Smiles and cheers greeted President Jeffrey R. Holland of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as he served as grand marshal of Utah’s 2025 Days of ’47 Parade. His presence on the parade route brought extra joy and encouragement to many who have followed his journey through a period of serious health challenges.
President Holland rode through downtown Salt Lake City on Pioneer Day, a statewide holiday honoring the arrival of Latter-day Saint pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Reflecting on that legacy, President Holland said, “They did it with vision and perseverance and love.”
“I’m a little emotional about all of this,” he continued. “We’ll have our own perseverance, if you will, to say we’re not going to let those ancestors down. We’re not going to walk away from what they did.”
With characteristic warmth and humor, he added, “I’m okay with the marshal part. I don’t know about the grand, but I’m honored.” He hoped paradegoers would come away “stronger and more committed, more proud, in the appropriate sense. Proud of their ancestors. Proud of what the future holds.”
President Holland’s role in the parade carried a message of resilience and renewed strength, serving as a living tribute to the perseverance he himself praised in the pioneers. “It is little enough for at least one day out of the year to look back and to see them, and then have that be the lens through which we see the future,” he said.
The Days of ’47 Parade honors the sacrifices of tens of thousands of Latter-day Saint pioneers who crossed continents and oceans to settle the West. Between 1847 and 1868, an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 Saints migrated from the United States, Canada, and Europe to Utah and surrounding areas.
Past grand marshals of the parade have included Elders David A. Bednar and D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and former Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham.
President Holland’s appearance this year reminded many that the spirit of perseverance lives on—not only in remembering the past, but in witnessing the faith and strength of today’s leaders.
Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.
