RUSSELL NELSON

The president of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints became the faith's oldest leader in history on Thursday at 97 years, seven months and six days. President Russell Nelson, a former heart surgeon, has led the faith known widely as the Mormon church since 2018 and oversees everything from the church's multibillion-dollar financial holdings to church doctrine and policy. Church presidents serve until they die.

Top leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints addressed COVID-19, the church's support of non-discrimination laws, war in Ukraine and legacies of racism at the faith's first in-person conference since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The nearly 17 million-member faith, which is widely known as the Mormon church, is hosting about 13,000 people at its 21,000-seat Salt Lake City conference center over two sessions on Saturday. President Russell Nelson, the Latter-day Saints' 97-year-old prophet, on Saturday told listeners gathered at the church's Utah headquarters and those tuning in remotely that the troubles afflicting the world reaffirmed the need for faith and devotion.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he’s worried that people resisting COVID-19 vaccine shots based on religious grounds may be confusing that with a philosophical objection.

The president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged members Saturday at a church conference to listen to the faith’s leaders when they seek “pure truth."

Members of the faith widely known as the Mormon church remain deeply divided on vaccines and mask-wearing despite consistent guidance from church leaders.

Leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are unveiling $9.25 million in new educational and humanitarian projects as they seek to build on an alliance formed with the NAACP in 2018.