Christ.

We will first hear from President Jeffrey R. Holland, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

He will be followed by family members, close friends, and other leaders of the Church.

Our musical numbers today will be performed by Nathan Pacheco,

Jenny Oaks Baker, and Jared Pierce.

At the conclusion of this celebration, we will enjoy a video message from President Nelson, after which we will sing, “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.”

The benediction will then be offered by President Susan H. Porter,

General Primary President.

Following the closing prayer and upon signal, we invite you all, wherever you are, to join in singing “Happy Birthday” to President Nelson.

I am very happy to participate in this historic celebration honoring President Russell Marion Nelson.

In doing so, I represent all members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

President Nelson spent 31 years in our Quorum and two and a half years as its president. That has kept him uniquely close to the Quorum, letting him include the Twelve in so much that the First Presidency has undertaken.

In his very first trip following his call as President,

the Nelsons invited Sister Holland and me to accompany them on a trip to Jerusalem. That trip turned into a globe-circling course that took us around the world,

allowing him to announce new temples in many of the locations we visited.

President Nelson followed that up by taking extended international trips with the other members of the Quorum of the Twelve.

President Nelson has provided a life-changing opportunity for all members of the Quorum by taking us to the dedication of the Rome Temple.

He then delegated major temple dedications to each member of the Twelve

as those temples were finished. And so the list goes on and on and on.

Surely history will note that of the many marvelous characteristics visible in the Nelson administration, one quality that was almost invisible was the warm and productive unity that Russell M. Nelson maintained between the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. To put President Nelson’s 100-year life in some temporal context, we should note that his 1924 birth was the year

a little project called Band-Aid was introduced to the public.

They apparently were aware that a baby had entered the world who was destined for a singular medical career,

one that might call for use of those little strips from time to time.

On a more personal note, Pat and I have known the President and his family closely for nearly 50 years. One endearing event the Hollands have never forgotten was when our youngest son, David, was baptized in the river Jordan in the Holy Land.

At that precious experience, we needed a photographer to get a photo for the family record.

Well, this Ansel Adams of Judea was, of course, the multi-talented Russell M. Nelson, who not only took a dozen photos for us, but also prepared and delivered a second set to my beloved mother,

whom he knew from far off St. George, Utah.

When I came into the Quorum of the Twleve some two decades later,

my mother wept and hugged me and then told me I was her second favorite Apostle.

I don't have to tell you who was number one.

President Nelson is quite literally the Renaissance man.

In addition to that, photography and his world-renowned career as surgeon and medical scientist.

He's a gifted musician, as was his beloved mother, Edna Anderson Nelson.

Vocally, he carried perfect pitch,

even as a child. Later in life, already a talented pianist,

Russell decided he wanted to play the organ, which he then mastered and has used in Quorum of the Twelve activities for years. To facilitate both his surgical career and his Church callings,

he has mastered basic skills in 17 languages, including English and including Chinese.

Crowning all of that in his foreordained rise to service as the Lord’s senior Apostle are his personal spiritual qualities.

In his effort to hasten the work, he's been the Lord's mouthpiece in receiving and implementing

a veritable rush of revelation, as I once called it.

He is unfailingly kind and composed, gentle and forgiving.

Above all, he has embraced and personifies the counsel Paul gave to the Corinthians, “Do ye not know that they which minister holy things should live the things of the temple?”

President Nelson, in the spirit of the hundreds of temples you have announced, drafted, remodeled, completed, or dedicated, we celebrate the sweet, robust,

history-making 100 years of your life.

We have come to say we love you and we say it in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[APPLAUSE]

[PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]

[SINGING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND PIANO PLAYING]

[APPLAUSE]

I am inexpressibly

happy to bring greetings to President Nelson

on the occasion of celebration

of his 100th birthday. And I say that it goes without saying,

he has justified his existence in this world.

He did not just exist, but he,

after the upbringing and training that he received in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the love and nurturing of his parents,

his receiving his academic training,

by the way, parenthetically, in medicine at the University of Minnesota,

where I had the privilege of also pastoring the historic Pilgrim Baptist Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

And little did I know that in 2019 I would be at the NAACP National Convention,

when I was asked by the NAACP National Board to introduce President Nelson

to that great concourse of delegates there.

