4 Oct 2025, 10:50 a.m. MDT

On a rainy, overcast morning one week after the death of President Russell M. Nelson, 17th President of the Church, President Dallin H. Oaks offered opening remarks during the 195th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Speaking as the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Oaks said the conference will go forward “as planned and with speakers and music assigned by President Nelson after months of preparation.” The only additions, said President Oaks, are his introductory explanation and his speaking in place of President Nelson in the closing session on Sunday afternoon.

People pass by portraits of the church’s previous First Presidency, from left, President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency; the late Russell M. Nelson, 17th President and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, before the Saturday morning session of the 195th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

“This is the first time in about 75 years that a Church president has died a few days before a general conference,” he said. “That has called for us to plan how we could hold the vital leadership meetings in connection with general conference as well as the general sessions of conference, at the same time scheduling his funeral as soon as possible. President Nelson understood the value of general conference to provide direction to the Saints in the coming months.”

“We honor him by following the planned conference schedule he approved.”

In this “time of grief,” President Oaks said Church leaders have already had a meeting to pay tribute to President Nelson before our general conference meetings and then scheduled his funeral as soon as possible after conference. All of this has been done with the approval of the family of President Nelson and the Quorum of the Twelve.

Since all who have been assigned to speak in general conference would like to devote time to paying a personal tribute to President Nelson, President Oaks said he has asked that conference speakers hold any such tributes to a minimum, “deferring elaborate tributes for the funeral, which we have already begun to plan.”

“My own brief tribute — suitable to this conference and to the tributes we have already paid — is this: I love President Russell M. Nelson and I have learned more about the gospel and gospel leadership from my long friendship and association with him than from any other leader I have personally known. He is our model as a servant and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Conferencegoers make their way into the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, for the Saturday morning session of the 195th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Upon President Nelson’s death, the First Presidency was dissolved. President Oaks, who was serving as first counselor in the First Presidency, is functioning as the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles because he is the longest-serving apostle right now. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles governs the Church at this time until a new President of the Church is selected and the First Presidency is reorganized.

Throughout the history of the Church, the longest-serving apostle has always become the president of the Church when the First Presidency has been reorganized. Seniority is determined by the date on which a person was ordained to the Twelve, not by age.

Elder Henry B. Eyring, who had been second counselor to President Nelson in the First Presidency and returned to his place in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, conducted the morning session and explained more about this period known apostolic interregnum.

He also shared sadness over President Nelson’s death at the start of the conference.“

President Nelson leaves a tremendous legacy,” Elder Eyring said. “He will be remembered for his love and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ and his kind and gentle nature. He has been an influence for good throughout the world.”

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, and to the Nelson family,” Elder Eyring said.

The conference will continue with sessions on Saturday afternoon and evening, and then Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon.

See talk summaries, announcements and photos for October 2025 general conference at TheChurchNews.com.