Spencer W. Kimball
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Spencer Woolley Kimball (March 28, 1895 – November 5, 1985) was an American business, civic, and religious leader who was the twelfth
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church). The grandson of early Latter-day Saint
apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
Heber C. Kimball Heber Chase Kimball (June 14, 1801 – June 22, 1868) 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 ...
, Kimball was born in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
,
Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state. ...
. He spent most of his early life in
Thatcher, Arizona Thatcher is a town in Graham County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town is 4,865. It is part of the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area. Thatcher is the home of Eastern Arizona College (EAC), ...
, where his father, Andrew Kimball, farmed and served as the area's
stake president A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in certain denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The name "stake" derives from the Book of Isaiah: "enlarge the place of thy tent; stretch forth the curtains of thine h ...
. He served an
LDS mission A mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether ...
in Independence, Missouri from 1914 to 1916, then worked for various banks in Arizona's Gila Valley as a clerk and bank teller. Kimball later co-founded a business, selling bonds and insurance that, after weathering the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, became highly successful. Kimball served as a stake president in his hometown from 1938 until 1943, when he was called to serve as a member of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...
. Like most other LDS Church apostles, Kimball traveled extensively to fulfill a wide variety of administrative and ecclesiastical duties. Early in his time as an apostle, Kimball was directed by church president
George Albert Smith George Albert Smith Sr. (April 4, 1870 – April 4, 1951) was an American religious leader who served as the eighth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Early life Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territor ...
to spend extra time in religious and humanitarian work with Native Americans, which Kimball did throughout his life. He initiated the
Indian Placement Program The Indian Placement Program (IPP) or Indian Student Placement Program (ISPP), also called the Lamanite Placement Program,
, which helped many Native American students gain education in the 1960s and 1970s while they stayed with LDS foster families. In late 1973, following the sudden death of church president Harold B. Lee, Kimball became the twelfth president of the LDS Church, a position he held until his death in 1985. Kimball's presidency was noted for the 1978 announcement ending the restriction on church members of black African descent being ordained to the priesthood or receiving temple ordinances. Kimball's presidency saw large growth in the LDS Church, both in terms of membership and the number of
temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
. Kimball was the first church president to state publicly that the church expects all able-bodied male members to serve missions in young adulthood, resulting in an increase in missionary service.


Ancestry

Kimball's paternal grandfather, Heber C. Kimball, was one of the original LDS apostles who were called when
Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...
first organized the
Quorum of the Twelve In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Quorum of the Twelve (also known as the Council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council of the Twelve Apostles, or the Twelve) is one of the governing bodies or ( quorums) of the church hie ...
in February 1835. Kimball later served as first counselor to
Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...
in the church's
First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...
from 1847 until his death in 1868. Kimball's maternal grandfather, Edwin D. Woolley, was a prominent LDS
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
in Salt Lake City for many years.


Early life (1895–1916)

Kimball was born on March 28, 1895, in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
,
Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state. ...
, to Andrew Kimball and Olive Woolley. He had ten siblings. In 1898, when Kimball was three years old, his father was called as
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of the St. Joseph Arizona Stake, and his family relocated to the town of Thatcher, in Southeastern Arizona's Graham County. During his childhood, Kimball had a number of medical problems, including
typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
and facial paralysis (likely
Bell's palsy Bell's palsy is a type of facial paralysis that results in a temporary inability to control the facial muscles on the affected side of the face. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly improves over weeks. Symptoms can vary fr ...
), and he once nearly drowned. Four of his sisters died in childhood, and his mother died when he was eleven. Though only tall as an adult, Kimball was an avid
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player, and he was the star and leading scorer on most of his school and recreational teams. In addition to being an athlete, Kimball was an honor student at the LDS Gila Academy (modern
Eastern Arizona College Eastern Arizona College (EAC), is a community college in Graham County, Arizona. The main campus is in Thatcher, with satellite locations in Gila County, and Greenlee County. It is the oldest community college in Arizona and the only community ...
). During summer holidays, he often worked at a
dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
in
Globe, Arizona Globe ( apw, Bésh Baa Gowąh "Place of Metal") is a city in Gila County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,249. The city is the county seat of Gila County. Globe was founded c. 1875 as a mining cam ...
, milking cows, cleaning stalls, and washing bottles for $50 to $60 per month as well as room and board. Kimball graduated from high school in May 1914 and, one week later, was called to serve as a
missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
in the Swiss–German
Mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
. Less than two months later, his European mission call was cut short by the
assassination of Archduke Ferdinand Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated on 28 June 1914 by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. They were shot at close range while ...
and the subsequent outbreak of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Kimball was reassigned to the Central States Mission and spent most of the rest of his mission in the towns and rural settlements of
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
until 1916.


