Church historian Matt Grow was accustomed to writing the history of people long after their death, such as Joseph Smith and Parley P. Pratt.
When President Jeffrey R. Holland, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and later quorum president, asked Grow if he would write a biography after the 2023 health crisis, he faced an entirely new challenge.
“I think it’s a great opportunity, but how do we capture the life of someone like him?” Grow said on a recent episode of the Church News podcast. Guest host and biographer of church leaders Sheri Dew also joined the episode. Sheri Dew is executive vice president of Deseret Management Corporation and a past member of the Relief Society General Presidency.
Groh said his primary burden in writing Elder Holland’s biography was to paint an honest and fair picture of President Holland’s “remarkable life” in a way that honored the late apostle.
“But he wouldn’t want any respect shown to him,” Grow said. “He wanted people to know about the Lord Jesus Christ through his life. He wanted people to understand the miracle of his life. He wanted people to understand what his faith had done for him.”
the gift of candor
Grow was inspired to write this biography by interviewing living subjects, rather than sifting through old documents for information as he had done in other projects he had worked on. During the last two and a half years of the Dutch president’s life, the apostle met Grou most Friday mornings for interviews.
“It was really amazing to sit down with him because he was always honest, always open, always vulnerable,” Grow said. “He wanted to share the highlights, the lowlights, the learnings and the life he lived.”
Groh believes the Dutch president’s mental health vulnerabilities were particularly meaningful to many people.
During the podcast episode, Groh referenced President Holland’s October 2013 general conference talk, “Like a Broken Vessel,” in which the apostle shared his own experience with depression.
“I think this story had the power to make church members around the world understand that in a time when so many people are struggling with depression and anxiety, there are people in our culture that we don’t always actively say that we really look up to,” Grow said.
hope in jesus christ
Groh said the Dutch president not only spoke candidly about life’s challenges, but also spoke often about hope.
“Of course, it’s hope for good things that will come into our lives, but it’s a hope centered in Jesus Christ,” Grow said. “I hope that that hope in Jesus Christ will be one of the main things people know about the President of the Netherlands.”
Mr. Groh highlighted President Holland’s hope and resilience, citing a story the Apostle told in his October 1999 general conference talk, “High Priest of Good Things to Come.”
When the Dutch president was a young husband and father, he and his wife packed up their children and belongings and moved across the country. Just 54 miles into the trip, my car broke down. After arduous and time-consuming repairs to the car, the family set out on another cross-continental trip, but the car broke down in the exact same spot, according to President Holland.
Thirty years later, when the President of the Netherlands revisited the place on the highway, he wanted to shout out to his past self: “Don’t give up, kid. Don’t quit. You keep going, you keep trying. There’s help and happiness ahead of you – there’s plenty of it – 30 years have passed and it’s still to come. Keep your chin up. You’ll be okay in the end. Trust God and believe that good things will happen.”
Groh said that was the Dutch president’s missionary message.
“We’re all going to experience these challenges,” Groh said, paraphrasing President Holland. “I believe that good things will happen, and this is the gospel of happy endings.”
A legacy of connections
Mr. Grow said President Holland, a Ph.D. A graduate of Yale University, he was endowed with a “remarkable intellect.” According to Grow, part of that intelligence was the ability to remember people’s names and details of their lives.
In writing his biography, Groh spoke with nearly 60 people in addition to the Dutch president.
“The common theme was people saying, ‘I felt like I was his best friend,'” Grow said. “He made people feel that way. And that’s a gift.”
According to Groh, one of President Holland’s most cherished relationships was with his wife, Sister Patricia T. Holland.
The historian said that while President Holland was president of Brigham Young University, he was famous for holding a joint devotional with Sister Holland, which eventually became known as “The Jeff and Pat Show.”
Once again, Grou said the choice was due to the generosity of the Dutch president.
“He wanted everyone to see this couple in the stands. He openly said they had a fun interaction, even though they were sometimes irritated with each other. But underneath it all was their love for each other and the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
