Senior LDS Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland Dies at 85

Jeffrey R. Holland, a senior leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the acting president of its Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, died early Saturday morning in Salt Lake City. He was 85. The church announced his death on its website, attributing it to complications from kidney disease.

Holland had been hospitalized on Christmas Eve for treatment related to his ongoing health issues, according to a church statement. He was surrounded by family at the time of his passing. The announcement expressed gratitude for prayers offered on his behalf and extended seasonal greetings of faith and peace. As the second-most senior apostle after church President Dallin H. Oaks, Holland had been positioned next in line for the church presidency under its established succession plan. With his death, Henry B. Eyring, one of Oaks's counselors in the First Presidency, now assumes that position.

Holland's health had declined noticeably in recent years. He underwent kidney dialysis and faced complications from COVID-19 in 2023, temporarily stepping back from duties that spring. That summer marked his most severe episode, when he was described by fellow apostle Dale G. Renlund as...