The day after Christmas, news outlets, social media channels and conversations among friends and family members were filled with quotes and memories of a general conference message or other time when President Jeffrey R. Holland spoke.
A friend voiced his concern that this type of sharing bordered on a type of hero worship or idolizing of a Church leader.
In my eyes, this was much less about President Holland and much more about the Holy Ghost.
Following the death of my father nearly 20 years ago, I began recording or taking notes when gathered with those who loved someone who had recently died. I found that memories came that had been buried for some time. Sharing those memories became therapeutic in a way. They were helpful both to the person who expressed them and to those who heard them.
With the death this past week of the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who had served in that quorum for 31 years, I think the Holy Ghost brought back needed memories to many individuals. He brought back memories of times when individuals felt the Spirit burn within them as they heard President Holland speak at some time in their life.
His fellow Apostle Elder Dale G. Renlund expressed his feelings in a social media post following President Holland’s death.
“Words were the brushes of his artistry, passion the oil of his paint, and love of Jesus Christ the canvas on which he painted,” Elder Renlund wrote.
President Holland had a gift with words. He knew which ones to use. He knew how to put them together in a way that helped till the ground of the heart to receive nurturing of the Spirit.
That is why I believe individuals loved what he said. They might not know that is why, but that is what I think.
Every member of the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has gifts they use to help build the kingdom of God. Scripturally, every child of God has a gift or gifts given to them for the same purpose.
In covering news of the Church, I’ve watched as senior Church leaders interact with each other and use their spiritual gifts to bless the lives of those they minister to.
These ministering opportunities are so finely appointed at times that they make the most complicated mechanics of engines or watches feel like child’s play. Heavenly Father puts the right people in the right places to do the right things. Whether they do is up to their use of their agency.
In the case of the Apostles, the way they embrace their opportunities creates a beautiful harmony to the benefit of God’s children and the ongoing Restoration of His Church.
After returning from my Spanish-speaking mission, I loved hearing President Holland speak about his experience having been assigned to serve as the area president in Chile. Speaking in the April 2004 general conference, he spoke about the English word “abide” and its Spanish counterpart “permanecer.”
He said this is part of the invitation to the world to come to Christ with permanence of heart.
“Come, but come to remain. Come with conviction and endurance. Come permanently, for your sake and the sake of all the generations who must follow you, and we will help each other be strong to the very end,” President Holland said.
Twenty years later, after President Holland endured a difficult illness, he spoke similarly in his next international ministry when he invited individuals in the Dominican Republic to stay in the protective boat that the gospel provides as the waters of life get rough.
“The worst time to jump out of the ship is when you are in high seas,” he said. “That’s when you tie yourself in, get the life jacket on and hold on; you don’t move. The worst thing you can do is leave the protection of the boat you are in — in this case the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
President Holland stayed in the ship. His words might have been his way of rowing the boat. And the role of another might be to hand out those life jackets he referred to. The goal remains the same regardless of the role each plays — make it back to Heavenly Father having become like Him.
I hope I can follow President Holland’s example and develop such faith in Jesus Christ while staying on heaven’s team. Because that team, as President Holland reminded Latter-day Saints in the Caribbean, is the winning team.
“Be on that team. Be on that side — the side that wins and the side that never quits.”
— Jon Ryan Jensen is editor of the Church News.