And when I introduced him, I introduced him as my brother of another mother.

And I meant that because I felt that kindred spirit

immediately when I met him.

And he came with a track record of leading The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to higher pursuits of racial reckoning, understanding,

and working to provide a better day for all of God's children, particularly those who lived in urban communities around this nation.

He, my brother, who has a worldview

and has led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-

day Saints through unparalleled

accomplishments

of humanitarian, spiritual,

cultural, and social betterment in this nation and world. So

happy birthday, Mr. President.

I wish more years upon you and your dear wife, Mrs. Nelson,

and that you will go on from strength to strength,

keeping the beloved community intact. Amen.

[APPLAUSE]

For the past 23 years of my life, I have been lucky enough to call this wonderful man,

President Russell M. Nelson, my great- grandfather. I love this man. Because of our sweet connection, I've had a personal look into the inner aspects of his life, and I've been directly blessed by his incredible example, undying devotion, and unfailing love. In recognition of this unique relationship, I want to share some of my great- grandfather’s attributes I love the most. Because he is a world-class enjoyer of lists, I will call this list my Top Three Century Highlights.

When I think back to my childhood, I think of my great-grandfather as a tender and loving man. This is the first Century Highlight I love about him—his love.

He is a man who loves his family deeply.

I fondly recall my great-grandfather playing the piano, surrounded by children, all laughing, singing, and smiling.

I remember him proudly informing our entire family that I had been cast in my ninth grade rendition of The King and I.

He even enthusiastically and spontaneously sang a tune from the play to show his support and love.

He has also, as grandfathers have been known to do, given personalized nicknames to almost everyone in his family.

Cute, loving, endearing nicknames.

I will always think of his love when I think of him. From his hugs to his personalized nicknames, he has always been full of love. My grandfather is a man who shows up.

A man who is dependable. A man who is reliable.

This is the second Century Highlight I associate with him—his steadfastness. Despite serving in a myriad of callings, he has hardly ever missed a baby blessing, baptism, mission call opening, or special family event.

Our family has become very large, but he has always focused on us as individuals.

As a young teenager, I was especially touched by this attention.

I was struggling with many things but was feeling especially shaky about my faith.

I was invited to attend general conference, and the minute my grandfather entered the room, his eyes sought me out.

I locked eyes on him and felt his undeniable love and support.

I don't think he explicitly knew that I was struggling, but his gentle dependability was grounding for a young, unsure girl.

I could tangibly feel a solid wave of encouragement,

reminding me that he was proud of me and that he loved me even when I was struggling. My grandfather was also steadfast in his education. His professional education and accomplishments are well known, but his dedication to personal learning, including a lifelong study of various languages, isn’t as well known, though Holland did just say that. During our family calls, he will pause to look at me and say, “Tack så mycket.”

Tack så mycket is Swedish for thank-you. I served my mission in Sweden. Not many 100-year-old men know how to say thank-you in Swedish, or even remember that they have a granddaughter who served a mission in Sweden. It's a small, meaningful way for him to show his love for me in and country that we both cherish. He is dedicated to his family.

He wants to know about our achievements and our struggles. In our struggles,

his advice is profound and thoughtful.

He helps and lifts us from personal failures.

He remembers all our accomplishments, including birthdays, graduations, mission calls, marriages, and everything in between.

He has been and remains steadfast in all things, and I love him for it.

My great-grandfather has a profound respect for women.

I’ve been able to see just how much he loves me, his wife, his daughters, his granddaughters, and all of the women in his life. This respect and esteem for women is the third Century Highlight I love about my grandfather.

The love that my grandfather shares with the women in his family is the same love and respect that he has for all women of the Church and, by extension, the world.

You don't need to be his granddaughter to share his love or to be part of his family. His respect for women is innate.

He has said the heavens are just as open to women as they are to men.

He has taught that the kingdom of God is not and cannot be complete without women.

He is proud to exclaim that we need women who have the courage and vision of our mother, Eve. He loves and respects men and women equally.

In the novel Les Misérables, Victor Hugo states, “to love another person is to see the face of God.”

This quote exemplifies my grandfather. Because he loves others so deeply, regardless of gender, he is able to love God.

I have been empowered by his love and respect for women. I have never felt less around him. I am grateful for his understanding of the role that we all play, and his understanding of my powerful role as a woman.

