News / National
Latter-day Saints world president set to visit Zimbabwe
23 Mar 2018 at 05:47hrs | Views
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' world President Russell M Nelson is making his maiden visit to Zimbabwe in April.
Nelson is expected in the country on 17 April and will conduct a spiritually filled one-day crusade at the Rainbow Towers in Harare.
The event will be free and open to everyone. Nelson, who is a father of 10 children and married to Sister Wendy W Nelson, was ordained as the 17th president and prophet of the church of Christ.
Brother Stephen Guwa, public affairs director at the Church in Bulawayo, said they were looking forward to the visit. He said their leader was not paid to be president.
"We don't have anyone on payroll at our church, you volunteer to do the work, even our president and the missionaries. If need be to travel they use their own funds, however, the church can donate but not always," said Guwa.
Before his appointment, Russell served as president of the Quorum of the twelve Apostles from July 15, 2015, which is the second-highest governing body in the Church (the First Presidency being the highest, which is the one he now holds).
According to the Church of Christ, not only does Russell hold the title of president or was chosen randomly but the man is an internationally renowned surgeon and medical researcher, having received his BA and MD degrees from the University of Utah (1945, 47) and honorary scholastic societies include Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha.
He later on advanced his education getting to a point where he held positions of research professor of surgery and director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency at the University of Utah and chairman of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City.
Russell is also an author of numerous publications which include: The gateway we call death, the power within us, among others.
Russell's visit to Zimbabwe has intrigued a lot of people with interest in the Church and also its members who are looking forward to this one day that their president chose to come and visit the country.
The man of the cloth will be accompanied by Elder Jeffery R. Holland, who is also a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the church of Christ, and their wives.
The visit would help minister to the 16 congregations in Bulawayo and the eight in Gweru and a few in other parts of the country.
According to Guwa, there are more than 30 000 Latter-day Saints in Zimbabwe and the numbers were growing rapidly. The president is said to direct the affairs of the church with the aid of two counsellors and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The church which has its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, is believed to have 16 million adherents worldwide and operates in 186 nations.
Ngqabutho Moyo, president of the Bulawayo stake said as a church they were happy to welcome the man they revere as a living prophet, God's mouthpiece.
Nelson is expected in the country on 17 April and will conduct a spiritually filled one-day crusade at the Rainbow Towers in Harare.
The event will be free and open to everyone. Nelson, who is a father of 10 children and married to Sister Wendy W Nelson, was ordained as the 17th president and prophet of the church of Christ.
Brother Stephen Guwa, public affairs director at the Church in Bulawayo, said they were looking forward to the visit. He said their leader was not paid to be president.
"We don't have anyone on payroll at our church, you volunteer to do the work, even our president and the missionaries. If need be to travel they use their own funds, however, the church can donate but not always," said Guwa.
Before his appointment, Russell served as president of the Quorum of the twelve Apostles from July 15, 2015, which is the second-highest governing body in the Church (the First Presidency being the highest, which is the one he now holds).
According to the Church of Christ, not only does Russell hold the title of president or was chosen randomly but the man is an internationally renowned surgeon and medical researcher, having received his BA and MD degrees from the University of Utah (1945, 47) and honorary scholastic societies include Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha.
He later on advanced his education getting to a point where he held positions of research professor of surgery and director of the Thoracic Surgery Residency at the University of Utah and chairman of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City.
Russell is also an author of numerous publications which include: The gateway we call death, the power within us, among others.
Russell's visit to Zimbabwe has intrigued a lot of people with interest in the Church and also its members who are looking forward to this one day that their president chose to come and visit the country.
The man of the cloth will be accompanied by Elder Jeffery R. Holland, who is also a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the church of Christ, and their wives.
The visit would help minister to the 16 congregations in Bulawayo and the eight in Gweru and a few in other parts of the country.
According to Guwa, there are more than 30 000 Latter-day Saints in Zimbabwe and the numbers were growing rapidly. The president is said to direct the affairs of the church with the aid of two counsellors and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The church which has its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, is believed to have 16 million adherents worldwide and operates in 186 nations.
Ngqabutho Moyo, president of the Bulawayo stake said as a church they were happy to welcome the man they revere as a living prophet, God's mouthpiece.
Source - bmetro
