# Jeffrey R. Holland
**Jeffrey R. Holland** (Jeffrey Roy Holland, 3 December 1940 – 27 December 2025) was an American educator and religious leader who served as the ninth president of [Brigham Young University](https://www.edgepedia.org/brigham-young-university) from 1980 to 1989 and as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994 until his death[1](https://news-bb.churchofjesuschrist.org/leader-biographies/elder-jeffrey-r-holland) • [2](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/jeffrey-r-holland?lang=eng).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 3 December 1940, St. George, Utah; 27 December 2025, Salt Lake City, from complications associated with kidney disease, aged 85[2](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/jeffrey-r-holland?lang=eng) • [3](https://ca.churchofjesuschrist.org/jeffrey/r/holland) |
| Education | Bachelor's in English (with highest honors) and master's in religious education from BYU; second master's and PhD in American Studies from Yale[4](https://storage.googleapis.com/byucougars-prod/2025/01/28/6SNvlsHaQvQ4WdzsEWT0YBJGV86SrWWHhEgzMh81.pdf) |
| Church education career | Institute teacher and director (Hayward, California; Seattle); managing director of the Melchizedek Priesthood MIA 1972–74; dean of BYU's College of Religious Education 1974–76; Commissioner of the Church Educational System 1976–1980[3](https://ca.churchofjesuschrist.org/jeffrey/r/holland) • [5](https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/4/29/23262990/faith-is-new-general-authoritys-gift/) |
| BYU presidency | Ninth president, beginning July 31, 1980; founding of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies[6](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/by-study-and-also-by-faith/chapter-five-teach-the-scriptures-1980-1989?lang=eng) • [7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r) |
| General authority | First Quorum of the Seventy April 1, 1989; ordained apostle June 23, 1994 by Howard W. Hunter; President of the Quorum of the Twelve from October 14, 2025[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r) • [2](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/jeffrey-r-holland?lang=eng) |
| Family | Married Patricia Terry on June 7, 1963 in the St. George Temple; three children[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r) |
## Early life and education
Holland grew up in [St. George, Utah](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-george-utah), the son of Frank D. and Alice Bentley Holland; he described his father as a convert to the church and his mother as a lifelong member from a pioneer family[5](https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/4/29/23262990/faith-is-new-general-authoritys-gift/). At Dixie High School he was voted the school's outstanding athlete, lettered in four sports, and served as a student leader[5](https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/4/29/23262990/faith-is-new-general-authoritys-gift/) • [1](https://news-bb.churchofjesuschrist.org/leader-biographies/elder-jeffrey-r-holland).
He began college at Dixie College, then served a mission for the church in England from 1960 to 1962[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r). He had planned to become a medical doctor, and later credited the mission, and mission president Marion D. Hanks's use of the [Book of Mormon](https://www.edgepedia.org/book-of-mormon) as the missionaries' daily text, as the origin of his decision to teach scripture instead[5](https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/4/29/23262990/faith-is-new-general-authoritys-gift/).
After returning he transferred to Brigham Young University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in English with highest honors and a master's in religious education, graduating with distinction[4](https://storage.googleapis.com/byucougars-prod/2025/01/28/6SNvlsHaQvQ4WdzsEWT0YBJGV86SrWWHhEgzMh81.pdf). At Yale University he earned a second master's degree and a doctorate in American Studies, where he was a Yale University Fellow[4](https://storage.googleapis.com/byucougars-prod/2025/01/28/6SNvlsHaQvQ4WdzsEWT0YBJGV86SrWWHhEgzMh81.pdf). On completing the doctorate he weighed a temporary teaching position at Yale, a faculty post at another institution, and the church's Seminaries and Institutes program, and chose the Institute of Religion adjacent to the [University of Utah](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-utah) in [Salt Lake City](https://www.edgepedia.org/salt-lake-city)[5](https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/4/29/23262990/faith-is-new-general-authoritys-gift/).
He had married Patricia Terry, whom he met in high school, on June 7, 1963 in the St. George Temple; the couple had three children[5](https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/4/29/23262990/faith-is-new-general-authoritys-gift/) • [7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r).
