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My dear brothers and sisters from around the world, I'm thrilled that for today's Family Discovery Day at RootsTech. Sister Holland and I have the chance to help you discover our Homeland in beautiful southern Utah. From the Red Rocks of Snow Canyon to the Narrows of Zion National Park, from the majestic trees of Pine Valley Mountain to the early pioneer temple of St. George, this little corner of heaven on earth was the world of our childhood. Both Pat and I were born in the southwest corner of the state just 35 miles and one year apart from each other. We were raised in these beautiful settings. Met each other in high school. And after a courtship that included missions and music, we married in that historic St. George temple, not very far from this very spot. You know, we're getting a little older now. Well, I'm getting a little older. Sister Holland is as young and radiant and beautiful as ever. And with our busy lives, it's increasingly difficult to visit these places that means so much to us, but we try. And we want to encourage all of you to stay close to your homelands and the various locations that have meaning to you. We need to connect to those scenes that provided the backdrop for our lives when we were children, when we were going through those volcanic teenage years, as well as our young married years, right up to the situation you find yourselves in now. Take photos. That's easy now with almost every cell phone. And keep journals, even if it's only highlights of current family experiences or stories from the family's past. Or record anything else that connects us to each other and to the past and to the present. Doing so will prove to be a blessing to you, to your families, and those who come after you. Elder Holland and I recently visited my hometown of Enterprise, Utah, where four generations of my family once lived. Enterprise was a small town of only a few thousand people when I was growing up. And everyone knew everyone else, partly because we were all related. There were only half a dozen founding families in the little community. So girls married the boys next door. Soon enough, there was a network of family relationships that made my childhood only close in terms of community life but also close in terms of aunts, uncles, and all kinds of cousins. That made me feel secure and safe as I started life's journey. We were one big, loving, happy family. Let me share a story that I still cherish from my childhood. Part of my ancestral line comes from the barren and interlocking regions of Switzerland. Surely there's no greener nor more beautiful scenes in all of the world than those in Switzerland. Well, after my ancestors joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they immigrated to America's rugged West where there certainly was no discernible connection to Switzerland. This area of southern Utah was largely uninhabited, and there was scarcely a tree of any kind growing in what was eventually to become the little town of Enterprise. Can you imagine the disappointment of those settlers comparing this arid, rough desert land with the stunning beauty of the Swiss countryside? Well, my great-grandmother Bertha Smoots Barlocker was determined to do something about it. She planted a little row of fir trees around their little church meetinghouse. And every day she carried by hand several buckets of water to nourish and encourage those little trees. My mother, who was then just a little girl, often walked with her grandmother on that daily journey. One day, a well-meaning neighbor said to my great-grandmother "Bertha, why do you waste your time carrying water to those trees? They will never amount to anything. Certainly you will never live to see them grow at all." My grandmother turned on this neighbor, and with all five feet of her height said, "Maybe I won't live to see them grow at all, but this little girl will." And she pointed to my mother. Well, my mother did see them grow. And so did I. I went to church, played with my friends, and had picnics with my family under the shade of those beautiful trees my great grandmother had planted and watered. Now my children and my grandchildren have played and had picnics under those same trees. And so the story goes on. Whether it is trees to remind us of our native land or stories that tell us of our ancestors or photos that show us how things were when we were young, these are all ways we tie ourselves to our heritage, ways we bind ourselves to those who must not be forgotten. The nice thing about a story like that, which I dearly love, is that it becomes my story, too. With my marriage to Pat, I automatically get a tie to her ancestors and their lives, in addition to my own. There's a multiplier effect in family history that is absolutely wonderful. In terms of my own family, I have one line of first-generation converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one line of long multi-generational pioneers who joined the Church very early in its history. This combination of pioneer ancestry on one side and a first-generation convert family on the other makes it very easy for me to identify with virtually everyone who tells me of their heritage. We only have to visit briefly before learning that some aspect of their family's story is exactly like mine. Now to make sure you have no confusion about my name, I must confess that I am not Dutch. It would surprise you how many people assume that because my name is Holland, I must be from the Netherlands. I do love the Dutch people, but my Holland ancestors are 100 percent Irish. Here's a painting of my great-grandmother's home in County Cork, Ireland. You can see that it hangs in a prominent place in our living room in Salt Lake City, Utah. And this is a painting of Pat's great-grandfather's ranch house in the mountains outside of Enterprise. It hangs in our summer home in Midway, Utah. I commissioned the painting of this scene and then gave it to Pat for our anniversary one year. I think I have never given her a gift that has mattered more to her than this one. We feel it's important to celebrate these scenes from our ancestors lives and the tie that gives us to those earlier generations. It also provides us many opportunities to tell our children, and now our grandchildren, the stories of those early members of our family as they see pictures like these displayed in our home along with other memorabilia. We are so delighted that our children Matthew, Mary-Alice, and David joined us here in St. George. We spent the day driving around the favorite spots in the city, reminiscing about our growing-up years here. And now we would like to share some of those memories with you. [MUSIC PLAYING]

