The following was excerpted from Deseret News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. Photo Credit by Ellie Alder/BYU Photo
Elder Matthew S. Holland grew up in the old president’s home on the BYU campus while his father, President Jeffrey R. Holland, led the school in the 1980s with Sister Pat Holland at his side.
He returned to BYU on Tuesday to deliver a devotional that grew deeply emotional as the General Authority Seventy described the grief he felt after the death of his father three weeks ago, which followed the loss of his mother in 2023.
He called President Holland his best friend on Earth besides his wife and children.
“Losing him leaves an enormous hole for me,” Elder Holland said. “As long as I can remember, he brought laughter, confidence and wisdom to my life like no other. So, I wasn’t really prepared the other day when I turned on my phone and realized I needed to remove his contact from my favorites list.”
That realization struck him last week, and Elder Holland said it broke him.
Jennie WilstedJanuary 24, 2026
My sincere condolences to the Holland family for the loss of their father. Anything I contribute to build upon his precious character is insufficient. The world truly will never know another Jeffrey Holland he was irreplaceable.