Jeffrey Roy Holland (3 December 1940 – 27 December 2025) was an American religious leader, educator, and author who served as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in St. George, Utah, to a convert father and a mother from a long line of Latter-day Saints, he was a student leader and varsity athlete who met his future wife Patricia Terry while she was a cheerleader.
Holland served a mission to Great Britain from 1960 to 1962, where his companions included future apostles Quentin L. Cook and his mission president Marion D. Hanks. He earned a BA in English and an MA in Religious Education from BYU, followed by a second master’s degree and PhD in American Studies from Yale University. He married Patricia in 1963; they have three children.
His educational career included service as an Institute director, dean of Religious Instruction at BYU (where he established the Religious Studies Center), commissioner of the Church Educational System, and ninth president of Brigham Young University from 1980 to 1989. During his BYU presidency, he founded the BYU Jerusalem Center. He was called as a general authority in 1989 and ordained an apostle on June 23, 1994.
Known for his powerful oratory and passionate testimony, Holland chaired the Missionary Curriculum Task Force that developed Preach My Gospel. He served as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve from November 2023 until his death. His books, including Christ and the New Covenant and Trusting Jesus, combined scholarly depth with pastoral warmth. He died on December 27, 2025, from complications of kidney disease.