Jeffrey Roy Holland (December 3, 1940 – December 27, 2025) was an American educator and a religious leader. He was president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from October 14, 2025, until his death. He was the ninth president of Brigham Young University (BYU) and was acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from November 15, 2023 until September 27, 2025, when the First Presidency was dissolved as a result of church president Russell M. Nelson's death.
As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland was accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. At the time of his death, he was the church's second most senior apostle.
Holland was born and raised in St. George, Utah. After graduating from high school, his college education began at Dixie College and he also served as an LDS Church missionary in Great Britain. After returning from his mission, he transferred to BYU and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English. He later earned a master's degree (MA) in religious education at BYU. Holland received a second master's degree and later a PhD in American studies at Yale University. In 1974, Holland was appointed BYU's dean of religious education. Two years later he was appointed the eleventh commissioner of the Church Educational System (CES), replacing Neal A. Maxwell. In 1980, Holland became BYU's ninth president, replacing Dallin H. Oaks.
Holland was born in St. George, Utah, on December 3, 1940. His father, Frank D. Holland, was a convert to the LDS Church, while his mother, Alice, came from a long line of Latter-day Saints. As a youth, he worked as a newspaper carrier, a grocery bagger, and a service station attendant. As a young man, Holland served in what was then known as the British Mission. His mission president was Marion D. Hanks, a church general authority. He and Quentin L. Cook were missionary companions.
He graduated from Dixie High School in 1959, and he helped the Flyers capture state high school championships in football and basketball. He began his college education at Dixie College before his mission. After returning from his mission, he served as co-captain of the Dixie basketball team. In 2011, the school broke ground for the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons Building, a building to honor both Holland and the school's 2011 centennial. The completed building was dedicated in September 2012.
Holland transferred to BYU, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in English. He did graduate study in religious education, receiving an MA in 1966 with a thesis on selected changes to the text of the Book of Mormon, while also teaching religion classes part-time. After earning his master's degree, Holland became an Institute of Religion teacher in Hayward, California. He later worked as an institute director in Seattle, Washington. Holland then studied American studies at Yale University, where he received a second MA, and a PhD in 1972. At Yale, Holland studied with American literary scholar and critic R. W. B. Lewis and authored a dissertation on the religious sense of Mark Twain. He was an instructor at the church's institute in Hartford, Connecticut while a student at Yale.
While studying at Yale, Holland served as a counselor in the presidency of the church's Hartford Connecticut Stake.
Holland served as an institute director in Salt Lake City after earning his PhD. He also served as the LDS Church's director of the Melchizedek Priesthood MIA and as chair of its Young Adult Committee. In 1974, at age 33, Holland was appointed BYU's Dean of Religious Education. As dean, he founded BYU's Religious Studies Center and became its first director. From 1976 to 1980, he was the eleventh commissioner of CES, replacing Neal A. Maxwell, who was called to the First Council of the Seventy. During this time, Holland also served on the board of directors of both LDS Hospital and the Polynesian Cultural Center.
In 1980, Holland was appointed to succeed Dallin H. Oaks as BYU's president. After a search committee was formed, as a favorite candidate of N. Eldon Tanner, first counselor in the church's First Presidency, and the protégé of the chair of the executive committee of the BYU Board of Trustees, Gordon B. Hinckley, Holland was appointed less than two days later. As the church's commissioner of education at the time Oaks was released, Holland was supposed to compile a list of candidates to be the next BYU president. Instead, he was unexpectedly notified of the First Presidency's intention to make him president. After his appointment, rumors on campus cited the decision as "politically motivated". Before he arrived at BYU, Holland reduced the number of vice presidents to four and increased the number of assistant and associate vice presidents over academics.
Holland easily transitioned into the role of president. He was familiar with the president's duties, since he had worked closely with Oaks as the commissioner of education. He placed emphasis on upgrading programs and improving relationships with faculty rather than focusing on physical expansion of the campus. In order to supplement the school's funds, Holland launched a fundraiser called "Excellence in the Eighties" which sought to raise $100 million from 1982 to 1987. Specific funds were raised for student scholarships, academic programs, faculty salaries, and extension programs. He emphasized hiring more qualified faculty and purchasing more library and research materials. He supervised the building of the Crabtree Technology Building but did not promise more than ten new buildings during his presidency.
A significant achievement during Holland's presidency was the founding of the BYU Jerusalem Center. Also during his presidency, the BYU Center for International Studies was renamed the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies and had its role at BYU re-emphasized. There had been a large amount of debate about BYU's dress code throughout the previous administration. Holland clarified his support for dress code rules. Holland also instituted a policy requiring that students seeking to remove their name from records of the LDS Church must receive special permission from the board of trustees in order to remain enrolled in school.
During Holland's presidency, the weekly independent student newspaper The 7th East Press was shut down due to writing about controversial topics. However, student editor, Dean Huffaker, believed that Holland had tried to prevent them from being banned because Holland was conscious of public relations and didn't want to cause controversy. The students stated that they believed the ban came from one of the church's general authorities.
Holland had the re-establishment of religious instruction as the "hub" of BYU's academics as one of his significant administrative goals. While he did not initiate any significant changes along these lines, his public communications regularly emphasized the importance of religious education. As BYU's president, Holland encouraged academic excellence in an atmosphere of faith. Holland emphasized that BYU could not do everything but would seek excellence in what it did choose to do.
Holland served as the president of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities and as a member of the NCAA's presidents' committee. He also received the "Torch of Liberty" award from the Anti-Defamation League.
Prior to his call as a general authority, Holland served as bishop of a single adult ward in Seattle, as a counselor in the presidency of the Hartford Connecticut Stake, and as a regional representative. He also served in the presidency of two other stakes and as a stake high councilor.
Holland was called as a general authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy on April 1, 1989, bringing an end to his term as BYU's president. As a member of the Seventy, Holland was a counselor in the general presidency of the church's Young Men organization from 1989 to 1990.