Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and former BYU president, has been called as a member of the Council of the Twelve, President Howard W. Hunter announced Thursday, June 23.
The announcement was made after President Hunter and his counselors in the First Presidency, President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson, met with members of the Twelve in the Salt Lake Temple.The newest apostle will fill the seat left vacant when President Hunter, who was president of the Council of the Twelve, became president of the Church on June 5 after the death of President Ezra Taft Benson on May 30.
Elder Holland, 53, was serving as second counselor in the North America West Area presidency at the time of his call. He was also serving as assistant executive director of the Church's Correlation Department.
He was released in 1993 as president of the Europe North Area. He also served as counselor in the general Young Men presidency from Sept. 30, 1989-Oct. 6, 1990, as a counselor in the North America Southeast Area, and as assistant executive director of the Curriculum Department.
In 1980, he was inaugurated as the ninth president of Brigham Young University, where he was also a professor of English and ancient scripture. He was called to the Seventy from this post on April 1, 1989. He also is a former Church Commissioner of Education, dean of the college of religion at BYU, and instructor and director of institutes of religion in four states, including Utah.
Before being called as a General Authority, he served as regional representative, counselor in three stake presidencies, bishop, director of the Melchizedek Priesthood MIA, and chairman of the Church's Young Adult committee. He also served as a missionary in the British Mission, 1960-62.
He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in English and religious education, respectively, from BYU. He also holds a master's and doctorate in American studies from Yale University.
He is a native of St. George, Utah, born Dec. 3, 1940, to Frank D. and Alice Bentely Holland. He married Patricia Terry in 1963 in the St. George Temple. They are the parents of two sons and a daughter.
Elder Holland has been active in professional educational activity and served as president of the American Association of Presidents and Independent Colleges and Universities.
While he was president of BYU, he helped establish the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, located on the Mount of Olives.