We've heard you talk about what St. George was like as a kid. And none of this on this east side of town was here, right? What was the town like? The last home and last side of any civilization I knew was about a half a mile west of where we are right now. But this was sagebrush and sandstone when I was young. But there was nothing, literally anything. First golf course was the little Red Hills Course at the point of the Red Hill to the West. The backbone of tourism. And that's where you developed your early love of the game. Yes. Yes. Yes. I have golfed perhaps three times in my life and have the distinct honor of throwing clubs farther than I hit a ball. So I did not have the patience for golf. By the sixth hole, I was fit to be tied. I wanted to go home. [LAUGHTER]

Pat, why don't you talk about your home here. My parents moved to St. George when I was 15 going on 16 and built this home. That's where I grew up. That's where I spent my high school years. And that's where we lived when I first dated my husband. What was it like moving here? Because you had grown up in Enterprise, which is such a small town. St. George looked like New York City to me. And I was terrified, actually. In our dating years, I spent more time here than home. But I had a little challenge with Pat's dad because I always parked in the driveway when he wanted to either get in or get out. And it wasn't a big driveway. But I thought driveways are where you parked, and so that's what I did. And he didn't ever say much to me, but he would say to his daughter, you tell that knot-head that if he parks in the driveway and blocks my car one more time, I'm going to let the air out of his tires. He didn't ever--he didn't ever say anything to me. He did actually call you a knot-head. [LAUGHTER] [MUSIC PLAYING]

Here's my chapel, my ward meetinghouse This is my home that I grew up in every day of my life until I left on a mission, 19 years. This was the living room, which seems very tiny. And this was the dining room, which also seems tiny. My bedroom was right there on the left. My father built this house with his own hands. My only contribution to building the home is working with my father and my mother in the basement level. And I, being very helpful, picked up a brick and chucked it onto her head down below. They sweetly encouraged me to perhaps not contribute, not to help. My parents loved Pat.

They--I would have had no choice in this world, not in this world, to marry anybody but her. I'd have been cast out of this house. I'd have been sent as a raggamuffin into the street. I wouldn't have even been given a sandwich if I hadn't married Pat. Because my parents were so absolutely crazy about her. And she about them. Because grandpa had passed by the time I was a toddler, I associate this home with grandma. Yes. Right. This is very much Grandma Holland's space. That's it. What I remember is at night lying in her room and hearing her tell stories about her parents and her grandparents and her great-grandparents. And she kept that legacy of faith and hope and love alive through this commitment to family history and through this dedication to the stories that she knew would shape the life of her grandson, who was growing up in a very different world than the one she was describing to me. That is something that we all need to do a lot more of: tell those stories and keep those traditions alive and those memories, against whatever might be different for the next generation. Can we buy some flowers and take them to the cemetery today? Yeah, I have some for you. Good. Oh, thank you. Oh, they're gorgeous. My wife, yellow roses. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my goodness. Yellow roses. How did you know? [MUSIC PLAYING]

This is the cemetery--the city cemetery, where a lot of your ancestors are buried, that first generation. This is my parents. My little brother is here. Scott, for whom Matt is named--a middle name. He died at three months. One of the great, great, great blessings of the gospel is I have every confidence, every assurance, couldn't be more sure of anything in the world than that I will know him again.

