Church News: President Jeffrey R. Holland dies at age 85
By Sarah Jane Weaver
President Jeffrey R. Holland, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died Saturday, Dec. 27, at 3:15 a.m. MST, at age 85, from complications associated with kidney disease.
Known for his words and the way he expressed them, President Holland will be remembered for the love he shared in nations around the world, where he taught and testified of the reality of Jesus Christ. An educator by profession, he inspired generations with his general conference talks, devotional addresses, missionary messages and social media posts. In almost every corner of the globe, he declared that the “gospel of Jesus Christ is personally precious, everlastingly hopeful and eternally true.”
Along the way, he made friends — best friends — everywhere he went, sharing unmatched empathy and offering hope and encouragement.
In addition to more than three decades of service as an Apostle, President Holland served as a General Authority Seventy, the ninth president of Brigham Young University, commissioner of the Church Educational System and dean of the BYU College of Religious Education.