Biography of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Elder Jeffrey Roy Holland was born on December 3, 1940 in St. George, Utah. His father was an Irish immigrant who had formal education only up to the seventh grade. Elder Holland says he had an “idyllic childhood.” In high school, he was actively involved in student leadership and sports. He was on the track, baseball, basketball, and football teams-winning a championship in football and basketball. While growing up in St. George, he worked as a paperboy, a grocery bagger, and an attendant at a service station. He also played basketball at Dixie College before and after his mission.

While in high school, Elder Holland met Patricia Terry who was a cheerleader. They later married on June 7, 1963, in the St. George temple. They have 3 children and 12 grandchildren.

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.

Elder Holland described that mission as “the major spiritual turning point in my life”. It was also when he decided to become a teacher. After getting married, Elder Holland went to BYU, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 1965 and a Master’s Degree in religious instruction in 1966. He taught part-time at BYU as a graduate student. Then he taught at various institutes and seminaries, including Hayward, California, and Seattle, Washington. While in Seattle, he served as Bishop of a singles ward. In 1970, Elder Holland went to Yale and earned a Master’s Degree and PhD in American Studies. During that time he served in the Stake Presidency and Sister Holland served as Relief Society President. Elder Holland described this difficult time period to “crossing the Red Sea.” Later, Elder Holland served in two other Stake Presidencies and as a Regional Representative.

In late 1972, the Hollands returned to Utah. He taught briefly at the Salt Lake Institute, and then was called as director of the Church-wide Melchizedek Priesthood Mutual Improvement Association. In 1974, he was appointed as Dean of Religious Education at BYU. In 1976, he was appointed as Church Commissioner of Education. From 1980-1989, he served as the 9^th president of BYU. During part of that time, Sister Holland was a counselor in the general Young Women’s presidency. Elder Holland was also active in the establishment of the BYU Jerusalem Center in Israel.

On April 1, 1989, Elder Holland was called to the First Quorum of Seventy. He was ordained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on June 23, 1994, at the age of 53.

Although I have never met Elder Holland, I feel I know him personally. Perhaps it is because I have read his book "Christ and the New Covenant". Or maybe it is the fact that we share the same first name. One of my personal favorite talks is called “An High Priest of Good Things to Come.”

Sources:
Official Background Information from the Church

Article in the Ensign about Elder Holland.

Additionally, I took a class at BYU on the lives of the Apostles. I relied on some documents from that class.

Update to Elder Bednar Biography

This week I had the chance to meet Elder Bednar. (See full biography here.) He spoke at my BYU graduation and I just happened to be in the right place to meet him before we had the processional. He was very nice and asked about me, my major, and plans. We also discussed his son. It was a great experience and the highlight of my graduation day. His eyes were pure and he is a true servant of God.

Biography of Quentin L. Cook- Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Elder Quentin LaMar Cook was born in Logan, Utah on September 8, 1940. He was the middle of 3 children, with an older brother and younger sister. Although his father was less active in the Church, Elder Cook comes from a strong background of faith. In fact, he is the great-grandson of David Patten Kimball, who helped carry members of the Martin Handcart company across the Sweetwater River. He was very athletic and was on the football and basketball teams in high school. He also was highly involved in student government in high school and college.

From 1960 to 1962, Elder Cook served as a missionary to the British Isles, where he was a missionary companion with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, also now a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Following his mission, he resumed is studies at Utah State University and graduated in with a political science degree in 1963. He also married Mary Gaddie on November 30, 1962, in the Logan Temple. They had known each other growing up. They now have 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

In 1966, Elder Cook graduated with a Juris Doctorate degree from Stanford University. The Cooks originally planned on returning to Utah, but the Lord had other plans. He worked as a lawyer for many years in the Bay Area. Eventually, he became President and CEO of California Healthcare System. He also worked as the vice chairman of Sutter Health System and has a board member of several other organizations.

Elder Cook has been prepared by the Lord and has significant Church service. He has served as a Bishop, Stake President, and counselor in the Stake Presidency to his older brother who was serving as Stake President at the time, a Regional Representative, and Area Authority. While serving in the Bay Area, he developed a good relationship with Elder David B. Haight, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve who passed away in 2004. Elder Cook was called as a General Authority to the Second Quorum of the Seventy in April 1996 and then to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 1998. During this time he served as the Executive Director of the Missionary Department and worked frequently with Elder M. Russell Ballard. He was just called to the Presidency of the Seventy on August 1, 2007, before being sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on October 6, 2007.

I have been excited to make this post because Elder Cook is the Apostle that I feel I know best since I have met him twice. His older brother, Joseph, was my mission president. My mission president also shared some personal insights about his brother that helped me feel like I know him better. For example, in the April 2008 Ensign, Elder Cook shared his story about a discussion he had with his brother (my mission president) when they both were teenagers. They concluded together that if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith is a true prophet, then this Church is true, and therefore we must live according to these truths. Decades later, I heard my mission president (President Cook) teach this same reasoning several times to us missionaries. My first opportunity to meet Elder Cook came when he visited our mission. I also met him again when he spoke at BYU in 2007. We had a pleasant conversation. He is a wonderful man and a humble and obedient servant of the Lord.

Sources:

Check out Elder Cook on YouTube with Elder Ballard. Here is another. The Church has just started posting these videos.

Official Church Biography
A biography by Elder Holland with some more pictures
Several of his talks: October 2007 General Conference, BYU Devotional March 2007, October 2003 General Conference, March 2003 Ensign, October 1996 General Conference

Thank you to my mission president for his insights and corrections.

The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

A new member of the Quorum of the Twelve was added this weekend during the 1st session of General Conference of the Church. The order is now as follows:

1. Thomas Spencer Monson
2. Boyd Kenneth Packer
3. Lowell Tom Perry
4. Russell Marion Nelson
5. Dallin Harris Oaks
6. Melvin Russell Ballard, Jr.
7. Joseph Bitner Wirthlin
8. Richard Gordon Scott
9. Robert Dean Hales
10. Jeffrey Roy Holland
11. Henry Bennion Eyring
12. Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf
13. David Allan Bednar
14. Quentin LaMar Cook
15. David Todd Christofferson

More biographies will be coming soon!