We were as surprised as anyone when our 101-year-old prophet passed away a week before General Conference. When we learned that his viewing would be held on the Monday after conference, we knew we wanted to attend. We had planned months earlier to be in Salt Lake City for a mission reunion and to attend General Conference.  

We arrived at the Conference Center about 8:15 a.m. on Monday, October 6. The doors were scheduled to open at 9 a.m. for the viewing. The sky was clear, unlike the pouring rain that fell on Saturday when we attended the first conference session.

About 150 people were lined up when we arrived. We saw people of all ages and cultures, families with young children and teenagers, couples, individuals, businessmen and -women. The line continued to grow as we waited.

Some people were dressed in Sunday best, some more casual, but all were respectful as we waited for the doors to open. It was great to see the families that came to pay their respects to this 17th Prophet and President of the Church.

Two young boys, seeing a photographer filming the lines, called out to him, “Are we gonna be on TV?”

With the help of their mother, Parker and Cohen (about six- and eight-years-old), told me that they were here to see President Nelson, the prophet. “He’s going to Heaven and his body is in the temple [conference center]. After Jesus comes, his body and his spirit will come back together again and then he can teach us again.” 

We found that even standing in lines can be a tender mercy. We stood behind Ashley and Mark Hesterman from Sandy, who told us that President Nelson was a dear friend they had never met in person but had lots in common with professionally.

“I just want to cry,” said Ashley. “Look at the temple and all that’s happening, that’s his legacy. I think we’re in a place in the church where we’re going to move forward.”

Once inside the Conference Center we could hear the music to “Home is a Special Kind of Feeling,” a song which had always been a favorite of Nick’s, and was undoubtedly chosen with purpose.

Signs told us that photographs were not allowed.

The lines inside the Conference Center became one and we moved across the main level,  guided by service missionaries and others. We rode the escalators to the top floor to the President’s Gallery, where President Nelson’s body was lying in repose in an open casket in the Hall of the Prophets. The Hall of the Prophets features bronze busts of each modern-day prophet.

We walked slowly past the open casket and were then guided through a short hallway that led us back down to the first floor, where portraits and photographs of current apostles and general authorities were displayed—including paintings of the First Presidency under President Nelson.

There, many people paused to study the paintings and take photographs with the three large portraits of President Nelson, President Oaks and President Erying.

The whole experience was a reverent, spiritual one for us. As one observer noted, it was like President Nelson’s spirit was there overlooking the whole process.

Indeed, attending President Russell M. Nelson’s viewing the day after General Conference was as spiritual an experience as attending conference had been.

One of the guides told us that “I’ve gone to three prophets’ viewings, and everyone I go through,  the spirit is really strong.”