## Career in Church education
Holland worked for the Church Educational System (CES) as an Institute of Religion teacher in [Hayward, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/hayward-california), and as an institute director in Seattle, Washington; he also served in [New Haven, Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-haven-connecticut), and Salt Lake City[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r) • [5](https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/4/29/23262990/faith-is-new-general-authoritys-gift/). After only two months at the Salt Lake institute he was called as managing director of the church's Melchizedek Priesthood MIA, a position he held from 1972 to 1974[5](https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/4/29/23262990/faith-is-new-general-authoritys-gift/).
On January 11, 1974, at age 33, he was appointed dean of religious instruction at BYU[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r). As dean he established BYU's Religious Studies Center and became its first director in 1975[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r). In 1976 he was named Commissioner of Education for the church, a post he held until his appointment as BYU president[8](https://archives.lib.byu.edu/repositories/byu-archives/archival_objects/ref56_hw7).
## President of Brigham Young University, 1980–1989
When [Dallin H. Oaks](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallin-h-oaks) resigned the BYU presidency on May 7, 1980, citing a preference for regular turnover in the office, Holland, then the CES commissioner, was announced as the new president effective July 31, 1980[6](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/by-study-and-also-by-faith/chapter-five-teach-the-scriptures-1980-1989?lang=eng). He was the university's ninth president[1](https://news-bb.churchofjesuschrist.org/leader-biographies/elder-jeffrey-r-holland).
**Religious education at the center.** Holland established the centrality of religious education at BYU during his tenure[8](https://archives.lib.byu.edu/repositories/byu-archives/archival_objects/ref56_hw7) • [9](https://magazine.byu.edu/article/150-moments-that-made-brigham-young-university/). He also kept a classroom: every year of his presidency he taught either an introductory English class or a Book of Mormon class[10](https://education.byu.edu/news/jeffrey-r-holland-a-life-spent-teaching).
**The Jerusalem Center.** The founding of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies was a significant achievement of his administration[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r). In December 1985 church president [Ezra Taft Benson](https://www.edgepedia.org/ezra-taft-benson) wrote to Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek assuring him that the church and BYU would abide by commitments not to proselytize in Israel, commitments first made in a letter to Kollek from Holland[11](https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/byu-jerusalem-center-timeline). From September 1, 1986, the Jerusalem Center program reported directly to Holland's office[12](https://intranet.ce.byu.edu/sites/intranet.ce.byu.edu/files/chapter16.pdf). For his work improving understanding between Christians and Jews, the [Anti-Defamation League](https://www.edgepedia.org/anti-defamation-league) awarded him its "Torch of Liberty" award[13](https://apnews.com/article/f6c339ddc9688a5dd3523ce79ee8544b).
Holland and his wife spoke side by side at devotionals, an approach students nicknamed "The Pat and Jeff Show"; at their January 15, 1985 address Holland coined the name himself[9](https://magazine.byu.edu/article/150-moments-that-made-brigham-young-university/). During these years Patricia Holland served as a counselor in the Young Women general presidency while he served as a regional representative[14](https://rsc.byu.edu/prophets-apostles-last-dispensation/jeffrey-r-holland). He also served as president of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities, on the board of NAICU, and on the NCAA Presidents Commission[1](https://news-bb.churchofjesuschrist.org/leader-biographies/elder-jeffrey-r-holland).
## General authority service
Holland was sustained to the First Quorum of the Seventy on April 1, 1989, ending his BYU presidency[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r). As a Seventy he was a counselor in the general presidency of the church's Young Men organization from 1989 to 1990 and presided over the Europe North Area[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r) • [14](https://rsc.byu.edu/prophets-apostles-last-dispensation/jeffrey-r-holland).
On June 23, 1994, Howard W. Hunter ordained the 53-year-old Holland an apostle, and he was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 1, 1994[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r). In 2000 he chaired the Missionary Curriculum Task Force that developed *Preach My Gospel*, the church's standard missionary manual[7](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r). He wrote eight books, one co-authored with his wife[1](https://news-bb.churchofjesuschrist.org/leader-biographies/elder-jeffrey-r-holland).
His conference sermons were widely noted for combining scholarship with tenderness; a 2013 address in which he spoke openly about supporting loved ones with depression and about times when he felt "like a broken vessel" was among those remembered after his death[13](https://apnews.com/article/f6c339ddc9688a5dd3523ce79ee8544b).