It is impossibly hard to encapsulate a man as wonderful as my great-grandfather in such a short tribute,

but I hope you can sense at least a measure of his remarkable character and his huge capacity for love.

He is a truly tremendous man who tenderly cares for and loves each member of this global Church.

I will be forever proud to call him grandfather and to be his baby Ashlyn.

Happy birthday, grandfather. One hundred looks good on you.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[APPLAUSE]

[Marsha Workman] Dear brothers and sisters, Daddy, Wendy, beloved Church leaders, family, and friends, I am honored to be here today to represent President Nelson’s children.

When I first received this assignment, my mind began to fill with childhood memories and the decades of happy memories that have followed being blessed to grow up in the home of Russell and Dantzel Nelson. So this is a little personal glimpse.

Our father and mother were a terrific team, and all 10 of us feel greatly blessed to belong to them.

As I enjoyed re-experiencing all these memories, I was impressed again with what wonderful teachers our parents were. We learned volumes from Mother daily, and although busy with his professional and Church work, Daddy also taught us so much by word and by action. He helped with bathing the little ones and putting them to bed.

He helped with troublesome homework like chemistry, math, and foreign languages. He taught us to play tennis, ice skate, snow ski, and water ski. Our parents loved music, both played the piano and were excellent singers, and we soon learned to love singing together,

as well as playing the piano and other musical instruments. He showed us how much he loved our mother by the words he spoke and the actions he took to help her when he was at home.

One small example was on Mother's Day Sundays. For several years he would escort mother to have a rest after church while we little girls helped him with dinner.

There were several years of Mother's Day corsages for her and single carnation corsages for each of us,

honoring her as mother, and as daughters our potential to become mothers.

In our weekly family meetings, he taught us how to calculate our tithing based on our allowance, and then took us to the bishop on fast Sundays and introduced each of us as we handed the bishop our envelopes.

He showed us how much he loved us by setting firm and fair rules for the way we treated our siblings, and the way he counseled with us when we faced challenges.

No harsh words of anger were allowed among us, and we learned constructive ways of dealing with our disagreements.

Now, sometimes his lessons were unplanned, such as one day when some of us heard the movie projector running and we thought, “Oh, family

movies are being played on the screen.” So we ran into the family room to find Daddy viewing film footage on a movie screen of an open heart surgery procedure that he was preparing for

a medical conference. Well, some sisters were fascinated and others ran quickly away.

Above all, his love, kindness, and fun sense of humor always made time with him special.

It was absolutely delightful when he could be at home, or when it was our turn to travel with him on medical meetings.

These are but the tips of a very deep iceberg of memories. And while my specific memories are certainly different from those of my youngest sisters and my brother who later rounded out the family,

the principles of love, kindness, and commitment to the Lord were the same.

Our home was centered on love for each other, on love for the Savior, and on living His gospel.

It was full of music, fun, and joy in being together.

Thank you, Daddy dear, for teaching us to love each other and for cherishing us as we cherish you.

We are grateful we've continued to learn from your apostolic and prophetic teachings. We love and appreciate Wendy, from whom we have also learned much,

especially about being obedient to the counsel of prophets.

Her commitment to family history work and to you is amazing, and we have learned from her good counsel to us and the world through her messages and inspired work. Thank you, Wendy.

Dear Daddy, we wish you a very joyous birthday with our deepest gratitude and love. We are eternally grateful for your teaching, wonderful example, and love. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[APPLAUSE]

[PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]

[SINGING AND PIANO PLAYING]

[PIANO AND VIOLIN MUSIC PLAYING]

[PIANO AND VIOLIN MUSIC PLAYING AND SINGING]

[APPLAUSE]

[GROUP OF YOUTH SPEAKING IN SPANISH]

President Nelson, from the University of Oxford and as a member of the Church of England, I salute you and give you our hearty congratulations and prayers on your centenary.

Thank you for being such an approachable world faith leader.

Thank you for leading your people as a true pioneer leader,

leaving no one behind. And thank you also for touching the hearts of people. That’s how it works. And you learned in your professional life that doesn’t stop hearts, it actually prompts them. Thank you, and a very happy birthday.

