Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Taken from The Ensign,
August 1994, page 73-74.
"On
‘I’m not sure that you can understand the
overwhelming sense of responsibility this call brings,' he said to members of
the press and other observers. ' I'm equally sure that
you could not understand the unspeakable respect that I have for the office. My
greatest wish, and hence my greatest anxiety, is that I will be adequate and
appropriate and never in any way damage the dignity and respect that the Church
and the world collectively hold for the office of Apostle.'
'The last few hours have been nearly
unbearable,' he continued. 'I received this call at
Elder
'As to my own sense of respect and
responsibility, I pledge to you, as I did to my Brethren this morning,
everything I have and everything I know how to give.'
During the press conference, Elder Holland
responded to questions about President Hunter's first official statement as
president of the Church and about the Church's plans to commemorate the
sesquicentennial anniversary of the Prophet Joseph Smith's martyrdom.
Speaking of President Hunter's invitation to
less-active members to come back, Elder Holland said, 'I know him and the other
Brethren well enough to know that they want everyone back, all the time, in
every way, in every place. That would be as basic to the apostolic mission of
this church as anything else - to invite people to stay with us. It seems to me
that is basically the message of the Church from its beginning.'
Responding to a question about activities
marking the anniversary of the martyrdom, Elder Holland commented, 'I would say
that one of the greatest things that has happened in
my life in the last five years is the expanding and greater magnificence that
the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith has taken on. I have been raised a member
of the Church; I served a mission in
Jeffrey R. Holland was born in
He met Patricia Terry at
'I am grateful for my husband's spiritual
qualification for this calling,' said Sister Holland at the press conference.
'Nobody but myself knows the kind of faith that this
man has. It is pure,' she said. 'He is a humble servant of the Lord Jesus
Christ.'
Prior to his calling as a general authority,
Elder Holland served as a regional representative, as a counselor in 3 stake
presidencies, as a bishop, as director of the Melchizedek Priesthood MIA, and
as chairman of the Church's Young Adult Committee.
As a General Authority, Elder Holland has
served in the area presidencies of the North America West, Europe North, and
North American Southeast areas and has been serving as assistant executive director
of the Correlation Department of the Church.
Much of Elder Holland's life has been devoted
to education. After receiving a bachelor's degree in English and a master's
degree in religious education from
Elder
'My chief responsibility now, and my primary
responsibility - in a sense, my total responsibility - is to bear witness of
the Lord Jesus Christ,' Elder Holland observed. 'As inadequate as I feel, it is
the most pleasant and rewarding and most thrilling assignment a man can have in
this world. I pledge my life to this effort.'
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