Lead
Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who stood next in line under the church’s succession plan, died at 85 early Saturday morning from complications tied to kidney disease, the church said on its website. Holland died in Salt Lake City after a recent hospitalization during the Christmas holiday for ongoing health issues. As the second-longest tenured member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles after President Dallin H. Oaks, Holland’s passing immediately creates a vacancy the church will fill in the coming months. Henry B. Eyring, 92, now moves up in seniority and is next in the line of succession for the presidency.
Key takeaways
- Jeffrey R. Holland, age 85, died early Saturday morning in Salt Lake City from complications of kidney disease, according to the church’s announcement.
- Holland served as a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and was next in line to lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under its long-standing succession practice.
- Henry B. Eyring, 92, is now the next in line for the church presidency because of seniority within the Quorum.
- Holland had been hospitalized during the Christmas holiday for treatment related to persistent health issues and had appeared in public in a wheelchair in October.
- The vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve will be filled by President Oaks in coming months, likely by calling a new apostle from the church’s broader leadership corps.
- Before full-time church service, Holland led Brigham Young University as its ninth president from 1980 to 1989 and later oversaw aspects of the church’s global education system.
- Holland received the Anti-Defamation League’s Torch of Liberty Award for work on Christian–Jewish understanding and helped expand BYU’s international presence, including a satellite campus in Jerusalem.
- He is widely remembered for a 2021 address—often called the “musket fire” speech—urging a vigorous defense of the church’s teachings on same-sex marriage; that talk was later assigned reading for BYU freshmen in 2024 and drew concern from LGBTQ+ students and advocates.
Background
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints follows a seniority-based succession system in which the longest-serving apostle typically becomes president after the current president’s death. Within that framework, Holland’s tenure in the Quorum of the Twelve made him the immediate successor to President Oaks under normal circumstances. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles functions as a governing council that shapes church policy and oversees the faith’s institutional and business interests worldwide.
Holland’s path to that leadership role included decades in education administration. He grew up in St. George, Utah, and served as the ninth president of Brigham Young University from 1980 to 1989, leading initiatives to strengthen interfaith ties and to expand the university’s international footprint. He later served in senior educational roles for the church’s global schooling system, and civil rights organizations recognized him for outreach that promoted understanding across religious communities.
Main event
The church announced Holland’s death on its website, noting kidney disease complications as the cause. Church officials said Holland had been hospitalized around the Christmas holiday for treatment of ongoing health problems. Observers had noted signs of declining health in October after President Oaks chose counseling aides without selecting Holland as a counselor; Holland attended some events that month using a wheelchair.
With Holland’s death, the Quorum of the Twelve now contains one vacancy that President Oaks is expected to fill. The typical process in recent decades has been for the president of the church to select a replacement from the church’s leadership ranks—often a member of the Quorums or presidencies below the Twelve—and present that selection to the membership for sustaining.
All members of the Quorum of the Twelve are men in keeping with the church’s all-male priesthood structure. Holland’s passing will therefore trigger internal deliberations about whom to call next, balanced against geographic, linguistic and administrative needs as the church weighs candidates for apostleship.
Analysis & implications
Institutionally, Holland’s death is significant because it changes the immediate line of succession. Under seniority rules, Henry B. Eyring now becomes the next in line for the presidency; given Eyring’s age, observers will watch whether that accelerates further leadership transitions in the near term. The process of selecting a new apostle also gives the current presidencies an opportunity to shape the Quorum’s future makeup and priorities.
Politically and socially, Holland’s record highlights ongoing tensions within and beyond the church. His 2021 address urging a staunch defense of traditional teachings on marriage became widely discussed and later entered BYU’s freshman curriculum, drawing concern among LGBTQ+ students and advocates. That episode underscores how statements by senior leaders can ripple through church institutions and public perception.
On the education front, Holland’s longtime role in church-sponsored learning institutions means his influence will be felt in policies and international programs he helped to build, including BYU’s Jerusalem campus project and broader interfaith initiatives. Organizations that partner with the church on education and interfaith work will likely reassess relationships as new leaders take on comparable roles.
Financial and administrative oversight duties carried by the Quorum of the Twelve also mean a new apostle will inherit responsibilities over the church’s complex global operations. Changes in personnel can affect priorities for humanitarian work, educational funding and property stewardship across the church’s global portfolio.
Comparison & data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age at death | 85 |
| Cause | Complications of kidney disease |
| BYU presidency | 9th president, 1980–1989 |
| Notable speech | 2021 “musket fire” address; required reading at BYU in 2024 |
The table above summarizes the main factual points relevant to Holland’s career and the circumstances of his death. While Holland’s tenure and institutional roles are well documented, the full administrative ripple effects—timing of a new apostle call, specific policy shifts, and broader membership reactions—will unfold over the coming months.
Reactions & quotes
The church’s website posted an official notice of Holland’s death and cited kidney disease complications as the cause. That announcement framed his passing within his decades of service to the institution and noted plans to address the vacancy in the Quorum.
“He died early Saturday morning from complications associated with kidney disease,”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (official announcement)
Religious scholars and analysts noted the procedural implications for succession and governance. They emphasized that the vacancy will be filled by President Oaks in a process consistent with recent precedent, and that the choice of a new apostle can shift the Quorum’s balance on policy and administrative priorities.
Members and advocacy groups responded to Holland’s legacy with mixed sentiments. Some praised his decades of educational leadership and interfaith outreach, while LGBTQ+ students and allies reiterated concerns tied to the 2021 speech and its placement in BYU curricula. Those reactions reflect broader debates within and about the church on social issues and institutional direction.
Unconfirmed
- No official timetable has been announced for when President Oaks will name a replacement apostle; dates and candidate identities remain unconfirmed.
- The internal deliberations and criteria that will guide the selection of a new apostle have not been publicly disclosed and remain speculative.
- The long-term administrative impact of Holland’s death on specific programs, budgets or personnel assignments within church institutions has not been verified.
Bottom line
Jeffrey R. Holland’s death at 85 closes a chapter in the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and immediately alters the line of succession, moving Henry B. Eyring into the next-in-line position. Holland’s combined legacy as an educator, administrator and outspoken theological voice means his passing will be felt across the church’s educational institutions, interfaith partnerships and internal debates over social teaching.
In practical terms, the most immediate outcome is a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve that President Oaks will fill, a decision that will shape the Quorum’s composition and priorities. Observers should expect official announcements in the weeks and months ahead and a period of heightened attention to how the church balances continuity, governance and public perception as new leaders assume those roles.
Sources
- Associated Press — news report summarizing the church announcement, reporting and context.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints newsroom — official announcements and releases (official).
- Anti-Defamation League — organization that honored Holland for interfaith work (civil rights organization).