[GROUP OF YOUTH SPEAKING IN KOREAN]

Hello, President Nelson, it’s your old friend Robby George here from Princeton University, and I’m delighted to be joining my voice with that of

so many others to thank and congratulate you for your work and witness. You know, the foundational principle of all sound morality is that of the profound, inherent, and equal dignity of each and every member of the human family.

And by precept and example, you've taught all of us what it means to do justice to that principle, to live up to its demands. And so, again, thank you.

Happy birthday, President Nelson!

President Nelson, recently, I spoke with sister Jean Schmidt, 103 years old,

who wrote a book entitled What I Learned the First 100 Years of My Life.

She says that she attributes her longevity to living life with purpose.

You certainly have lived a life of purpose,

giving that message of God through your works of goodness throughout the world.

Every birthday we often blow out the candles. I suggest keep them burning so we can continue to be the beneficiaries of your light, your love, and your loyalty. As we say in New York, mazel tov!

Happy birthday, President! Hooray!

President Nelson, on behalf of Area Presidencies and Seventies serving throughout the world, we want you to know what

a privilege it is to help carry your prophetic messages to people everywhere.

We love you, and we wish you a very joyful 100th birthday.

[GROUP OF YOUTH SPEAKING IN JAPANESE]

On the night before Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, he said,

“Like anyone, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place.”

I've had the privilege of visiting Salt Lake City and Temple Square four times, and observed that the Tabernacle Choir family live a long time.

I’m convinced that the statement Dr. King made is right,

that longevity has its place, and its place is Temple Square.

On behalf of the Morehouse College family, our 17,000 living members of the alumni, trustees, administration, faculty,

staff, and students, we salute President Russell M. Nelson Sr. for having reached the centennial, your 100th birthday, today.

Your happiest appearance-day celebration.

Hence, we dedicate this historic concert at Morehouse College this evening to you for helping us reunite the broken body of Christ.

[GROUP OF YOUTH SPEAKING MONGOLIAN]

Aloha, President Nelson.

On behalf of the Kauai and BYU–Hawaii ohana, I’m delighted to wish you hauʻoli lā hānau. Happy birthday.

We are deeply grateful for the love you showed to us here at BYU–Hawaii and for your example in serving each of us with your heart, might,

mind, and soul. We love you, we sustain you, and we continue to strive to be beacons of hope by living the gospel of Jesus Christ, as you taught us the last time you visited our campus. Mahalo nui.

Happy birthday, President Nelson!

[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]

[APPLAUSE]

[PIANO MUSIC PLAYING] “I Will Be What I Believe”

[APPLAUSE]

Happy birthday to you, President Nelson.

It was in October 2019, while delivering an address to the sisters of the Church, that you looked out into the congregation at your dear wife, Wendy, your daughters, granddaughters, and great-daughters, and then exclaimed you felt like you would like to claim all of us as part of your family,

with deference to the women closest to you,

Wendy, your daughters, and many granddaughters. And with an expression of heartfelt gratitude for their sacrifice in sharing you with the world,

let me say that I feel claimed and part of your family.

What a blessing your kindness,

love, and respect have been to me personally, and what

an immeasurable difference your prophetic voice has meant to

the sisters of the Church in better understanding God’s love for us and the spiritual treasures available to us as we make

and keep covenants with Him.

Your unprecedented temple building around the world has been accompanied by prophetic invitations to do the spiritually invigorating work to understand the gift of God’s power,

accessible to every woman and man who makes and keeps covenants in the house of the Lord. You have invited us to fix our focus on Jesus Christ.

You have taught us that yoking ourselves to

the Savior through covenants is liberating and spiritually empowering.

And with every prophetic invitation you have promised blessings. When we enter into a covenant with God and keep that covenant,

you have promised an extra measure of God’s love, His merciful patience, and power that strengthens us to withstand our trials,

temptations, and heartaches better.

President Nelson, I have seen and felt peace among the Saints that defies understanding and can only be explained by covenant confidence, that special kind of rest that comes to those who enjoy a covenant relationship with God.

Thank you for teaching us and inviting us to seek the guiding, comforting, and testifying presence of the Spirit to understand what it means to be covenant women of God.

