Early Life and Education
Holland was born in St. George, Utah. His father, Frank D. Holland, was a convert to the LDS Church while his mother, Alice, came from a long line of Latter-day Saints. As a young man, Holland served a mission to England; his mission president was Marion D. Hanks, a general authority of the church. He and Quentin L. Cook were missionary companions.
Holland graduated from Dixie High School. He helped the Flyers capture state high school championships in football and basketball. He began his college education at Dixie College before his mission. After returning from his mission, he served as co-captain of the Dixie basketball team. In 2011, the school broke ground for the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons Building, a $48 million, five-story building that honors both Holland and the school's 2011 centennial.
Holland then transferred to Brigham Young University where he graduated with a BA in English. He received an MA in Religious Education from BYU, while also teaching religion classes part time. After earning his master's degree, Holland became an Institute of Religion teacher in Hayward, California. He next served as an institute director in Seattle, Washington. While in Seattle, Holland served as bishop of a single adult ward. Holland attended Yale University and earned a second master's degree, this time in American Studies, and later a Ph.D in the same subject. At Yale, Holland studied with American literary scholar and critic R. W. B. Lewis and authored a dissertation on the religious sense of Mark Twain. While in Connecticut, Holland served as a counselor in the presidency of the Hartford Connecticut Stake, which had been organized in 1966.
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