The word apostle comes from the Greek “apostolos” meaning “one sent forth.” An apostle, therefore, is one sent forth to serve as a special witness of Jesus Christ. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest presiding body in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly referred to by the media and others as the Mormon Church), is one of those special witnesses of Jesus Christ.
Elder Holland, accompanied by his wife, Sister Patricia Holland, recently paid a visit to several European countries. He began his visit on Saturday, 23 February 2013 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, where he spoke at a meeting of several congregations in the Apeldoorn area about the importance of spreading the Church’s beliefs and referred to the Church’s recent creation of 58 new missions across the world.
“Elder Holland stressed the fact that Christ’s work does not take place in church buildings, but just the opposite,” Lisette Dalliga, a member of the LDS Church’s congregation in nearby Zwolle: said. “Christ spoke to the people on the streets, on the market square and along the shore of the lake. Everyone needs the gospel (and) we should reach out our hands to them.” [1]
Dalliga further stated that those in attendance during Elder Holland’s address were blessed by the messages of love and inspiration that he shared.
On 25-26 February 2013, Elder Holland spent time in England. During his time there he spoke to missionaries at the LDS Church’s Missionary Training Center, met with several members of Parliament and participated in an interfaith dinner and outreach focus group. Elder Clifford Herbertson, a church leader from Great Britain, commented:
An important part of Elder Holland’s visit to London was to meet with a number of influential political, faith and community leaders. One particular event, a private dinner held in the BYU London Centre, created tangible goodwill and understanding that was recognized and appreciated by all those that attended. Doors were opened during Elder Holland’s visit that will greatly bless the lives of many. [1]
London’s Hyde Park Chapel which was rededicated on 30 June 2012, and recently remodeled to function as a church meetinghouse and a visitors’ center for those interested in learning about the Church of Jesus Christ, was also visited by Elder Holland. As he had completed a two-year Mormon mission in Britain during the early 1960s, visiting the Hyde Park Chapel was particularly special for him.
“It is a wonderful memory just to be in this building. … I was in this building when it was dedicated, so my memories in this building and in this mission mean everything to me,” Elder Holland said during his visit. “I go all over this world telling missionaries how much my mission meant to me, and to be home, to be in the land of my mission and in the building where I served so much of it is a very, very special experience.” [1]
He also spent several days in Germany. From 28 February through 1 March 2013, he instructed mission presidents during a seminar held in Frankfurt, Germany. On 2 March, he spoke to members of the Church of Jesus Christ in Berlin, Germany, and participated in an outreach focus group. He concluded his time in Germany on Sunday, 3 March, by speaking to Latter-day Saints from the Leest and Potsdam congregations. He said he thought he was the first member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to visit those congregations and that he felt like home. In his remarks he spoke about the congregations’ importance in the LDS Church’s work, including bolstering missionary numbers and building temples across the world and assured the members that all the work they do is important.
Vivienne Meier, a member of the Potsdam congregation, said she was grateful for Elder Holland’s visit to her congregation.
“I was very surprised when I heard he was coming, but very happy, too,” Meier said. “His message just really touched my heart. … We were all just in a different dimension hearing him speak. We all felt so good and so happy.” [1]
Elder José Teixeira, President of the church in the Europe Area, commented that having Elder Holland in Europe was a special experience for all involved.
“As we traveled throughout Europe with Elder and Sister Holland, we saw the goodness of an Apostle of the Lord,” Elder Teixeira said. “The members of the Leest and Potsdam branches in Germany, in particular, will never forget the blessing it was to have Elder Holland in their midst and the blessings and love he left with them.” [1]
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