Russell Nelson’s funeral: Thousands expected to attend service as 20,000 tickets sell out in 20 minutes
The funeral will be held in the Conference Center on Temple Square on Tuesday, October 7, at 12 pm MDT, as per the details available on The Church of Jesus Christ.
The funeral of Mormon Church president Russell M Nelson is expected to draw thousands of mourners to the faith’s Conference Center at Temple Square. Around 20,000 people secured tickets within just 20 minutes of their release and thousands more are expected to turn up for the funeral.
According to church spokesperson Doug Andersen, about 600 members of Nelson’s family will also attend the ceremony, which is set to be one of the largest gatherings in the church’s history.
President Russell M Nelson passed away on September 27, 2025, at the age of 101 year. He was the world’s oldest leader of a global faith organisation. He led the faith up until his death.
The service will also be broadcast globally on the church's website and other online platforms.
Where will the funeral be held?
The funeral will be held in the Conference Center on Temple Square on Tuesday, October 7, at 12 pm MDT, as per the details available on The Church of Jesus Christ. The funeral will be open to the public, ages 8 and older.
Tickets are required to attend the funeral of Russell M Nelson. For standby seating, line up outside the Tabernacle 90 minutes prior to the funeral, the website said.
The funeral will be broadcast in the following languages: American Sign Language (ASL), Armenian, Albanian, British Sign Language (BSL), Cambodian, Cantonese, Cebuano, Chinese (Trad.), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Mongolian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Portugues (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tahitian, Thai, Tongan and Ukrainian.
What to expect?
Church spokesperson Doug Andersen said there would not be church rituals during Russel Nelson's funeral but a worship service with prayers, hymns and talks and will focus on Nelson's life and purpose, he said.
He said church funerals typically are “marked by an atmosphere of hopefulness and peace.”
“They generally are not burdened by the inconsolable grief and despair so often seen in other funerals," he said. “That is especially true in this case with a life lived beyond 101 years.”
Russell Nelson will be dressed in white temple clothing.
At the service, comforting music will be performed by Tabernacle Choir.
It will also include hymn written by Russell Nelson titled “Our Prayer to Thee.”
The burial will take place at Pioneer Cemetery and will be private.
Flake said that after the body is escorted to the gravesite, non-family attendees will depart, and a male family member – typically the eldest son – will offer the grave dedication.
New President
After Russell Nelson's funeral, the name of the new church president would also be announced. According to the reports, the new president is considered a prophet by members.
According to reports, Dallin H Oaks, a former Utah Supreme Court justice known for his jurist sensibilities and traditionalist convictions on marriage and religious freedom, is expected to be the next president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its more than 17 million members worldwide.
(With agency inputs)