Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,recently visited the African continent. The calling of an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “is to be a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ in all the world.”
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Elder Holland shared this testimony in many settings following his arrival at the end of October 2012. On Saturday, October 21, he conducted a leadership conference at the Bedfordview church centre in Johannesburg. Church priesthood leaders from throughout South Africa’s Gauteng Province gathered for instruction in their callings.
Young single adult members were also blessed by Elder Holland’s humour and straight-forward gospel teaching that Saturday evening at the Bedfordview chapel.
On Sunday 28th October, members of all ages- including families- attended a large conference in Pretroria where Elder Holland presided. The numbers in the congregation were expanded by many visitors anxious to see an apostle.
That Sunday evening, youth from seven regions attended a devotiional at which Elder Holland spoke in the Centurion chapel. Elder Holland expressed his love and encouragement to the youth and young single adults in the church.
Following his visit to South Africa, he travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo for similar meetings and then on to the Central African Republic where his visit made history, being the first ever visit by an Apostle to that land. A special blessing was pronounced on the nation's leaders, the church member and all the people in that country.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was ordained an apostle in 1994. At the time he was serving as President of Brigham Young University, a church university. Elder Holland is a master teacher and speaker who fulfils his calling “to be a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ', in both word and deed.