I'm confident that we'll all have get acquainted time with those we've lost. [MUSIC PLAYING]

This is the Vernon Worthen Park, now named the Vernon Worthen, our school principal, but when I grew up was just the City Park.

Here's the legendary, beautiful St. George temple. And your mother and I were sealed here. I was endowed here before my mission. I was endowed here. And you were endowed here. And Matt and Paige were sealed here. Six generations on mom's side. Was it? Yeah.

Here's the old Dixie Academy, where I went--where your mother and I went to college and high school. I remember vividly--I mean vividly--the day that we--it was probably the first day or two school of that term. But I was in the 10th grade, and we heard that there was a new ninth grader, freshman. This beautiful, beautiful girl from Enterprise, Utah had moved here. Her name was Patricia Terry. And the word went out that this beautiful, beautiful girl was here. And I didn't think I stood a chance to know her, or date her, or whatever. I was really quite shy. And so-- You were never shy. So-- And I have to just interrupt right here that I remember our meeting each other quite differently than you have just heard him tell. School had been going for maybe three or four weeks before my parents had moved. And I remember the day that my father brought me to Woodward. This school looked huge to me after the little tiny little school I had attended in Enterprise. And the first person I think that saw me--or he and his friend started out right then and there to tease me. You went about this courting exactly the wrong way. Did all the wrong things. I never tease you.

And all the girls were in love with him. Oh, my. And he was-- [LAUGHING]

And I remember I had been here only a few months when I wrote a letter back to my cousin, who lived in Enterprise, saying, "I met that this boy named Jeff Holland. And he's the most overly confident, obnoxious person I've ever met. And I don't like him at all, but I have a deep feeling someday I'm going to marry him." Well, and that's true. [LAUGHTER]

One of the great fun things that we did at this old school was that instead of using the lunch money our parents gave us to buy a nice, healthy lunch, we--at at lunchtime we would go over to Judd's Store where we filled ourselves up with-- Sugar. Sugar. Exactly. Sugar. Soda pop. Candy bars. Whatever we could find. And the whole--I mean, that little store over there was just packed with teenagers. Oh, it was a great time. Should we go over to Judd's Store? Let's get some sugar. OK. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Was it just like this? Yeah. Well, more or less. There was a counter here. There was a counter over here and a counter over here. No soda fountain. Are you kids going to get treats? Grandpa's buying. Load up. This is your chance. These are my grandkids. Are they really? Yeah. Well, my kids and my grandkids. Some of them. Some of them. They couldn't all be here. So-- I think one of the [INAUDIBLE]. Yeah. [LAUGHTER] Yeah. It's only been three years.

We're talking about ties, connections, and working at it. Keep doing the things that make that. You kids are so good. I want to pay you the compliment. You kids have just been great with each other and for each other. And that's what families are about. When push comes to shove, when you're in difficulty in this world, you have three things: you have your faith, you have your friends, and you have your family. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Yesterday was such a fun day for me. And I'm sure Matt and Duff felt the same. Sometimes people would ask me where I'm from. And I would think, well, is it Bountiful or is it Provo? Or places I have lived a long time with my family? And St. George always comes to the forefront, even though we never technically lived here. And it's because it was always the one constant in our life from the time we were kids till even really now. It was the one place that stayed the same, that we always came back to. In fact, sitting around this table reminds me one of my favorite memories is the day that you told us we were going to have some really special people for dinner. And you had made a big--I don't know if you guys remember this. We were young. Yeah. We were very young. [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER]

