President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was interviewed by the authorized biographer of Pope Francis during his recent trip to Montevideo, Uruguay. Sergio Rubin, an Argentine-based journalist and writer, flew to neighboring Uruguay to sit down with President Nelson on Friday, October 26, 2018, during his South America ministry tour.
“Europe used to be very strong in religious matters, and now the center of gravity for Christianity has moved to the Southern Hemisphere,” explained President Nelson. “South America, the continent of Africa — they're strong in their faith.”
President Nelson discussed the growth of the Church in South America. “I believe it's because they understand the Book of Mormon so well,” he explained. “It's a record of the ministry of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ when He came to visit the people who were in the American hemisphere. He established His Church among the people and charged them with a responsibility of keeping a record of His ministry among them, and that record is known as the Book of Mormon. I find that people of South America, Central America feel a closeness to the people of those ancestors.”
Other topics discussed included abortion, same-sex attraction, polygamy, family history, self-reliance and religious freedom.
“The family is under attack and religion is under attack,” said President Nelson. “But we are confident that the family will prevail and religion will prevail.”
President Nelson and Rubin briefly discussed the Rome Italy Temple, which will be dedicated in March. “We appreciate the kindness of the Pope and the Vatican. They are most gracious in welcoming us,” said the prophet.
Rubin currently works at Clarin, a newspaper in Argentina, as a columnist covering news related to the Catholic Church and Pope Francis.