Heber C. Kimball

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heber C. Kimball
Heber Chase Kimball-2.png
First Counselor in the First Presidency
December 27, 1847 (1847-12-27) – June 22, 1868 (1868-06-22)
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
February 14, 1835 (1835-02-14) – December 27, 1847 (1847-12-27)
End reasonCalled as First Counselor in the First Presidency
LDS Church Apostle
February 14, 1835 (1835-02-14) – June 22, 1868 (1868-06-22)
ReasonInitial organization of Quorum of the Twelve
Reorganization
at end of term		No apostles ordained[1]
Personal details
BornHeber Chase Kimball
(1801-06-14)June 14, 1801
Sheldon, Vermont, U.S.
DiedJune 22, 1868(1868-06-22) (aged 67)
Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, U.S.
Signature 
Heber Chase Kimball signature.JPG

Heber Chase Kimball (June 14, 1801 – June 22, 1868)[3] was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Church of the Latter Day Saints, and as first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more than two decades, from 1847 until his death.

Agreeing to take on plural marriage, then part of church doctrine, Kimball eventually married 43 women, but some relationships were for caretaking. He had a total of 66 children by 17 of his wives.

Early life[]

Heber Chase Kimball was born in Sheldon, Franklin County, Vermont on June 14, 1801.[4] He was a descendant of the Kimball immigrants to Massachusetts from England in 1634. He was named after judge Heber Chase, who had helped the family in their efforts to settle in the area.[citation needed] His father, Solomon F. Kimball, worked as a blacksmith and maintained a farm.[4] Due to the embargo on trade with Britain preceding the War of 1812, his father lost his investments and the family moved into western New York. They settled in West Bloomfield, New York, Ontario County, around 1811.

Education and training[]

Kimball's first wife, Vilate Murray[5]

Kimball left school at age 14,[citation needed] trained as a blacksmith and potter,[4] and moved with his brother in about 1820 to Mendon, Monroe County, New York.[citation needed] There, he married his first wife, Vilate Murray, in November of 1822.[4]

After purchasing his brother's pottery business, for the next 10 years he carried out his trades. He acquired five and a half acres (22,000 m²) of land, built a house and a barn, and planted an orchard.

Masonry[]

See also: Mormonism and Freemasonry

In 1823, Kimball received the three craft degrees of Freemasonry in the lodge at , Ontario County, New York. In 1824, he sent a petition to the chapter at Canandaigua, New York, to receive the York Rite degrees of Royal Arch Masonry. His petition was accepted, although, as he reported, Anti-Masons had burned down the chapter building in Canandaigua. Many years later, Kimball reminisced of his New York masonic experiences and stated: "I wish that all men were masons and would live up to their profession, then the world would be in a much better state than it is now."[6]

When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established itself in Nauvoo, Illinois, Kimball was one of the original petitioners to establish a Freemasonry lodge there. He served as Nauvoo Lodge U.D.'s first Junior Deacon. He remained active in Freemasonry throughout his stay in Nauvoo, but was not active once he moved to Utah Territory. There was no lodge in Utah in his lifetime that would admit Mormons.[7]

Early family life[]

Several of Kimball's close family members died of tuberculosis within a few years: his mother in February 1824, his father in the spring of 1826, followed by his brother Charles C. and his brother's wife shortly thereafter.

His son William Henry was born in Mendon, April 10, 1826; he was Kimball's first child to survive infancy. His daughter Helen Mar was born August 22, 1828. She was the only daughter to survive.

Signs in the heavens[]

Kimball claims to have witnessed a miraculous event on September 22, 1827. According to his autobiography, he subsequently learned that it "took place the same evening that Joseph Smith received the records of the Book of Mormon from the Angel Moroni." He had seen "a white smoke" arising on the horizon, growing "clear and transparent of a bluish cast" to reveal an army on the move "in platoons":

We could see distinctly the muskets, bayonets, and knapsacks of the men, who wore caps and feathers like those used by the American soldiers in the last war with Britain; also their officers with their swords and equipage, and heard the clashing and jingling of their instruments of war and could discover the form and features of the men. The most profound order existed throughout the entire army, when the foremost man stepped, every man stepped at the same time: I could hear the step. When the front rank reached the Western horizon a battle ensued, as we could distinctly hear the report of the arms and the rush. No man could judge of my feelings when I beheld that army of men, as plainly as I ever saw armies of men in the flesh it seemed as though every hair of my head was alive. This scenery was gazed upon for hours, until it began to disappear.[8]

Joining the Latter Day Saint movement[]

While in New York, Kimball joined the local Baptist Church and was eventually baptized. Three weeks later, three elders from The Church of Christ, the original name of the Latter Day Saint church founded by Joseph Smith, visited the house of his friend, Phineas Young.[4] Kimball visited the house at this time and was impressed with church teachings. He also witnessed the speaking of tongues and the interpretation of tongues during this visit. He claims to have been visited by the power of God.

