W. Durrell Nielsen served as a mission president of the Oklahoma Tulsa mission from 2003-2006.  He was born and raised in Brigham City Utah and currently resides in Bountiful Utah. As a young man he served a mission in Scotland and attended the University of Arizona where he received a Law degree.  He practiced law for the United States Treasury Department, for his own private law practice and also as estate planning lawyer.  He met his wife while attending college and has 5 kids and 12 grandchildren.  In this episode he shares his experiences as a mission president and ways to help guide and teach others as a leader.

Episode Highlights

11:00 Experience being called as a bishop

13:20 Experience being called a mission president

14:45 Appointment with President Boyd K. Packer

17:45 Appointment with President James E. Faust

19:30 Mission call as president to Oklahoma Tulsa mission

21:00 Surprises as a newly called mission president

27:00 Unwritten Order of Things- talk by President Boyd K. Packer

27:30 Teaching zone and district leaders- teaching how to time talk

35:00 Follow the brethren- for example do they comment on talks at the end of General Conference?

36:00 Correct principles and governing self

40:30 Being a great shepherd- attending to the one

41:00 The key to attending to the one as a mission president

42:00 Demonstrating love is so important as a shepherd- know their names

47:30 Teaching the Doctrine

51:15 How to connect with former missionaries

Links:

Beware of Pride, by Ezra Taft Benson

The Unwritten Order of Things, by Boyd K. Packer

How to Remember Names