I think this would be one of my earlier memories about us having--that you were having some very special people for dinner. And we've grown up with you always knowing very special people and being excited. And dad took us out in the car to go pick up these special people. And we didn't know who they were going to be. And we drove around. And then we came back home without the special people. And then you said, "You're our most special people. You're the most important people that we know." I think important was the word. And I have never forgotten that. And that kind of love and identity builds a security, I think, in a child that can't be--that can't be matched. So that's something I know I've always tried to pass on to my own children and make sure they know that they're my most important people. And they're my best friends. And there's no one else I'd rather be with on this earth than them. And that's true, your phrase right there, that we would have rather have been with you than anybody we knew. Well, you always said that. And somehow we believed it. That wasn't put on. That was genuine. That was our choice. It was really our choice. I remember vividly driving down I-15 past those refineries that are there by North Salt Lake, and you saying, "Duff, read us a scripture. I think we could both use it." And there was a little blue soft-cover edition of the Book of Mormon in the little pocket of the car doors. There always seemed to be. And I reached down and picked it up and opened, serendipitously, to the Book of Enos, about fathers and sons and legacies of faith and coming to understand God's promise. And I opened up to verse twelve. And it said that God would answer our prayers because we prayed with faith. And I remember that feeling in the car and recognizing that you felt an answer to your prayer in that moment. And I felt an answer to my prayer in that moment. And we were functioning at such different levels. I mean, you were worried about global things, eternal things. I was trying to make a sophomore football team. But to our Heavenly Father, those prayers were of equal weight. He cared about both of us at that place where we were. And your call to me, your commitment to encourage me to seek the Lord's counsel in scripture and to believe in answered prayers wherever we are on our journey of maturation and development and faith, that the Lord was there to hear us. That moment in that car passing that refinery has been an anchor point to me for the rest of my life. I can remember that as vividly as it was yesterday. I didn't know that you could, but I can. Because I can remember the look on your face. I was consumed with my concern. I didn't think you had a concern in the world. You didn't act like it. But I was--that was a tough, difficult time for me. But I remember you reading that verse, looking up, not at me, not at me, you looked up and looked out of those--straight ahead out of the window--the windshield, looking forward. And I think you said, "I needed that." And it just knocked me to the side of the head, thinking, "What on earth did he need?" You know, I thought it was an answer to my prayer. When I was going through a moment of kind of developmental crisis and then challenge. I was a teenager. We had come from Bountiful back to Provo. And I was just starting high school. And it kind of broke my confidence. And all of a sudden, my athletic dreams, my social dreams, my academic dreams just seemed to be going out the door. And I remember as long as I live I could just see the scene, sitting on the edge of my bed, just depressed.

And my mom came in. And it was time for bed. And she sat there and asked me what was going on. And we talked, and I opened up and told her all the things that I hated about my new life. And she grabbed the scriptures that were at the edge of my bed, in part because she had--the two of you had taught me to read my scriptures. But they were there, but I don't know how much they really meant to me at that point. And she said, Matthew, I want to read you a scripture. And she turned open to Matthew chapter 6. And she prefaced it, looked at me, and said, I know you want friends. I know you want to do well in school. I know you want to do great in athletics. But remember this verse, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

You looked at me and you promised me that life would work out. But just remember, as important as school is and friends and athletics, it's not as important as the kingdom of God. And put that first in your life, and all the other things in your life will fall into place. Now that was a turning point in my life. I don't know that I was necessarily set to go off the deep end, but my life was sort of here. And in one night, it went there because of that exchange with a mother. And it wasn't just an exchange with a mother. Because as my mother was testifying to me of it, my father was living it. I think one of the beautiful things that mom did--people ask me and, I'm sure you sometimes, how did your parents help you gain testimonies? How have they kept your family strong in the gospel? And both of you have done it in different ways that complement each other perfectly. But one of mom's strengths in particular has been--and Matt just perfectly illustrated it through scripture, has been in helping us find our own answers from God. And I'm eternally grateful for that. I mean, they make it sound like I'm superwoman. I'm not. As Matt quoted that scripture, my mother quoted that to me. And I--and they also taught me the gospel and to put the Kingdom first. So I had that faith given to me by my mother. And that's how we got through. You may wonder why we're in this room.

