President Nelson: A "Most Perfect, Inspired, Unflawed Leader"?

The last question of my last post asked, "Just who the heck is running Deseret Books?" Answer: That'd be Sheri Dew. And it's undeniable that Sheri Dew and President Nelson's wife, Wendy, are best friends.

"the most perfect, inspired, unflawed leader on earth"

It's perhaps this close proximity to the church's top leader that led Sheri Dew to give Pres. Nelson the highest possible praise. In a 2021 BYU Women's Conference Keynote Address, she said the following regarding the church's top leaders:

"They may not be perfect. They are, after all, still human. But they are the most perfect, inspired, unflawed leaders on earth"

It goes without saying that the most perfect leaders have an overabundance of many different traits: They are focused, fearless, highly organized, motivational/inspirational and tend to get a lot accomplished in a short amount of time.

They are also humble. In an October 9, 2018 Wall Street Journal article (as quoted in the church's "Music and the Spoken Word"), Sue Shellenbarger stated, "At first, that may seem to contradict conventional wisdom-that a good leader is dynamic, dominating, and bold. But it's been found that people who work for humble bosses exhibit better teamwork and perform at higher levels. Not surprisingly, when a leader listens to the perspective of others and constantly seeks to learn and improve, the people who follow that leader are likely to do the same. That doesn't mean leaders should be passive or indifferent. On the contrary, as one expert observed: "Humble leaders can also be highly competitive and ambitious. But they tend to avoid the spotlight and give credit to their teams." As a result, some employers today are making humility one of the key qualities they look for in applicants, even for entry-level positions. Humility, they have found, will help their organization thrive and achieve its goals." [1] 

Undoubtedly, the most perfect, inspired, unflawed leaders emulate the behaviors of the Savior.

"In order to lead as Jesus led, we are faced with many challenges. One of the first steps in meeting these challenges is to realize that Christ is a model of correct leadership; and to the extent that we study the scriptures, the record of his life and his teachings, they become case studies of divine leadership." [2] 

The Lord endorsed this methodology when he said,

"Therefore, what manner of men [and women] ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am." [3] 

As we well know, the Lord is the ultimate exemplar in all good things. Two of those characteristics are meekness and humility:

"for I am meek and lowly in heart." [4] 

So, we too - including and especially "the most perfect, inspired, unflawed leaders" - should also be meek and humble, just as Jesus was:

"So, in matters little or large, if our emulation of the Lord is to be serious, we must do more than note and passively admire Jesus' meekness. We must simulate his meekness, remembering that he passed through "all these things," which gave Him, too, needed experiences." [5] 

Let's take a look at some of President Nelson's actions and see if he is truly one of "the most perfect, inspired, unflawed leaders on earth."

Picture Perfect Humility?

In April 2019, Deseret Book published a biography (written by Sheri Dew) of Pres. Nelson. A humble person would have insisted that the display of their books be modest and humble. Instead, this is what people saw when they entered Deseret Books:

If you ever walk into Pres. Nelson's office, you'll see a picture of…himself (plus the others in the First Presidency).

(I'm still looking for that picture of Christ on his wall).

It's clear that Pres. Nelson likes pictures of the First Presidency. Here is a photo of him handing a picture of himself (actually, the First Presidency) to New Zealand Prime Minister (and ex church member) Jacinda Ardern (click here for the video):

He also handed out the same photo while visiting the single mom in Africa (click here for the video). What a guy!

A Celebration of Idolism

One of the definitions of the word idol is "an object of extreme devotion" [6]  The term is most often used today when referencing movie stars and other famous people.

I believe Pres. Nelson has wanted us to honor and respect him for many years. In his October, 2015 General Conference talk where he welcomed Elders Rasband, Stevenson, and Renlund to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he said, "I will always be grateful for the life-changing influence she [his deceased wife, Dantzel] had on me in all aspects of my life, including my pioneering efforts in open-heart surgery." [7] 

It's also appropriate to use in describing Pres. Nelson's 95th birthday celebration at the Conference Center on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019 (click here for the video).