Thank you for expressing confidence in us as covenant women to play a vital role in preparing the world for the Second Coming of the Savior. You’ve invited us to speak up and speak out,

teaching the doctrine of Christ and articulating truth to courageously defend morality and families to shepherd God's children along the covenant path.

And while expressing the crucial part women play in building up the kingdom of God and inviting us to change the world, you have graciously reminded us that no one can do everything,

nor should we try. President Nelson, you have blessed the sisters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to feel loved and precious and necessary. I had never met a prophet and President of the Church prior to you extending the call for me to serve as the Primary and then Relief Society General President, and in anticipation of that first meeting, I wondered what it might be like to be in your presence. Would your piercing blue eyes see into my soul?

Would you know all my faults and weaknesses? Would I feel again the pain of my past mistakes in your presence? No.

On that first occasion and every subsequent occasion,

you have looked me in the eyes and your clear blue eyes have communicated love.

Love and compassion and mercy and confidence in me,

even when I hadn't earned it by earthly standards.

President Nelson, I feel claimed by my Savior Jesus Christ

because I have felt His love through you, His prophet. What a gift. What a treasure. And I trust that on countless occasions you have looked into the eyes of thousands of people around the world, members of His Church and friends, and they likewise have felt the love of God. Joyfully and with all the fervor of my soul, I

declare to the world that President Russell M. Nelson is a holy man. The

Lord's mouthpiece on the earth today, a mighty prophet of God.

I am sure of it. President Nelson's prophetic invitations and promised blessings will bring enduring happiness.

Of this I know and testify. Happiest of birthdays to you, dear President Nelson.

I love you. We love you. In the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[APPLAUSE]

President Eyring and I are pleased to be part of this 100th birthday

celebration for President Russell M. Nelson.

After six-and-a-half years of experiencing his inspiration and teaching, we all rejoice in the remarkable progress of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

under his leadership. Consequently, President Eyring and I will not concentrate on the elements of that progress, but try to explain what it means to us to have worked side by side with President Nelson during this exciting period. I am just delighted to be here with you and to talk about the experiences we have had side by side with President Russell M. Nelson, and I'm just grateful that I have this chance to be here with you. And I with you.

And so I think you used the word “his warmth,” and I think I’d like to start with that.

One of the most wonderful things of being at your side and with President Nelson is the feeling of warmth,

and you have the same feeling. Yes, I do, and I just consider it a wonderful thing to be able to learn from him.

He has taught us so many things as we’ve been together. Oh my, yes. And don't we learn from him, especially when we see how he relates to other people?

Oh my, yes, that was my point, is that the way he relates to us, he does it with everyone. In addition, when when people enter the room, he almost always stands for them, but he always stands when there are women in the group.

Always. But my point is, I think it sends a message. He is the Savior’s representative and he’s acting like the Savior, giving you the feeling he cares.

And I think that if I wish the members of the Church could have any sense of how much he really loves them and cares for them, it's really quite remarkable. It certainly is. Another thing that's impressed me when we meet with him is that he does not lead off with his opinion and ask people what they think of it.

He calls on individual people in the group,

hears all the input, including from his counselors,

And then he'll indicate what he thinks we ought to do.

Well, he’s a wonderful teacher,

and he draws out the best in those who report to him. To be in a room or in a meeting or in a conversation with President Nelson

just gives you the opportunity of experiencing what it would be like to be with the Savior. He is the Savior's representative, and he is our role model.

And you also want to be better when you're around him. He communicates love for the people with whom he meets, and for the people who will be affected by any decision made there.

He’s a very loving leader. He’s easy to love.

But actually the temple building is a lot the same. As I say to myself

that he would—I mean a previous prophet,

the Prophet Joseph was worried about the finishing of the temple right at the end.

They've always cared about it, but the degree to which President Nelson has done it, and he's done it on a spiritual basis of saying, we've got to offer the covenants to people that are far away from temples.

It's the ordinances that make the difference.

Let’s not be extravagant, let’s make the buildings lovely, but it’s the ordinances, to make them available. I have been in Church leadership for many years, and I have never heard the phrase “gather Israel on both sides of the veil” until I heard him incorporate that in his teachings. And it astonished me. And I knew instantly that that is providing us a knowledge of the Lord's plan, line upon line, precept upon precept.