During this time, Kimball said that he and several of the Young family saw a vision opened of the "gathering of the Saints to Zion." He was inspired to travel to Pennsylvania where he could visit at length with the elders, and was accompanied by some of the Youngs. They stayed six days with the elders and witnessed more miracles, such as speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues.

On April 16, 1832 Kimball was baptized by Alpheus Gifford.[9] in Mendon. Vilate Kimball followed him two weeks later.[4] After the confirmation, the elder offered to ordain Kimball to the priesthood, but Kimball refused it as he felt he was unready. Thirty more people were baptized in Mendon and formed a branch of the church there.

Church service[]

Shortly after his baptism, Kimball was ordained an elder by Joseph Young. He began proselyting in the neighboring areas with Joseph and Brigham Young. This part of New York became known as the "burnt over district" because of the numerous religious sects that sprang up during the 19th century. The Youngs baptized many people and built up branches of the church. Kimball said that one day Ezra Landon baptized some 20 people but wanted him to confirm them. He did so, and immediately they began speaking in tongues and interpreting them.

In the fall of 1833, Kimball relocated his family to church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio. He marched with Zion's Camp[4] in 1834;[citation needed] however, after contracting cholera, he returned to Kirtland before the rest of the crew. He then attended the School of the Prophets and witnessed the completion of the Kirtland Temple.[4] From 1832 until 1840, Kimball served eight missions for the Church, requiring him to be apart from his family for months at a time.[10]

Quorum of the Twelve[]

Heber C Kimball portrait.PNG

On February 14, 1835, Kimball was ordained a member of The Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the Church of the Latter Day Saints[4] (renamed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1838).[11][12] He was one of the original twelve members of the Quorum, being 4th in seniority.

Joseph Smith called Kimball to lead a group of missionaries to England in 1837. The mission began work in Preston, Lancashire, England.[13] This was the church's first proselyting effort in England.[4] After the initial baptisms in Preston, the missionaries expanded their efforts to the Ribble Valley. By the time Kimball departed for the United States in 1838, about 1,500 people had been baptized.[14]

Kimball returned with a small party to make travel arrangements for the groups and discovered the Latter Day Saints were undergoing considerable strife and pressure in the state of Missouri.

While Smith was imprisoned in the Liberty Jail, Brigham Young (now ranking leader of the Quorum) and Kimball organized the removal of approximately 12,000 Latter Day Saint refugees across the border into Illinois.[15] There the church founded the city of Nauvoo and built a temple.[citation needed] Kimball served on the Nauvoo City Council.[4]

In September 1839, Kimball left Nauvoo for another mission to England.[16] He did not reach Indiana until October. He made stops at Kirtland to encourage the remaining Saints there to move to Nauvoo and other places and had a long layover in New York City.[17] He sailed from New York on December 19, reaching Liverpool on April 6. Kimball spent 1840 and some of 1841 in England, initially in the area in and around Preston, and later working as a missionary in London.[18] The missionaries began organizing groups of British converts to travel to the United States, beginning in 1840, and to join the main body of the church.

After Smith was killed in 1844, succession to the leadership of the church was a divisive issue. Young led the majority of church members across the state line into Iowa and eventually to the Salt Lake Valley.[citation needed] In July 1847, Kimball was one of the first Mormon pioneers to reach the valley. Kimball stood next in leadership in the Quorum to Young.[4]

First Presidency[]

Kimball became a member of the new First Presidency in 1847. Kimball led one of three large companies to the Salt Lake Valley in the summer of 1848.[19] He established his families in Utah Territory (he had three wives) and supported them by farming, ranching, milling at the Heber C. Kimball Gristmill, and freighting, in addition to church responsibilities.[citation needed] While in the First Presidency, Kimball received special assignments to supervise the ongoing British Mission and to conduct temple ordinances.[20] He also worked to encourage economic independence for Utah.[21] At speaking in a meeting in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, Kimball promised his audience that "in less than six months, clothing and other goods would be sold in the streets of Salt Lake City cheaper than they could be purchased in New York City."[4] The ensuing California Gold Rush then made this promise possible.[4]

He used one slave, Green Flake, who was given to the church for tithing, whom he used as his personal driver.[22][23]

Government service[]

When the provisional government of the State of Deseret was organized in spring 1849, Kimball was appointed the chief justice and lieutenant governor of the proposed state.[24]

Kimball served in the Utah Territorial Legislature in the upper house (the Territorial Council) from 1851 until 1858.[25] He was president of the Council during the session beginning in March 1851, but later served as a regular member of the Council.[26]

Death[]

Grave marker of Heber C. Kimball.

One night at family prayers, Kimball said that "the angel Moroni had visited him the night before and informed him that his work on this earth was finished, and he would soon be taken!"[27] Kimball died the following day on June 22, 1868, at age 67, in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, from the effects of a fall.[4] He was buried in the Kimball-Whitney Cemetery (40.772949, -111.889755), located on the south slope of what's now known as Capitol Hill, an area then called "Heber's Bench" after him.

