Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

1. An Apostle for The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

2.  Born 3 December 1940
 He was born and raised in St. George, Utah, where he attended Dixie High
School. He also attended Dixie College, which is where he received his
Associate‟s degree.
 He attended BYU in Provo, Utah for his Bachelor‟s and Master‟s degrees.
His degrees were in English and Religious Education.
 He then went to Yale for a Master‟s and a Doctorate in Philosophy and
American Studies.

3.  Sealed to Patricia Terry at the St. George Temple on 7
June 1963. They just celebrated 50 years of marriage!
 Elder Holland is the father of three children: Matthew b.
1966, Mary b. 1969, and David b. 1973
 Elder Holland was the 9th President of BYU Provo, Utah
from 1980-1989
 Awarded an Eagle Scout
 Author of 7 books, which he co-wrote with his wife Patricia
 Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was ordained a member of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints on June 23, 1994 by Howard
W. Hunter. At the time of this call, Elder Holland was
serving as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy,
to which he had been called on April 1, 1989.
 He has also served as Bishop, Counselor in the stake
presidency, Director of the Melchezidek Priesthood MIA,
Dean of Religious Education at BYU, Eleventh
Commissioner of the Church Educational System, Area
Authority, and President of the Santiago, Chile area.

5. Isaac Holcomb‟s thoughts about Elder
Holland
I read once a talk that Elder Holland gave about how parents need to let their
children know how they feel about the gospel of Jesus Christ. To not let it stay
in our own heads, but to bear it out in testimony, prayer, fasting, reading
scriptures and showing them the example of Jesus Christ in all that we say and
do. They need to know how we feel about these things, see us doing them on a
daily basis and show them how to participate in it as well. When I first read this
talk I was single and nowhere close to being married or having children of my
own, so I didn‟t really pay all that much attention to it. Later, after being married
and have children of my own there is a deeper desire to teach them the
feelings in my heart and have them know that I pray for them all the time. I
have had many of my friends fall away from the church or have had children of
their own go down wrong paths. I‟ve seen it break their hearts and how much
they desire to have those children come back to the church. I don‟t want that to
happen, and this talk really put into perspective what I need to do as a parent
so I can help insure that they will know how I feel about the gospel. I know that
the power behind a parent bearing their testimony each month at church and
daily at home will have a huge influence on the lives of their children.

6. In my life right now my family is facing the most
difficult time of our lives. Through prayer, along with
reading the scriptures, words of encouragement from
a disciple of God help more than words can say. I am
so grateful for all that I have been blessed with and
that I can look at the things and people in my life and
realize they are blessings form the Lord: a loving God
who knows me and knows my trials and wants to
teach me and help me be a better person. Elder
Holland is a faithful and wonderful apostle of the Lord.
I never fail to feel the spirit when he speaks. I am so
grateful for his example and for the lessons he
teaches me. It seems every time he speaks in
General Conference the topics he chooses speak to
my soul. I learn something about the lord or myself as
he teaches through the Spirit. The words "I'm
grateful" just don't seem to be enough to express my
love for him and the Savior, whose message he
Rachael Stangle‟s thoughts about Elder
Holland

7. The first talk I ever heard Elder Holland give was during the October 2011 General
Conference. I had only been a member for three months and this was my first
experience watching Conference. The talk he gave was called “The First Great
Commandment”, and it made me bawl my eyes out. That talk reminds us our
number one priority is to love the Lord. Before all other things, we must love our
Creator and our Savior. Without Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ we are
nothing. One thing he said that is written on my heart is, “The crowning
characteristic of love is always loyalty.” Another statement he made that drew tears
to my cheeks was this, “…every returned missionary who ever stood in a baptismal
font and with his arm to the square said, „Having been commissioned of Jesus
Christ.‟ That commission was to have changed your convert forever, but it was
supposed to have changed you forever as well.” In my short time in the church, I
have known more than one returned missionary who fell away from the church and
it breaks my heart every time I read or listen to this talk. If only all of us could have
the immovable faith of Elder Holland. The conviction Elder Holland has is always
portrayed by how passionately he delivers his messages. His conviction fans the
Erin Simon‟s thoughts about Elder Holland

8. Amber Southward‟s thoughts about Elder
Holland
My favorite talk that personally means something to is “We Are All
Enlisted”. I love this talk. It has stuck with me since I heard it. The way
he describes how evil Satan is and how he is after you is so important
to realize for all of us. We are in war and we need to get it. We need to
stop being afraid to speak up and stand up for truth. We need to be
leaders and not followers of men. We need to teach our children to not
be subservient to any man. They need to be comfortable following the
Lord and inspiration no matter what others think. They need to think of
themselves as soldiers. They need to remember that Satan exists and
has many followers living or spirits that want to sink you. I love this talk
and will hold it dear. I love and admire Elder Holland because he
always says things in such a strong confident way. He makes me feel
stronger. “When we rehearse the grandeur of Joseph Smith‟s First
Vision, we sometimes gloss over the menacing confrontation that came
just prior to it, a confrontation intended to destroy the boy if possible but
in any case to block the revelation that was to come. We don‟t talk
about the adversary any more than we have to, and I don‟t like talking
about him at all, but the experience of young Joseph reminds us of
what every man, including every young man, in this audience needs to

9. I have a testimony that Elder Holland is truly
a prophet of God and a seer and
revelator. The power in which he can speak to
the hearts of those who listen is immense and
can soften hearts. I know for myself Elder
Holland has been able to convey his simple
messages with power and inspiration to me. I
feel as if I can do the things he asks of me and
become a better person, member or the
church and Priesthood holder. I say these
things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Nic Savaglio‟s thoughts about Elder Holland