2. Jeffrey R. Holland was born to Frank and Alice
Holland on December 3, 1940, in St. George, Utah.
3. He thrived on life in rural, small-town St. George.
President Holland said, “I had an idyllic childhood.”
4. His mother described him as being an “obedient boy”. Alice Holland relates a time when
President Holland was a youth, she let him go to a party with the understanding that he
would be home by ten o’clock. When he looked at the clock later and realized that he had
only 15 minutes to make it home, he ran from one end of St. George to the other. “He
never gave me any trouble,” Alice says. “He was always at church, and he always took care
of his priesthood duties.”
St. George, Utah, 1940 or 1950
5. Elder Holland graduated from Dixie High
School in St. George, where he played both
basketball and football. He was part of teams
that took state championships in both sports.
6. President Holland attended Dixie College
before serving his mission. After returning
from his mission he was a co-captain on the
Dixie Basketball team. On September 7,
2012, Dixie College dedicated the Jeffrey R.
Holland Centennial Commons Building.
7. Elder Holland transferred from Dixie State
College to Brigham Young University,
where he earned his bachelors and masters
in English and Religious Studies
respectively.
8. He continued his education at Yale in New
Haven, Connecticut, where he earned a
masters and doctor of philosophy in
American studies.
9. Employment
Some of the jobs that he held were:
•A service station attendant
•A grocery bagger
•Part time religion teacher during his education at BYU
•Institute teacher in Hayward California
•Institute Director in Seattle, Washington
•Institute Director in Salt Lake City, Utah after receiving his PhD
from Yale
•Dean of Religious Education at BYU Provo
•Eleventh Commissioner of the Church Education System from
1976 to 1980
•President of BYU from 1980 to 1989
10. President Holland married his
high school sweetheart,
Patricia Terry, on June 7, 1963
in the St. George Temple.
They celebrated their 50th
anniversary this year!
11. President Holland and Patricia
have three children; Matthew
born in 1966, Mary Alice born in
1969, and David born in 1977.
12. President Holland has been an apostle for 19 years.
He was called to the Quorum of the Twelve on
June 23, 1994. He was called by Howard W. Hunter,
after the passing of Ezra Taft Benson.
13. Other Callings:
•Bishop in a singles ward in Seattle, Washington
•Called to the stake presidency in New Haven, Connecticut
•He taught at the Salt Lake institute for only a few months
before he was called to be director of the Church’s new
Melchizedek Priesthood MIA
•In 1974, he was appointed dean of Religious Education at
BYU
•In 1976, he was named commissioner of education for the
Church.
•In that capacity, he was asked in 1980 to serve on the
search committee that would recommend someone to
follow Dallin H. Oaks as president of BYU...they
recommended Jeffrey R. Holland
•Elder Holland was called to the First Quorum of the
Seventy on April 1, 1989.
14. From 1960-62, Elder Holland
served a mission to the British
Isles, where he served as a
missionary companion to Elder
Cook, also of the Quorum of
the Twelve. Additionally, Elder
Holland’s parents served in the
same mission at the same
time. Elder Holland claimed to
be the only missionary who
said goodbye to his parents at
both the start and end of his
mission.
15. Jeffrey and Patricia
“What I learned from Jeffrey R. and Patricia
Holland is good humor, because I’ve always been
a little too serious. I take their example to laugh,
laugh, and then laugh some more. Reading their
book, On Earth as it is in Heaven, was hilarious.”
By ZoAnna Billman
16.
17.
18. By Jeffrey R. Holland 183rd
Annual General Conference, April 2013
“So be kind regarding human frailty--your own
as well as that of those who serve with you in
a church led by volunteer, mortal men and
women. Except in the case of His only perfect
Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God
has ever had to work with. That must be
terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with
it so should we…”
19. “The central joy of my life while I was growing up was sports. I
played on every kind of them that could have been assembled.”
reminisced Elder Holland
He lettered in football, basketball, track and baseball.
20. Elder Holland has no hobbies – just his family
and his work. . . Reading provides a favorite
pastime and is closest [thing] to a hobby for him .
. .whatever else he may be reading, the
scriptures will get first priority. “I read some
scripture every day. I can’t give that guarantee to
anything else, “ he confides.
Jeffrey R. Holland: A Style All His Own,
By Don Marshall, Ensign 1983, June
23. While President of BYU one of his most notable achievements was the founding
of the BYU Jerusalem Center
24. Matt, Elder Holland’s son, says his “fondest memories from childhood are at
the dinner table. Every night was a kind of family home evening filled with
laughter, complements, encouragement, interesting conversation,
testimony, teaching, and expressions of love. You always knew Dad was
happiest when he was at home with his family.”
