Jeffrey R. Holland, next in line to lead Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 85
SALT LAKE CITY– Jeffrey R. Holland, a senior official in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was next in line to become president of the faith, has died. He was 85 years old.
Holland died early Saturday morning from complications related to kidney disease, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced on its website.
Holland, who died in Salt Lake City, headed a governing body called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which helps set church policy while overseeing the many business interests of what is widely known as the Mormon Church.
He was the second-oldest member of the Quorum of the Twelve after President Dallin H. Oaks, making him next in line to lead the Church under a long-established succession plan.
Henry B. Eyring, one of Oaks’ two top advisors, is now the next candidate for president.
Holland had been hospitalized over the Christmas holiday for treatment related to ongoing health complications, the church said. Faith experts pointed to his declining health in October when Oaks failed to choose Holland as an advisor. He attended several church events that month in a wheelchair.
His death leaves a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve that Oaks will fill in the coming months, likely by calling a new apostle from a lower-level leadership council. The apostles are all men in accordance with the exclusively male priesthood of the Church.
Holland grew up in St. George, Utah, and worked for many years in educational administration before being called to join the ranks of Church leadership. He was the ninth president of Brigham Young University, the faith’s flagship school based in Utah, from 1980 to 1989 and commissioner of the Church’s worldwide education system.
Under his leadership, Provo University worked to improve interfaith relations and established a satellite campus in Jerusalem. The Anti-Defamation League later honored Holland with its Torch of Freedom Award for helping to foster greater understanding between the Christian and Jewish communities.
Holland is widely remembered for a 2021 speech in which he called on Church members to take up metaphorical muskets to defend the faith’s teachings against same-sex marriage. The speech, known colloquially as the “Musket Fire Speech,” became required reading for BYU freshmen in 2024, sparking concern among LGBTQ+ students and advocates.
Holland is survived by his wife, Patricia Terry, their three children, 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
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Associated Press writer Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed.
