Elder Brian J. Holmes has learned from President Russell M. Nelson to put exclamation points behind callings — instead of question marks.
“We’re trying to do that,” he said. “Just put the exclamation point and go forward with joy and optimism and give it our very best.”
Elder Holmes was sustained as a new General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the Saturday morning session of the April 2025 general conference.
He said he was overwhelmed, overjoyed, extremely humbled and excited about the opportunity to continue to serve the Lord in this way. He is also hopeful he can share his witness of Jesus Christ’s central role in Heavenly Father’s plan.
“And that through that testimony,” he added, “the Holy Ghost will really touch a heart and give someone hope and confidence and reassurance that they can move forward in their life and have their own relationship with Him, that He can guide their life and help them come back home.”
As Elder Holmes reflected on previous experiences in his life, he said he and his wife, Sister Maggie Holmes, are witnesses of the Lord’s promise in Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 that He will “go before your face.”
“That is what the Lord has done for us our whole lives,” Elder Holmes said. “As you turn your life over to the Lord, He can make more out of it than we can on our own.”
Following righteous examples
Elder Holmes grew up in Salt Lake City — one of 12 children — in what he calls “the ideal gospel home,” with home evenings, family scripture study and family prayer. His father — Michael H. Holmes — served as an Area Seventy.
Elder Holmes met Maggie Wilson in high school, and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 29, 1999, after Elder Holmes returned from the Germany Munich Mission.
Sister Holmes was the only member of her family to attend church as a young woman.
Elder Holmes said he used to think to himself: “I don’t know if I would do that. If my parents weren’t helping push me along a little bit, would I have gone to church by myself?”
Sister Holmes said it was difficult to go to church by herself, but the young women in her class and their leaders made sure she never felt alone or unwelcome. They often invited her to sit with them in church and also to spend time with their families in their homes.
“I would sit in sacrament meeting, and we would sing ‘Families Can Be Together Forever,’ and I would look around at the families around me, and I wanted that for myself one day,” she said.
Today, Elder Holmes is grateful for those faithful young women and their leaders who set an example of following Christ through their outreach to his future wife.
“You can so easily think that my calling doesn’t matter or my contribution is insignificant,” he said. “But the example of those wonderful sisters — and their love and ministering to Maggie — helped propel her forward on the covenant path.”
Her dream of being sealed in the temple and having an eternal family, like her Young Women leaders, was realized when she and Elder Holmes were married in 1999.
Sister Holmes said the greatest joy in her life is to be a mother to their six children.
“I’ve always felt that my most important calling was in the home,” she said. “Our children bring us so much happiness, and we love to spend time together as a family.”
“As you turn your life over to the Lord, He can make more out of it than we can on our own.”
— Elder Brian J. Holmes
The Lord has opened doors
Elder and Sister Holmes said their covenants with the Lord have given them confidence that things will work out.
While serving as a bishop in 2005 in South Jordan, Utah, an opportunity came to expand their family homebuilding business to Arizona. But because Elder Holmes was only a few years into his calling, he was conflicted about the move. He said he didn’t want to “run out on the Lord.”
Elder Holmes recalls how his stake president followed a prompting to ask him how much longer he would be around. That created an opportunity for them to counsel together on what Elder Holmes should do.
“He advised: ‘Your most important calling is to be a husband and father. If this new job opportunity will bless your family, then you should consider it. There will always be opportunities to serve the Lord.’”
Elder Holmes said he and Sister Holmes fasted, prayed and went to the temple to seek revelation for their family. They felt confident that moving to Arizona was the right thing to do. However, that confidence was soon tested when the housing market collapsed in 2007, forcing a closure of the family business in Arizona.
Elder Holmes said they considered moving back to Utah, but they felt compelled to stay.
“We didn’t know how we were going to stay or what we were going to do for an income to provide for our family,” he said.
That’s when he decided to pursue a law degree at Arizona State University.
He said he got accepted “by the grace of the Lord.” On the first day of classes, he was at the top of the waitlist when a spot opened up. But then he wasn’t sure if he should continue.
“They told us we need to sign a statement that you won’t accept any outside employment during your first year of law school. And they handed me the first week of required reading materials, and it was a stack of papers — over 200 pages.”
Elder Holmes remembers coming home after that first day with the stack of readings: “And I just said, ‘There’s no way we can do this.’”
He said he was mostly concerned with providing for his family — including their four young children. So a bit defeated, he showed his wife the giant stack of papers.
“And I’ll never forget, she put her arm around me — and this is classic Maggie — she said: ‘Brian, the Lord has opened this door for us, and we are going to walk through it. And we can do it because He will help us,’” he said.
Elder Holmes was able to get his law degree and went on to found Holmes Law PLC and work as general counsel for Charter One LLC.
Elder Holmes credits Sister Holmes’ faith for guiding their family to act in faith — especially when the future was uncertain.
“You have to be willing to step out of the boat sometimes,” he said. “And I’ve learned there are many boats. It’s not just a one-time thing. There are different situations and challenges in life, and you have to keep stepping out. And that’s how your faith becomes stronger. Faith is a principle of action and power.”
Said Sister Holmes: “We try to teach our children that if you’re doing the right things and you’re making the right choices — keeping your covenants — the Lord will guide and weave your path, and it will be a beautiful life.”
Power in the simplicity of the gospel
Elder Holmes said he loves the simplicity of the gospel, including the knowledge that God loves His children, that Jesus Christ lives and that His gospel has been restored to the earth.
“Those doctrines make life worth living,” he said. “There’s so much power in the simpleness of the gospel, it’s beautiful.”
He also has a love for the Lord, Jesus Christ. “With all our hearts, we are filled with so much gratitude for His life and His mission, what He’s done for us.”
He said he knows Heavenly Father authored the plan of salvation “because of His love for His children.”
“And because of His perfect love for us, He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior and Redeemer.”
Elder Holmes added that he knows that President Nelson is the Lord’s Prophet on the earth today.
“That simple knowledge — combined with our covenants — brings power to deal with the challenges and vicissitudes of life, because the Restoration of the gospel brought a restoration of the knowledge of God’s plan.”
“There’s so much power in the simpleness of the gospel, it’s beautiful.”
— Elder Brian J. Holmes
About Elder Brian J. Holmes
Family: Brian John Holmes was born Dec. 5, 1977, in Salt Lake City, one of 12 children, to Michael H. and Marian R. Holmes. Married Maggie Wilson in the Salt Lake Temple on March 29, 1999. Elder and Sister Holmes are the parents of six children and were residing in Queen Creek, Arizona, at the time of his call as a general authority.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science and Juris Doctor degree, both from Arizona State University.
Employment: Worked as vice president of Holmes Homes in Arizona, founded Holmes Law PLC and more recently worked as general counsel for Charter One LLC.
Church service: At the time of his call as a general authority, Elder Holmes was serving as an Area Seventy in the North America Southwest Area. He has also served as stake president, high councilor, bishop and missionary in the Germany Munich Mission.
