SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jeffrey R. Holland, a high-ranking official in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was next in line to become the faith's president, has died. He was 85.
Holland died early Saturday morning from complications associated with kidney disease, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced on its website.
Holland, who died in Salt Lake City, led a governing body called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which helps set church policy while overseeing the many business interests of what is known widely as the Mormon church.
He was the next longest-tenured member of the Quorum of the Twelve after President Dallin H. Oaks, making him next in line to lead the church under a long-established succession plan.
Henry B. Eyring, who is 92 and one of Oaks' two top counselors, is now next in line for the presidency.
Holland had been hospitalized during the Christmas holiday for treatment related to ongoing health complications, the church said. Experts on the faith pointed to his declining health in October when Oaks did not select Holland as a counselor. He attended several church events that month in a wheelchair.
His death leaves a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve that Oaks will fill in coming months, likely by calling a new apostle from a lower-tier leadership council. Apostles are all men in accordance with the church’s all-male priesthood.
Holland grew up in St. George, Utah, and worked for many years in education administration before his call to join the ranks of church leadership. He served as the ninth president of Brigham Young University, the Utah-based faith's flagship school, from 1980 to 1989 and was a commissioner of the church’s global education system.
Under his leadership, the Provo university worked to improve interfaith relations and established a satellite campus in Jerusalem. The Anti-Defamation League later honored Holland with its Torch of Liberty Award for helping foster greater understanding between Christian and Jewish communities.
Holland is widely remembered for a 2021 speech in which he called on church members to take up metaphorical muskets in defense of the faith's teachings against same-sex marriage. The talk, known colloquially as “the musket fire speech," became required reading for BYU freshmen in 2024, raising concern among LGBTQ+ students and advocates.
Holland was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Terry Holland. He is survived by their three children, 13 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
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This story has been corrected to show that Holland was preceded in death by his wife.
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Associated Press Writer Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed.
FILE - Jeffrey R. Holland, member of the quorum of the twelve apostles, speaks during a news conference at the Conference Center, in Salt Lake City, Jan. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File )
BOSTON (AP) — More than a thousand flights were canceled or delayed across the Northeast and Great Lakes regions due to snow as thousands took to U.S. roads and airports during the busy travel period between Christmas and New Year’s.
New York City received around four inches of snow Friday night into early Saturday — slightly under what some forecasts had predicted. At least 1,500 flights were canceled from Friday night, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. But by Saturday morning, both the roads and skies were clearing.
“The storm is definitely winding down, a little bit of flurries across the Northeast this morning," said Bob Oravec, a Maryland-based forecaster at the National Weather Service.
Oravac said the storm was quick-moving from the northwest toward the Southeast U.S., with the largest snowfall in the New York City area reaching over six inches (15 centimeters) in central eastern Long Island. Further to the north in the Catskills, communities saw as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snowfall.
Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport posted snow warnings on the social media platform X on Friday, cautioning that weather conditions could cause flight disruptions.
The National Weather Service warned of hazardous travel conditions from the Great Lakes through the northern mid-Atlantic and southern New England, with the potential for tree damage and power outages. Forecasters said the storm was expected to weaken by Saturday morning.
In Times Square on Saturday, workers in red jumpsuits worked to clear the sludge and powder-coated streets and sidewalks using shovels and snowblowers.
Jennifer Yokley, who was in Times Square on a holiday trip from North Carolina, said she was excited to see snow accumulating as it dusted buildings, trees and signs throughout the city.
“I think it was absolutely beautiful,” she said.
Payton Baker and Kolby Gray, who were visiting New York City from West Virginia on Saturday, said the snow was a Christmas surprise for their third anniversary trip.
“Well, it’s very cold and it was very unexpected,” Baker said, her breath visible in the winter air. “The city is working pretty well to get all the roads salted and everything, so it’s all right.”
Ahead of the storm, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for more than half of the state. Acting New Jersey Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency for all of New Jersey, “due to a severe winter storm causing dangerous weather conditions, including heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain.”
“This storm will cause dangerous road conditions and impact holiday travel," Way said in a statement. "We are urging travelers to avoid travel during the storm and allow crews to tend to the roads. Drivers should plan their travel accordingly, monitor conditions and road closures, and follow all safety protocols.”
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Walker reported from New York City.
A general view of snow covered seats are seen before the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game between Clemson and Penn State at Yankee Stadium Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Snow covered seats are seen before the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game between Clemson and Penn State at Yankee Stadium Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Snow is seen piled up on the field before the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game between Clemson and Penn State at Yankee Stadium Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Fresh snow covers old snowmobiles on display in Lowville, N.Y.,on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)
Fresh snow covers old snowmobiles on display in Lowville, N.Y,, on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)
FILE - An American Airlines plane arrives at the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
FILE - Flight times are displayed at O'Hare airport in Chicago, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
