From the Last General Conference Address of President Jeffrey R. Holland, October 2025
MIT8 — “And Now I See”
From President Jeffrey R. Holland, Oct 2025 General Conference
Excerpt
“Whereas I was blind, now I see.”
John 9:25
Intro
On December 27, 2025, while I was inside the Los Angeles Temple performing proxy endowment work, President Jeffrey R. Holland passed away.
As I later reflected on his final General Conference message, my thoughts returned not to sentiment, but to scripture — to the blind man healed by the Savior, and to the simple, unmistakable declaration that became the heart of Elder Holland’s witness:
“And now I see.”
Notes from President Jeffrey R. Holland
President Holland anchored his message in John chapter 9, where Jesus and His disciples encounter a man blind from birth. When the disciples asked complicated questions about blame and cause, the Savior answered not with theory, but with action.
He spat on the ground, made clay, anointed the man’s eyes, and sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man obeyed. He returned seeing.
When challenged by those who opposed Jesus, the healed man bore a witness rooted not in argument, but in experience:
“Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”
President Holland emphasized that evidence matters — lived truth over accusation, obedience over debate.
Perspective (Direct Quotes)
Scripture — John 9:25
“Whereas I was blind, now I see.”
President Jeffrey R. Holland:
“So what if the answers to our prayers come in plain or convoluted ways? Are we willing to persevere, to keep trying to live Christ’s gospel no matter how much spit and clay it takes? It may not always be clear to us what is being done or why, and from time to time, we will all feel a little like the senior sister who said, ‘Lord, how about a blessing that isn’t in disguise?’”
President Jeffrey R. Holland:
“My first sight-giving, life-giving encounter with real evidence of truth did not come with anointing clay or in the pool of Siloam. No, the instrument of truth that brought my healing from the Lord came as pages in a book, yes, the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ! The claims about this book have been attacked and dismissed by some unbelievers, the anger often matching the vitriol of those who told the healed man that he could not possibly have experienced what he knew he had experienced.”
Practice (Today, Not Someday)
Today’s practice is obedience without full explanation.
It is accepting that the Savior may heal us through methods that seem plain, uncomfortable, or disguised.
It is choosing to wash in the pool when instructed — even when we do not yet understand the why.
Faith is not demanding better ingredients.
Faith is trusting the Healer.
Final Reflection
President Holland taught that God’s power is not diminished by simple instruments.
Spit and dirt.
Clay and water.
A book of scripture.
What matters is not the method, but the obedience — and the courage to testify afterward.
Inside the temple that day, I felt again the quiet power of a witness earned through experience, not argument:
Whereas I was blind, now I see.
Pocket I’m Keeping
“Are we willing to persevere, no matter how much spit and clay it takes?”
What I Hear Now
The Savior does not always heal in ways that impress the crowd.
But He always heals in ways that change the soul.
Link to the Talk
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/10/41holland?lang=eng
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