A holiday-themed Meridian Magazine banner featuring candlelight and evergreen décor, inviting readers to support Meridian’s mission and honor faith-filled voices like Elder Jeffrey Holland.

With the passing of Elder Jeffrey Holland, we not only lost a great religious leader, but a wonderful speaker who could hold an audience unlike nearly anyone. And, he could neatly combine humor with a message or just use humor to get everyone’s attention.

I first learned of his ability to deliver a message in the right way when, as an editor of BYU’s Daily Universe, I allowed an editorial cartoon complaining about how BYU’s basketball team had been at the wrong end of a few calls by the referee. The cartoon showed the inside of the Marriot Center with a BYU fan standing there with a giant screw going through him. The next day I received an envelope from the BYU president – Pres. Jeffery Holland. It held a clipping of the cartoon with these simple words, “You can do better.” Signed by President J. Holland. I appreciated the justifiable but kind rebuke.

A few years later, about 2001, after Elder Holland had become an apostle, he attended our stake conference in Spanish Fork. When it came to his turn to speak, he stood with his small notebook in his hand – a notebook I suspect he NEVER opened because he was never at a loss for words. He began by saying, “I’m going to tell you a quick story that has absolutely nothing to do with my address today, so don’t be looking for meaning.”

Here is the story he told:

It was a hot night in Yuma, AZ, and the local orchestra was rehearsing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in the outdoor amphitheater/shell. The two string-bass players were grumbling because their part was at the beginning of the very long symphony and nothing until the ending. The older bass said he had a solution. He said, “Just behind the back door and across the street of the shell is a tavern. We’ll play our notes, slip out the back and have a few cold ones.”

“But,” the younger one said, “If we’re late we could lose our jobs!”

“I’ve thought of that,” said the older bass. “I will take a string and tie the last few pages together of the conductor’s large score. When he gets there, he’ll slow down and give us time to get to our instruments and play our notes.” They agreed.

On the night of the performance the two basses played their few notes, slipped out the back and had some drinks in the tavern. However, they drank too much and too long and realized the orchestra was nearing the end of this very long 9th Symphony. They rushed out of the tavern, across the street, into the back door and made their way in the dark to the lighted stage where the orchestra was nearly finished. Suddenly, they tripped over the curtain and fell headlong into tympanies and cymbals with a loud crash. The great noise startled the 1st violinist so much that she fainted. The 2nd violinist knew she would have to play the difficult final measures and knew she was unprepared, so she fainted.

So, there we have it: It’s the bottom of the ninth, there are two out, the score is tied and the basses are loaded!

Of course, the congregation had a long laugh. Elder Holland waited a bit and then launched into his planned conference talk to a very attentive congregation. And, yes, his sermon had nothing to do with either baseball or Beethoven. In fact, he said he was inspired to give a totally different sermon than he had planned.

Truly we lost a great leader and speaker with the passing of Elder Holland.