Family[]

Kimball received private instruction from Joseph Smith on plural marriage (polygamy). Initially reluctant[citation needed], Kimball accepted the responsibility and married a second wife, Sarah Noon. His first wife, Vilate Murray Kimball, accepted plural marriage and welcomed the additional wives as sisters. Heber and Vilate agreed to give their 14-year-old daughter Helen Marr as a plural wife of Joseph Smith. Kimball considered the marrying of multiple wives an expression of his faith in and obedience to God: "I have noticed that a man who has but one wife, and is inclined to that doctrine, soon begins to wither and dry up, while a man who goes into plurality [of wives] looks fresh, young, and sprightly. Why is this? Because God loves that man, and because he honors His work and word."[28]

Wives and children[]

Heber C. Kimball around 1862

Kimball eventually married a total of forty-three women, although it is stated that many of these marriages were merely caretaking arrangements lacking physical intimacy.[29] Kimball had sixty-six children by seventeen of his wives.

List of wives and children

Descendants[]

Kimball has a number of noteworthy descendants, including:

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ After Kimball's death, George A. Smith was added to the First Presidency and Brigham Young, Jr. was added to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but both Smith and Young had already been ordained apostles prior to Kimball's death.
  2. ^ Smith 1994, p. 16
  3. ^ "Heber C. Kimball (1801-1868) | FamilySearch". ancestors.familysearch.org. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o McCune, George M. (1991). Personalities in the Doctrine and Covenants and Joseph Smith–History. Salt Lake City, Utah: Hawkes Publishing. pp. 64–66. ISBN 9780890365182.
  5. ^ Orson F. Whitney, "Life of Heber C. Kimball", published by the Kimball Family, 1888. page 328. online at:https://archive.org/details/LifeOfHeberC.Kimball/page/n7/mode/2up
  6. ^ Whitney, Orson F. (1888). Life of Heber C. Kimball: Apostle, Father and Founder of the British Mission. Salt Lake City, Utah: Kimball Family. p. 27.
  7. ^ The first time Mormons were admitted to the Freemasons in Utah was 1984. State lodges excluded even those persons who had previously been admitted to other lodges prior to the Mormon Exodus to the west.
    See: Kearney, Greg (2005), "The Message and the Messenger: Latter-day Saints and Freemasonry", 2005 FAIR Conference, Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research;
    "The Lodge: Brief History of Wasatch Lodge", WasatchLodge.org, Wasatch Lodge #1 Free & Accepted Masons.
  8. ^ The Latter-day Saints Millennial Star. 1864. p. 472.
  9. ^ Orson F. Whitney, The Life of Heber C. Kimball (Salt Lake City, Bookcraft, 1945) p. 21-22
  10. ^ Stanley B. Kimball, "Heber C. Kimball" in Arnold K. Garr, Donald Q. Cannon and Rochard O. Cowan, ed., The Encyclopedia of LDS Church History, p. 607
  11. ^ and Wesley P. Walters (1994). Inventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical Record (Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books) p. 160.
  12. ^ Manuscript History of the Church, LDS Church Archives, book A-1, p. 37; reproduced in Dean C. Jessee (comp.) (1989). The Papers of Joseph Smith: Autobiographical and Historical Writings (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book) 1:302–03.
  13. ^ Whitney, Kimball, p. 121
  14. ^ David J. Whitaker and James R. Moss, "Missions of the Twelve to the British Isles", in Daniel H. Ludlow, ed. Selections from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism: Church History (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1995) p. 331
  15. ^ Edward L. Kimball, "Heber C. Kimball" in Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Selections from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism: Church History, p. 268
  16. ^ Whitney, Kimball p. 265
  17. ^ Whitney, Kimball, p. 271-275
  18. ^ Whitney, Kimball, p. 287
  19. ^ Kimball, "Kimball", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 269
  20. ^ Kimball, "Kimball", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 270
  21. ^ Stanley Kimball, Kimball, Encyclopedia of LDS Church History, p. 607
  22. ^ Kristen Rogers-Iversen (September 2, 2007). "Utah settlers' black slaves caught in 'new wilderness'". The Salt Lake Tribune.
  23. ^ Don B. Williams (December 2004). Slavery in Utah Territory: 1847-1865. p. 52. ISBN 9780974607627.
  24. ^ Whitney, Kimball, p. 393.
  25. ^ Territory of Utah: Legislative Rosters compiled by the Utah State Archives Staff, 2007
  26. ^ Whitney, Kimball, p. 394.
  27. ^ Pettit, Tom. "Moroni Appeared to 17 Different People!". Living Heritage Tours. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
  28. ^ Journal of Discourses vol. 5, p. 22.
  29. ^ Kimball, "Kimball", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 369

References[]

External links[]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles
Preceded by
Sidney Rigdon 		First Counselor in the First Presidency
December 27, 1847 – June 22, 1868 		Succeeded by
George A. Smith
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints titles
Preceded by
Brigham Young 		Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
February 14, 1835 – December 27, 1847 		Succeeded by
Orson Hyde
Retrieved from ""