Powerhouse. Happy. Magnificent. Lovely. Example.
That’s how, in one word, some Latter-day Saints described apostle Jeffrey R. Holland as they waited in a long, cold line to attend his funeral at the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
Thousands attended the services for Holland, a high-ranking official in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was next in line to become the faith's president. He died Saturday from complications associated with kidney disease, the church said. Holland, 85, had been an apostle since 1994 and was president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Holland’s apostolic teachings profoundly impacted attendee Gehrig Peterson, especially when he served his LDS mission.
“Hearing those Elder Holland talks and that just everything was going to be OK was a great comfort on the mission, and also a great comfort in life too,” he said.
As she moved forward in the line, Nikita Ramos said Holland broke stigma when he opened up about his own experiences with depression, something she’s experienced, too.
“When he's like, ‘Don't you quit. Don't give up. Like, keep going,’ he knows what that's like, because he's literally been there,” she said.
Jeffrey R. Holland’s children spoke at the services, and all three mentioned how powerful his testimony was.
“My father loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and that church that administers this gospel on this earth with all the blazing fire of his being,” Mary Alice H. McCann said. “His passion for The Church of Jesus Christ was deep in the marrow of his bones.”
Elder Matthew S. Holland said his father went through 30 months of kidney failure and dialysis, searing shoulder pain from arthritis and difficulty breathing before he died. But he never heard him question or blame God.
“Instead, I heard him regularly thank God and admonish trusting in God more frequently and fervently than ever before,” he said.
The prophet of the church, Dallin H. Oaks, also spoke.
“The lifetime personal and heartfelt assurance in President Holland's teachings answers our most poignant feelings about our mortal failings,” he said.
Oaks described their “long and loving” relationship in church and education work that started more than 50 years ago. Oaks hired him to be the dean of the College of Religious Education at Brigham Young University. Holland later went on to become the university’s president, during which time he started the BYU Jerusalem Center.
The United Jewish Federation of Utah offered condolences to the Latter-day Saint community on the day of Holland’s funeral.
“His passion for his faith and his sincere desire to bring people together across traditions will be fondly remembered by all who encountered him,” it said in a statement.
For Dayna Andus, another service attendee, Holland was one of her favorite general conference speakers. She choked up as she spoke about it.
“He just was a real man who loved people, and you could tell enjoyed serving the Lord all these years.”
Another attendee, Dominik Toluono, said Holland’s last speech was especially impactful.
“Even through his health challenges, he still chose to go up there and, like, impact people,” Tuluono said.
Holland will be buried in St. George alongside his wife, Patricia, who died in 2023.
Henry B. Eyring, who is 92 and one of Oaks' two top counselors, is now next in line to become the faith’s prophet and president.
Oaks will choose someone to fill the vacancy left by Holland in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. New apostles are usually announced and sustained during the church’s next general conference, held in April and October each year, though not always.
