How I Lead as Mission President | An Interview with W. Durrell Nielsen

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