We've chosen to be here for this little period of reminiscence. This is the office that was built next door to Brigham Young's winter home. And it became the office setting for the transcription of the endowment ceremony that would go to the St. George temple. But it's even more important to me that the work of Pat and Jeff Holland, and Matt and Mary-Alice and David Holland, that their work and their ordinances were done in effect in the St. George temple. And that our marriage and our sealing means that we have you forever. When I look at you, and with such immense pride, the one great sin I will pay for. I will stand accountable before God for the pride I have in my children. But I'm willing. I'm willing to suffer that because it's so genuine. [MUSIC PLAYING]

It has been a thrill to visit these scenes of our childhood and the settings of the beginning of our life together. But the most important thrilling part about this is that our children have been with us for this journey. Now don't be fooled by what you've seen today. No family is perfect. And certainly, life hasn't spared ours its moments of grief and pain and trial. But maybe in spite of that, or even because of that, those moments have forged even stronger ties as we unitedly relied on each other and on the Lord. We know there are many of you who, for whatever reason, struggle with the idea of what is often termed the traditional family, or the perfect family. Perhaps abuse has darkened the brightness of what might have been a celestial home. Perhaps divorce has left you on your own, searching for answers about the past and protection for the future. Perhaps you're prayerfully and patiently still waiting for the blessing of being united to your own eternal companion or having children you cannot yet bear. For our faithful LGBT friends, perhaps your heart and mind are struggling to find hope and peace, your place in the eternal picture. Please, all of you, know this, we see all of you, and we love all of you. If you will be faithful and keep your covenants with the Lord, I promise you that every opportunity and every blessing enjoyed by others will be afforded to you in the Lord's divine timetable. And I mean every opportunity and every blessing. No matter when in the unfolding of our eternal lives those future blessings are given to you, you are now and you will be then part of a family. Now try if you can, and I know you can, avoid getting tripped up by the phrase traditional family. And instead replace it with a phrase like eternal family. With an eternal perspective comes understanding that we are all part of one big family, the family of God. That is why we call each other brother and sister. Imagine a world where people understood our true family tie to one another. What civility would we cultivate? What division would we avoid? What love would we let warm our devotion and divine connection to one another? Now hear me out on this crucial point. I promise you that it is engaging in our personal family history and the temple experience it leads to that we discover the reality of our eternal relationship as brothers and sisters in the family of God. That great realization can repair family rifts, if there be any. It can heal bruised hearts, if there be any. And it can unify otherwise strained relationships, if there be any, all in an undeniably powerful way. If we understood this truth, how we would treat one another differently, how we would lift up hands that hang down and strengthen feeble knees. Let's not just call each other brother and sister; let's show one another what it means when we realize we are one big eternal family. That will change overnight many of the thoughts, and the deeds, and our actions. We are missing the mark if when we tap into our family roots we fail to recognize our divine roots, our foundation, and our connection to our Father in Heaven. He loves us. He worries about us. And He hopes we will listen to the counsel He wishes to give us. Bonds, ties, connections, eternity--I love thinking that my husband, and I, and our children are safe in Heavenly Father's arms forever if we keep His commitments and truly desire that blessing. While we were here in St. George, Elder Holland had the opportunity to visit a building that meant so much to him as a young boy, a setting where the beginnings of his faith and his understanding of our Father in Heaven took root. [MUSIC PLAYING]

