For Willard LaGrand Nielsen, age is simply a word found near the front of a dictionary.

Indeed, the lifelong member with the firm handshake has lived a life in full. He's an Eagle Scout, a globe-trotting athlete and an accomplished dentist who counted General Dwight D. Eisenhower among his patients. He's beloved by his posterity and appreciated by the many, many members he served as their branch president or bishop.

And he's more than two years removed from his 100th birthday party.



Still, Nielsen is not, well, sitting still.

"I'm not perfect," he said. "I can do better."

That daily drive to be the best he can be has defined Nielsen's century (plus two years) on this earth. He's not as spry as he once was, but his example continues to inspire others. To wit, he recently celebrated his 102nd birthday with a group of Cub Scouts from his Sandy, Utah, neighborhood. He shared with those boys the same counsel he has given to many other Scout and youth groups.

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This story is provided by the LDS Church News, an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is produced weekly by the Deseret News.