He had relationships, the Lord had, over his service, has put him in touch with people of prominence that make it possible for us to take the gospel to the world and the ordinances. One other thing I’d like to say about President Nelson. I have

so admired his facility at making decisions.

He rarely postpones a decision on something brought before him. He will postpone it if he believes we need to gather some more facts or consult somebody else.

But the typical experience when a committee or a council or a task group comes in to meet with the First Presidency,

he hears from everybody and he makes a decision. He just doesn’t postpone it. He’s a decision-maker.

President Eyring, hasn't it been wonderful to be invited to talk about President Russell M. Nelson and to marvel at all God has accomplished through him as a prophet-leader? I think it’s been one of the great opportunities of my life, is to have had some time to reflect on the greatness of this prophet. His example extends throughout the Church.

Imagine having him with us to observe a 100th birthday.

A blessing.

Indeed. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

My beloved brothers, sisters, friends, and family,

what a memorable day this has been.

I'm overwhelmed with the kindness, generosity and prayers of so many around the world.

I'm grateful for the countless cards and messages I've received.

Thank you for responding to my “99 + 1” invitation to reach out to someone who needs your loving care. I’m grateful for my wise counselors.

We are grateful for all of our colleagues here at Church headquarters.

Thank you all. I do not know why the Lord has allowed me to live this long.

There are at least three times in my life when sudden death seemed imminent.

Miraculously, in each instance, heavenly help rescued us.

Then a year ago, I fell and injured my back. I've never experienced such pain.

Thanks to the power of the priesthood and to my dear wife, Wendy,

who has cared for me night and day,

I am here to celebrate my 100th birthday.

For this, and for many reasons, I feel deep gratitude.

For me, I feel as though Thanksgiving has come early.

I'm thankful for treasured memories.

They begin with you, my dear brothers and sisters.

I have visited members of the Church and friends in more than 130 countries.

You have made my life more wonderful.

We have worshipped together and strengthened each other again and again. You have inspired me with your devotion to God and your faith in Jesus Christ.

You have shown me the marvelous fruits of consecrating one's life to God.

To you, my beloved brothers and sisters, I express profound gratitude and love. I'm grateful for my precious family.

I’m grateful to be sealed in the house of the Lord

to them. I marvel that the Lord led me as a young man to marry Dantzel White and build an eternal family.

After Dantzel suddenly passed away, the Lord blessed me again.

Later, he led me to Wendy Watson to be my eternal companion.

Wendy has been a strength and a beacon for me for more than 18 years.

How grateful I am for each of these remarkable women.

I'm very thankful to know that God has a plan for His children that makes it possible for us to return to His holy presence.

A mortal birthday is not an end point. It is a step in our eternal progression.

Central to Heavenly Father's plan Is the atoning sacrifice of His Beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

How I love Him. How grateful I am to know Him.

How thankful I am for His redeeming and healing power.

How grateful I am for His unfailing love and His generous guidance to me as He leads His church. My dear brothers and sisters,

the length of your life is not as important as the kind of life that you live.

For each of us, even for a 100-year- old man, life passes quickly.

My prayer is that you will let God prevail in your life.

Make covenants with Him. Stay on the covenant path.

Prepare to return to live with Him again.

With joy in my heart and a spirit of deep thanksgiving,

I express my love for you, dear brothers and sisters.

Humbly, I invoke a blessing upon each precious one of you.

In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[PIANO AND VIOLIN MUSIC PLAYING] “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet”

[APPLAUSE]

Our dear Heavenly Father,

we gather as Thy children across the earth and here in this Conference Center Theater.

With gratitude in thy hearts and feelings of unity,

as we express gratitude to Thee for Thy love, for Thy fabulous plan, and for sending Thy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be our Redeemer.

We are grateful for this time today

we’ve had to remember and celebrate and honor President Russell M. Nelson,

our Prophet. Thy prophet.

We’re thankful that through him we have heard Thy voice,

and we have felt Thy love.

We pray as we reflect on his teachings, that we may be brought closer to Thee.

We may be brought to love one another as he, as Thy Son, and as Thou lovest us. We pray for him, our prophet dear, and say this humbly, and in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[PIANO AND VIOLIN MUSIC PLAYING] “Happy Birthday to You”

All right, everybody, join in. Here we go.

[APPLAUSE]