(Interesting pose there)

Even if we assume that no tithing money was used for this event on his behalf, without his direction or involvement, wouldn't a true disciple of Christ have prevented such an event from happening, or called for its cancellation?

Pres. Nelson's Monument to...Himself (using granite from the SLC Temple)

Perhaps one of the most telling indicators of a person's humility is how they want future generations to consider them. 

One indicator may the number of temples which have been announced. In all, Pres. Hinckley dedicated or rededicated 92 different temples, 70 of them as president of the church. [8]  As of this date, President Nelson has announced 70 temples. [9] Having the legacy of having built the most temples would certainly be a feather in Pres. Nelson's cap. 

Unfortunately, there is no way to verify the importance of this metric to Pres. Nelson. So, there may be another way to ascertain his self-importance.

Unknown to most people is the fact that Pres. Nelson has already had his gravestone made and erected. It resides in the Salt Lake Cemetery. Here's how to find it:

1. Click here to open up Google Maps. It will take you to the Salt Lake Cemetery, 200 N St E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84103: 
2. At the bottom left of the map, click on the Satellite view option.
3. Pan the map so that you can see Terrace Hills Dr at the top center. 
4. You'll want the map to resemble this image:

Do you see where I've placed a red circle around the Uintah Dr label? Go to that area. You'll be looking for this monument:

Now, you may be wondering how you'll find this gravestone amidst all the others in the area. It's easy: (1) it's probably the only 8 foot tall gravestone there and (2) it's probably the only one in that area which is facing south (almost all others are facing east, the direction the Lord will return from). 

Here is a comparison of it relative to Pres. Nelson and his wife (Pres. Nelson is reportedly 6 feet tall): [10] 

Interestingly, the 8-foot tall gravestone was built using granite taken from the Salt Lake Temple. 

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." [11]

"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." [12]

"Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers" [13]

QUESTIONS

Based on the aforementioned facts, I have the following questions:

• Should we follow leaders, especially those who are one of "the most perfect, inspired, unflawed leaders on earth"?
• If we are to "follow the prophet," should we not be handing out pictures of ourselves to others?
• If one is not humble, will the Lord thy God lead them by the hand and give them answers to their prayers?
• Why would one take something that was dedicated to the Lord in order to honor themselves? How is not a defilement of the temple?
• Pres. Nelson's headstone is facing south, while all others are facing east (from which the Lord will return). 
• Is he wanting to stand out from everyone else? 
• Why is the headstone not facing east like everyone else?

SOURCES

1.  Music and the Spoken Word, "The Strength to Be Humble," June 13, 2019; https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/music-and-the-spoken-word-the-strength-to-be-humble?lang=eng
2.  N Eldon Tanner, "Leading as the Savior Led," First Presidency Message, Liahona, January, 1978; https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/1978/01/leading-as-the-savior-led?lang=eng
3.  3 Nephi 27:27
4.  Matthew 11:29
5.  Neal A Maxwell, "Meekness-A Dimension of True Discipleship," address given at a BYU fourteen-stake fireside, September 5, 1982; https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1983/03/meekness-a-dimension-of-true-discipleship?lang=eng
6.  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idol
7.  "A Plea to My Sisters," https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/a-plea-to-my-sisters?lang=eng
8.  "Chronological Temple List | ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org". churchofjesuschristtemples.org.) President Nelson has announced 70 temples during his tenure. (https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2021-04-18/69-temples-status-president-nelson-announced-three-years-210278
9.  https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2021/04/04/where-new-latter-day/; does not include Ephraim UT temple.
10.  https://mddailyrecord.com/russell-m-nelson-net-worth-girlfriend-wife-kids-height-weight-age-gay-bio-2021-2022-2023
11.  Philippians 2:3
12.  Matthew 23:12
13.  D&C 112:10

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