salt lake city — Jeffrey R. Holland, a high-ranking official in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Next in line To become the head of the religion, and he 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, led 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 next longest serving member of the Quorum of the Twelve after the President Dallin H. OaksThis made him next in line to lead the church under a well-established succession plan.
Henry B. Eyring, 92 and one of Oakes’ top advisors, is now next in line for the presidency.
The church said that Holland was hospitalized over the Christmas holiday to receive treatment for ongoing health complications. Faith experts noted his deteriorating health in October when Oakes did not select Holland as chancellor. He attended several church events that month in a wheelchair.
His death leaves a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve which Oakes will fill in the coming months, most likely by summoning a new messenger from a lower-level leadership council. The apostles are all men according to the male priesthood of the Church.
Holland grew up in St. George, Utah, and worked for many years in education administration before being invited to join the ranks of church leadership. He served as the ninth president of Brigham Young University, Utah’s leading seminary, from 1980 to 1989 and was commissioner of the Church’s Universal 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 the Torch of Freedom Award for helping to promote understanding between the Christian and Jewish communities.
Holland is widely remembered for his 2021 speech in which he called on church members to use metaphorical guns in defense of the faith’s teachings against same-sex marriage. The talk, known colloquially as the “Mesquite Fire Speech,” became required reading for freshmen at Brigham Young University in 2024, sparking concern among students and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community.
Holland was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Terry Holland. He leaves behind his three children, 13 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
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This story has been corrected to show that Holland was preceded in death by his wife.
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Associated Press writer Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed.