Benjamin Bitter

If ever there was a life that burned with the fire of testimony, a heart that beat with unfeigned love for the Savior, and a voice that thundered the truths of eternity with tenderness and power, it was the life of our beloved President Jeffrey R. Holland. From the dusty fields of St. George to the sacred pulpits of the world, he walked as a witness—bold, unflinching, yet ever compassionate. He taught us not to quit, not to whine, not to fear the inconvenient trials that discipleship demands. With tears in his eyes and thunder in his soul, he bore down in pure testimony that Jesus is the Christ, that the Book of Mormon is true, that God loves us with all His heart, might, mind, and strength. He faced trials that would have broken lesser men—health challenges that brought him to the very brink—yet he rose, again and again, to declare that there is help and happiness ahead, that blessings come, some soon, some late, but for those who embrace the gospel, they come. He was our teacher, our defender, our friend who loved the Lord with every fiber of his being. And now, having fought the good fight, having finished his course, having kept the faith with passion and eloquence unmatched, he has gone home to that God who gave him life. Oh, how heaven must rejoice! How the angels must cheer for this valiant son who never wavered, never compromised, never ceased to lift and love. We will miss him—desperately, profoundly—but we will not despair. For as he so often taught us, trust God, believe in good things to come. The best is yet to be. Farewell for now, dear President Holland. Thank you for showing us how to live, how to love, how to testify. Until we meet again in that glorious morning of the First Resurrection, we press on—loving, trying, trusting, believing—because you taught us how.