This building, the St. George tabernacle, was built by pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. It was my ward meetinghouse for the first 12 or so years of my life. I was named and blessed as a baby in this building with my mother and father still arguing about what my name was to be as they came up those front steps to enter the service. I attended junior Sunday School and primary just one floor below where we now sit, where my mother was for many years the director of that junior Sunday School program. I was interviewed by my father for ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood in a chat held on a bench located just to the right of me here in this building. I passed the sacrament for the first time, nervously sitting on the front row of this facility to do so. Years later, at that same pulpit at the front of the building, I was extemporaneously called on in a stake conference to report on my mission to England from which I had then just returned. So much of who I am and what I cherish has to do with family, friends, and life shaping experiences. And this tabernacle stands as a symbol and a reminder of those cherished experiences. We speak of connections, connection to places such as this, this building, and settings of our ancestors, and our younger years. We speak of the connection to family members, and our divine connection to one another. And there's one connection most important of all, our connection to God, our Father in Heaven. This very setting is where for me an understanding of that irrefutable tie to God began to grow in my young heart. I've learned over the years since then that when you attend to that connection to God first, all other connections fall into place. Then, and really only then, you find your true place and your eternal belonging. Here's another promise to you. I promise that the closer you get to God the more you will want to be with Him and to be like Him. That will include understanding His love and His greatest desire. Namely, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all His children. That great work of exaltation can also be our work. And speaking specifically of family history and temple experience, the more we engage in gathering all of God's children on both sides of the veil, the closer we get to God. My role in this work has evolved over the course of my life. I didn't know all of this when I first passed that sacrament or went to the temple prior to my mission. But I've seen my relationship with my Father in Heaven grow. And I've witnessed the miracles that can come when we take part in His divine mission. As a young boy, I witnessed my father return to activity in the Church. My world expanded as I eagerly stepped off the plane as a missionary in England. As a young and admittedly overwhelmed father, I saw with new eyes the way our Father in Heaven must view us. And I yearned to do my best to help my three children set out on the right path. An unexpected apostolic call put my dear wife and me on a journey that has taken us, this little couple from southern Utah, to the ends of the earth. And it's opened our eyes to how God sees the global population as one family, His family. This mighty work of salvation is moving forward as we are connecting, and binding, and linking all of God's children to each other on both sides of the veil. And we all have a role to play. Any of you who engage in family history and temple work are in essence showing our Father in heaven that you care about Him, about His family and His purposes. As you forge a bond with your Father in Heaven, He will forge a bond with you. He will speak to you. And He will help you see the part you play in His eternal work. You've experienced this already. You've often felt the veil thin as His Spirit has guided you to those needing the blessings of His only ordinances. Now I know there are probably many of you sweltering in the scorching guilt of being unprofitable servants in this particular work of the Lord. Believe me, on occasion, I've felt that same heat. We all have. But consider this, we are not unprofitable servants because we failed. We haven't failed. The Lord knows the desires of our heart. And the truth is, no matter what little we may feel we've been able to accomplish, our loving Father in Heaven blesses us with a disproportionate number of blessings anyway. That's right. You get credit for trying. That is the true nature of our Father in Heaven. Your efforts in this great work are recorded by the angels in heaven. What a reunion you will have with your eternal brothers and sisters who see you as their saviors on Mount Zion. Because you opened the door for them to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. If the Savior of the world can use little, old Jeff Holland from little, old St. George, Utah, to accomplish His work, He can and He certainly will use you. Please join the ranks. Seek Him. Take part in this work, however you can. As you do, I promise that you will find your own place in the family of God. The reality of your connection to Him and to others will sink deep into your heart and into your mind. That knowledge will change you. Perhaps dramatically change you as you become ever closer to Him and ever more like you. [MUSIC PLAYING]

My dear brothers and sisters, Elder Holland and I thank you for joining us here in southern Utah for what has been for us a memorable family discovery day. Our prayer is that you've discovered something during your time with us, something that can strengthen the ties and connections you have to your homeland and your ancestors, bonds that unite you more firmly with your brothers and sisters in the family of God, and ultimately with your Father in Heaven Himself. I testify of the reality of our Father in Heaven, of the reality of that connection and that love for us. I testify of the greatest gifts that's ever been given, the gift that Father gave of a Son, of our brother. And the equal gift and consecrated gift and atoning gift that that son gave for us, His brothers and sisters. Of that marvelous gospel truth and the power and promise of eternity, all in a family relationship, I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. [MUSIC PLAYING]

(SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH]

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(SINGING) has given me an earthly home. (SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH]

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(SINGING) I am a child of God. (SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH]

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(SINGING) Before it grows too late. (SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH]

(SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH] (SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH] (SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH] (SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH]

(SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH] (SINGING) If I bought learn to do His will. (SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH] (SINGING) [NON-ENGLISH]

(SINGING) Teach me all that I must do to live with Him someday.

(SINGING) Teach me all that I must do. (SINGING) To live with Him someday.