Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles, speaks at a news conference at the Salt Lake City Convention Center on January 27, 2015.
Rick Bowmer/AP
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Rick Bowmer/AP
SALT LAKE CITY — Jeffrey R. Holland, a high-ranking official of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was expected to become the church's next president, has died. He was 85.
Holland died early Saturday from complications related to kidney disease, the church said on its website.
Holland, who died in Salt Lake City, headed a governing body called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which helps set church policy while overseeing the many business interests of what is widely known as the Mormon church.
He was the longest-serving member of the Quorum of the Twelve since President Dallin H. Oaks, making him next in line to lead the church under a long-established succession plan. In October, Oakes, 93, became president of the church and its more than 17 million members worldwide.
Henry B. Eyring, who is 92 and one of Oakes' two top advisers, is now next in line to become president.
Holland was hospitalized over the Christmas holiday due to ongoing health complications, according to the church. Religious experts pointed to his deteriorating health in October when Oakes did not select Holland as his adviser.
His death leaves a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve, which Oakes will fill in the coming months, likely by calling a new apostle from a lower-level governing body. Apostles are all men according to the male priesthood of the church.
Holland grew up in St. George, Utah, and worked for many years in the education department before being called to join the ranks of church leaders. From 1980 to 1989, he served as the ninth president of Brigham Young University, Utah's leading faith school, and also served as commissioner of the church's global education system.
Under his leadership, Provo University worked to improve interfaith relations and established a satellite campus in Jerusalem. Holland was later honored by the Anti-Defamation League with its Torch of Freedom Award for helping to promote greater understanding between the Christian and Jewish communities.
Oakes, also a former BYU president, spoke Saturday of his more than 50 years of friendship and service with Holland, calling their relationship “long and loving.”
“Over the past three decades, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he has lifted the weary, encouraged the faithful, and bore a powerful testimony of the Savior—even through periods of great personal challenge,” Oaks said.
Holland was known as an energetic speaker whose sermons combined learning and tenderness. In 2013, he spoke to church members about supporting loved ones with depression and other mental illnesses, speaking openly about times when he felt “like a broken vessel.”
Holland is widely known for his 2021 speech in which he urged church members to take up metaphorical muskets in defense of the faith's teachings against same-sex marriage. The speech, known colloquially as the “musket fire speech,” has become required reading for BYU freshmen in 2024, sparking concern among students and LGBTQ+ advocates.
Holland was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Terry Holland. He is survived by three children, 13 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
