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Mostly True Stories

Elder Holland put me in a headlock

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“There will be a temple in Mongolia.”

I was on assignment in Asia, with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I was conducting an interview with him in the capital city of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, when he made the statement, “there will be a temple in Mongolia.” It took my breath away. The nearest Latter-day Saint temple was in Hong Kong, eighteen hundred miles away by air and nearly twenty-one hundred miles by car. It was a long and expensive journey for the Saints in Mongolia.

At this time, the LDS Church in Mongolia was small, but growing. To think that the Church would build a temple in such a far away country from Salt Lake City was practically unimaginable. Yet, Elder Holland had just said it. I could barely believe it.

The restored gospel of Jesus Christ was moving throughout the world like the stone cut out of the mountain without hands prophesied by Daniel, thousands of years ago. I could literally see it. Elder Holland, as an Apostle of Jesus Christ was doing it. I was filming it. Amazing.

The next day, as I was preparing to do more filming in the city, Elder Holland approached me with his typical big friendly smile.

“How are you today, James?”

“A little tired, but great,” I replied.

“Walk with me,” he said.

Hmmm. This was a little unusual. As we walked, he put his arm around my shoulder.

“You realize that it is the prerogative of the First Presidency to announce temples.”

I nodded. He pulled me closer.

“Yesterday, when I said that there would be a temple in Mongolia, I was not announcing a temple in Mongolia.”

I nodded again. We stopped walking.

HE PUT ME IN A HEADLOCK.

“I’ve been in trouble with the First Presidency before and I don’t want to be in trouble with them again.”

I tried to nod, but my head was pressed against his chest and I could barely move.

“Do not use my quote about a temple in Ulaanbaatar.”

He let me go, but put both hands on my shoulders. He smiled. He has such a warm, friendly smile. I smiled back a little disoriented.

“And,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye, “do not tell this story until after the First Presidency has announced a temple in Mongolia.”

On October 1, 2023, during general conference, President Russel M. Nelson, in fulfillment of prophecy, announced that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be building a temple in Ulaanbaatar. I smiled as I thought of my own personal Apostolic headlock preceding the announcement.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died on Saturday, December 27, 2025. He was 85 years-old and served as an Apostle for over 30 years.

I had the privilege to travel the world and rub shoulders, literally, with Elder Holland, while documenting his ministry and the growth of the Church.

I am forever blessed by his goodness and his kindness. For a brief moment, I was pressed against his chest in a friendly headlock and I could hear and feel his heart beating. In retrospect, that moment was far too brief, for his heart no longer beats here in mortality.

Nevertheless, through my association with him in documenting his ministry, I learned, first hand, of the goodness of his magnificent heart and I can still hear and feel his powerful witness and undying love for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Mostly True Stories, People

That Time I Filmed Thomas Monson in his Office

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I got the phone call about 7:30 am. I was in my car, on my way to work.

“Hey, we need you to come to President Monson’s office in an hour and film him for the Tab Choir’s new Youtube Channel.”

“Uh…okay.” I knew why they called me. I’d been filming the Apostle’s as they traveled and doing stories for LDS.org.

“What do you want me to bring?”

“I don’t know. Keep it simple. You only have a few minutes with him.”

I called a cameraman friend of mine and a sound man.

The phone rang again.

“You should probably have someone there to do makeup.”

I called a makeup artist.

The phone rang again.

“Are you bringing lights? You should bring lights. But remember, keep it simple.”

I called a lighting guy.

Again, the phone rang. “Oh, and, you’ll need a teleprompter. President Monson likes to read from a teleprompter.”

“Sure. Keep it simple,” I said.

“That’s why we called you.”

“Thanks.” It wasn’t simple.

We met at the entrance to the Church Administration Building dressed in our Sunday best–all six of us and our gear.

The phone at the front desk rang. The security guy nodded. We proceeded through the automatic doors, down a long hallway and up the elevator to President Monson’s office. I went in while the crew waited in the hallway. President Monson’s secretary greeted me with a smile.

“Welcome,” she said. “Come in. President Monson is expecting you.”

“Thank you. It will just take us about 15 minutes to set up.”

“Us?” She wasn’t expecting us.

“The crew” I said. “Lights, camera, sound, you know.”

“No. I don’t know,” she said, not smiling.

“We’ll be fast,” I said.

I opened the outer door and the crew clamored in. She opened President Monson’s door, deep lines creasing her forehead.

President Monson was seated behind his desk, smiling.

“Come in. Come in.” I went around the desk and shook his hand, while the crew set up.

“President Monson, thank you for letting us come in and film you this morning.”

“Of course. What are we filming today?”

Apparently, no one had told the Prophet what this was about.

“Well…”

I could feel the crew pause and look at me. I kneeled down next to the Prophet’s chair to explain, while they went back to work.

“The Tabernacle Choir is introducing a new youtube channel and they wanted you to introduce it.”

“Wonderful,” President Monson said. “What’s youtube?”

President Monson’s secretary was standing in the doorway. I looked up at her and she glared at me. I looked at President Monson. His eye twinkled and he chuckled, “What do you want me to say?”

I breathed a sigh of relief, “It’s right here on the prompter, President.”

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

We did it. President Monson was perfect. One take.

As we packed up our equipment, President Monson’s secretary hovered in the doorway, occasionally glaring at us. As we finished packing up, President Monson stood up and walked around his desk. He shook each of our hands.

His secretary, now smiling with anticipation of our departure, watched from the doorway. As President Monson shook my hand, he said, “You know, I don’t have any place I need to be right now. Why don’t you sit down and let’s just chat.”

What?

President Monson guided me  over to a plush seat by his desk.

Chat? With the Prophet?

Out of the corner of my eye I could see his secretary shaking her head. NO.  Her forehead creases were growing deeper and her face was getting red.

“Make yourself comfortable,” President Monson said, and the rest of my crew sat down.

“What do you suppose an Apostle has in his desk drawer?” President Monson asked as he sat back down.

“I…”

“Scriptures,” one of my crew said.

“Good guess,” President Monson said. “But, I keep those on top of my desk.”  He opened the desk drawer and pulled out a plastic container. He placed it on the desk and opened it.

“Flies,” he said. “I tied ’em myself.”

For the next little while, President Monson told us stories about fishing on the Provo River when he was a boy. He laughed and we laughed. It was amazing. He was just like our Grandfather. He loved us, he loved having us visit and he loved telling stories.

His secretary COUGHED. Maybe she was choking. Her face had gone from red to purple. She burst into the room with clenched fists.

“President Monson, you do have somewhere you need to be, and these men NEED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.

I looked back to President Monson. He chuckled and winked.  “I didn’t want to go to that meeting anyway.”

I have thought often about that day with President Monson. It was good to know that the Prophet was just like my Grandfather, who, I believe, also knew the Lord.

I look forward to seeing them both, again.

President Thomas S Monson: 1927 – 2018