**2021 BYU address.** In a widely known August 2021 talk at BYU, later dubbed the "musket fire speech," he urged members of the church to pick up figurative muskets to defend its doctrines opposing same-sex marriage. BYU made it required reading for freshmen in 2024, which drew concern from LGBTQ+ students and advocates[13](https://apnews.com/article/f6c339ddc9688a5dd3523ce79ee8544b).
## Final years
After Dallin H. Oaks became church president in October 2025, Holland, as the most senior apostle after Oaks, was next in line to lead the church; Oaks did not select him as a counselor, and experts on the faith pointed to his declining health as the reason[13](https://apnews.com/article/f6c339ddc9688a5dd3523ce79ee8544b) • [15](https://apnews.com/article/f3af8edd5e6a04a28d05f84342fe3863). Holland was set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 14, 2025[2](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/jeffrey-r-holland?lang=eng).
He was hospitalized during the Christmas holiday for ongoing health complications[16](https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/statement-on-health-of-president-jeffrey-r-holland) and died on December 27, 2025, at approximately 3:15 a.m. MST, surrounded by his family[3](https://ca.churchofjesuschrist.org/jeffrey/r/holland). On January 1, 2026, he was laid to rest in St. George, where he grew up, following a funeral procession that went by sites significant to him: the St. George Utah Temple, the St. George [Tabernacle](https://www.edgepedia.org/tabernacle), the house where he grew up, and the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons at Utah Tech University[17](https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-jeffrey-r-holland-laid-to-rest-in-his-beloved-hometown). He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Terry Holland, and is survived by their three children, 13 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren[13](https://apnews.com/article/f6c339ddc9688a5dd3523ce79ee8544b).
## References
1. [Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Church leader biography](https://news-bb.churchofjesuschrist.org/leader-biographies/elder-jeffrey-r-holland)
2. [Jeffrey R. Holland, Church History learn page](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/jeffrey-r-holland?lang=eng)
3. [Remembering the Life of President Jeffrey R. Holland, Church Newsroom](https://ca.churchofjesuschrist.org/jeffrey/r/holland)
4. [President Jeffrey R. Holland, BYU Cougars biography PDF](https://storage.googleapis.com/byucougars-prod/2025/01/28/6SNvlsHaQvQ4WdzsEWT0YBJGV86SrWWHhEgzMh81.pdf)
5. [Faith is new general authority's gift, Church News, April 29, 1989](https://www.thechurchnews.com/1989/4/29/23262990/faith-is-new-general-authoritys-gift/)
6. [Chapter Five: Teach the Scriptures, 1980–1989, By Study and Also by Faith](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/by-study-and-also-by-faith/chapter-five-teach-the-scriptures-1980-1989?lang=eng)
7. [Jeffrey R. Holland, BYU Religious Studies Center](https://rsc.byu.edu/author/holland-jeffrey-r)
8. [Office of the President faculty records, 1980–1989, BYU Library Special Collections](https://archives.lib.byu.edu/repositories/byu-archives/archival_objects/ref56_hw7)
9. [150 Moments That Made Brigham Young University, Y Magazine](https://magazine.byu.edu/article/150-moments-that-made-brigham-young-university/)
10. [Jeffrey R. Holland: A Life Spent Teaching, BYU McKay School of Education](https://education.byu.edu/news/jeffrey-r-holland-a-life-spent-teaching)
11. [BYU Jerusalem Center Timeline, BYU Studies](https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/byu-jerusalem-center-timeline)
12. [A History of the Division of Continuing Education, BYU (chapter 16 PDF)](https://intranet.ce.byu.edu/sites/intranet.ce.byu.edu/files/chapter16.pdf)
13. [Jeffrey R. Holland, next in line to lead Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 85, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/f6c339ddc9688a5dd3523ce79ee8544b)
14. [Jeffrey R. Holland, Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, BYU Religious Studies Center](https://rsc.byu.edu/prophets-apostles-last-dispensation/jeffrey-r-holland)
15. [Dallin H. Oaks selected to lead Mormon church, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/f3af8edd5e6a04a28d05f84342fe3863)
16. [Statement on Health of President Jeffrey R. Holland, Church Newsroom](https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/statement-on-health-of-president-jeffrey-r-holland)
17. [President Jeffrey R. Holland Laid to Rest in His Beloved Hometown, Church Newsroom](https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-jeffrey-r-holland-laid-to-rest-in-his-beloved-hometown)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Education and knowledge institutions › Higher education › University leadership and governance*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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