{"id":11641,"date":"2025-12-27T18:05:56","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T18:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/jeffrey-holland-dies-85\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T18:05:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T18:05:56","slug":"jeffrey-holland-dies-85","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/jeffrey-holland-dies-85\/","title":{"rendered":"Quorum of the 12 President Jeffrey R. Holland dies at age 85 – KSL.com"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lead:<\/strong> Jeffrey R. Holland, a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died early Saturday at age 85. Church officials said he passed at about 3:15 a.m. from complications related to kidney disease while surrounded by family; he had been hospitalized shortly before Christmas. Holland served as an apostle since June 1994 and had a long public career in church education and international church administration. Funeral arrangements are pending.<\/p>\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Jeffrey R. Holland died Saturday at age 85 at approximately 3:15 a.m., per the church statement.<\/li>\n
  • Cause of death was listed as complications related to kidney disease; Holland was hospitalized just before Christmas and had long-term health issues.<\/li>\n
  • He had been an apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve since June 1994 after serving in the First Quorum of the Seventy from April 1989.<\/li>\n
  • Before full-time church leadership, Holland was president of Brigham Young University from 1980 to 1989 and later served in several national higher-education roles.<\/li>\n
  • Holland helped open the BYU Jerusalem Center (1988) and organized the church’s 3,000th stake in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on December 2, 2012.<\/li>\n
  • His wife, Patricia Terry Holland, died July 20, 2023, at age 81; they had three children, including Elder Matthew S. Holland.<\/li>\n
  • Holland was the first Latter-day Saint leader to address the British Parliament in 2015, speaking on humanitarian aid.<\/li>\n
  • In recent years he faced COVID-19 complications, received dialysis, and was periodically excused from assignments; he sometimes used a wheelchair at public gatherings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Background<\/h2>\n

    Jeffrey Roy Holland was born in St. George, Utah, on December 3, 1940, to Frank D. Holland and Alice Bentley. He attended Dixie High School and later Dixie College before earning bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees from Brigham Young University. Holland completed additional graduate work at Yale, earning both a master\u2019s and a Ph.D. in American Studies. Early in life he planned to study medicine but said his mission to England changed his vocational direction toward teaching and religious education.<\/p>\n

    Holland\u2019s academic and administrative career included nearly a decade as president of BYU from 1980 to 1989, service as dean of Religious Education, and roles as commissioner of the Church Educational System. He also led and participated in national higher-education organizations, including presidency of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities and membership on NCAA and other boards. His leadership at BYU coincided with the development of the BYU Jerusalem Center, which opened in 1988 and became a signature international project for the university and church.<\/p>\n

    Main Event<\/h2>\n

    Church leaders reported that President Holland died early Saturday from complications tied to kidney disease, with family at his bedside. His hospitalization in the weeks before Christmas was publicly disclosed, and church announcements in 2023 noted earlier hospital stays and a period in which he was excused from meetings while recovering from COVID-19 and receiving dialysis. Officials have not yet released a date for funeral services.<\/p>\n

    Holland\u2019s death removes a long-serving voice from the Quorum of the Twelve, a body whose membership is central to the church\u2019s global leadership and succession process. He had continued to preach and testify publicly in recent years, delivering powerful conference addresses on the Book of Mormon and the life of faith despite periodic health limitations. Observers note that Holland often spoke about empathy, sacrifice, and steadfastness as core elements of discipleship in addresses as recent as October 2022 and October 2025.<\/p>\n

    The church highlighted several milestones from Holland\u2019s ministry: his early role in church education, the organization of the Freetown, Sierra Leone stake in December 2012, and his historic address to the British Parliament in 2015 on humanitarian service. Family members named in public statements include his three children: Matthew S. Holland (a church general authority and former university president), Mary McCann (author), and David Holland (historian and professor).<\/p>\n

    Analysis & Implications<\/h2>\n

    Institutionally, Holland\u2019s passing is significant for the Quorum of the Twelve and for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints\u2019 leadership cadence. The Quorum functions with seniority-based roles that shape assignments and public duties; a vacancy will be filled according to long-standing church procedures, which typically culminate at the next general conference or at a later formal announcement by the First Presidency. That process affects administrative continuity and assignments across the church\u2019s global operations.<\/p>\n

    Holland\u2019s background in higher education and international outreach leaves a distinct institutional imprint. His BYU presidency and participation in national academic organizations helped bridge the church and broader academic communities; projects like the BYU Jerusalem Center and the Sierra Leone stake expansion exemplify a legacy that combined faith-based education with international engagement. These programs and relationships will continue to factor into the church\u2019s educational and humanitarian priorities.<\/p>\n

    On a pastoral level, Holland was a prominent theological voice within the church, often emphasizing the Book of Mormon and themes of empathy and sacrifice. His death may prompt reflection among members about continuity of doctrinal emphasis and the role of senior leaders as public teachers. Internationally, his prior outreach to bodies such as the British Parliament underscores the church\u2019s efforts at interfaith and humanitarian engagement, which may continue under other leaders but will briefly lose a recognizable advocate.<\/p>\n

    Politically and socially, the immediate effects are likely to be contained: internal succession is routine and typically orderly. Still, Holland\u2019s public stature means his absence will be felt in institutional memory and in networks\u2014academic, humanitarian, and interfaith\u2014where he had longstanding ties. How those relationships are stewarded by remaining leaders will influence the church\u2019s external posture over the coming years.<\/p>\n

    Comparison & Data<\/h2>\n
    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Item<\/th>\nYear(s)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Born<\/td>\n1940<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    BYU President<\/td>\n1980\u20131989<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    First Quorum of the Seventy<\/td>\nApril 1989<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Apostle (Quorum of the Twelve)<\/td>\nJune 1994<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Organized 3,000th stake (Sierra Leone)<\/td>\nDecember 2, 2012<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

    The table places Holland\u2019s public roles in chronological perspective, showing a progression from academic leadership through successive tiers of church governance. This trajectory is typical for senior general authorities who move from educational and regional responsibilities into global leadership positions. Holland\u2019s tenure as an apostle\u2014beginning in 1994\u2014spanned more than three decades, during which he took part in significant institutional growth and public-facing initiatives.<\/p>\n

    Reactions & Quotes<\/h2>\n

    Church officials and colleagues responded with statements that combined remembrance with recognition of Holland\u2019s influence. The contexts below summarize each comment and its significance.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “He had the capacity to make people feel they were his very best friends,”<\/p>\n

    James E. Faust (late), First Presidency member \u2014 recalled comment on Holland’s pastoral warmth<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Former First Presidency member James E. Faust previously described Holland\u2019s pastoral manner and capacity to build people\u2014a characterization frequently cited by peers and members when describing his relational leadership style.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “The Book of Mormon has been a rod of safety for my soul,”<\/p>\n

    Jeffrey R. Holland \u2014 excerpted reflection from public addresses<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Holland himself repeatedly framed the Book of Mormon as central to his faith and teaching. Short excerpts from his conference addresses were widely shared in reaction to his death, underscoring the theological themes that defined much of his ministry.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Religious conflict: can humanitarian aid help?”<\/p>\n

    Jeffrey R. Holland \u2014 address to British Parliament, 2015<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Observers of interfaith and humanitarian policy noted Holland\u2019s 2015 address to the British Parliament as a rare example of a Latter-day Saint leader engaging directly with national legislators on humanitarian issues, a moment often cited in remembrances of his public diplomacy.<\/p>\n