Marriage and early career (1917–25)

Hoping to become a schoolteacher, Kimball spent one semester at the
University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...
in the spring of 1917, but he received an army draft notice later that year. During that time, he courted Camilla Eyring (1894–1987), a schoolteacher at Gila Academy, where Kimball had attended high school. They began dating in August 1917 and exchanged letters regularly after Kimball left for a semester at
Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
(BYU) the next month. After one month at BYU, Kimball was notified that his call into the army was imminent, and he had to leave the university and return to his hometown. He returned to Arizona, but his army group was never called up for duty before World War I ended with the signing of the
Armistice of 11 November 1918 The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
. Kimball and Eyring's relationship deepened quickly, and by late October they had decided to marry. Because of their employment commitments and lack of money, the couple could not afford to travel to Utah to marry in the nearest LDS temple. They were married in a civil ceremony in Camilla's home in
Pima, Arizona Pima is a town in Graham County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 2,387, up from 1,989 in 2000. The estimated population in 2018 was 2,512. Pima is part of the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area ...
on November 16, 1917. Seven months later, the couple made the two-day journey by train to Salt Lake City where they were sealed in the
Salt Lake Temple The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At , it is the largest Latter-day Saint temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth temple ...
on June 7, 1918. They eventually had four children: Spencer L. "Spence" (1918–2003), Olive Beth "Bobby" (1922–2018), Andrew E. (1927–2020), and Edward L. "Ed" (1930–2016). In 1921, Kimball began work at the Thatcher branch of the Arizona Trust and Savings Bank, where he was eventually promoted to assistant cashier at $225 per month, a high salary at the time. The bank failed in 1923 in the aftermath of the
Depression of 1920–21 Depression may refer to: Mental health * Depression (mood), a state of low mood and aversion to activity * Mood disorders characterized by depression are commonly referred to as simply ''depression'', including: ** Dysthymia, also known as pers ...
; Kimball lost his $3000 investments in bank stock and was forced to take a lower-paying job at another bank. Kimball also performed a variety of other local jobs to earn extra income to support his wife and children, including playing the piano and singing at local events, stringing with Camilla for local newspapers, distributing for an herbal
laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...
company, and clerical work for local stores. Shortly after Kimball married, his father called him to serve as clerk for the St. Joseph Stake. In the 1920s, local stake clerks still performed the extensive record-keeping and reporting duties that are now digitized and done centrally at the LDS Church's headquarters in Salt Lake City. The position of stake clerk was essentially a part-time job, and those called were paid a monthly salary of $50.


Career and stake presidency (1925–43)

In 1925, Kimball and Joseph W. Greenhalgh, a Latter-day Saint businessman who served as a
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
in one of the local
wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...
, began a small securities business making and purchasing loans from local businesses and individuals. By 1927, the business became independent, and after investing $150 of his own money in the business, Kimball began running it full-time in
Safford, Arizona Safford (Western Apache: Ichʼįʼ Nahiłtį́į́) is a city in Graham County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the population of the city is 10,129. The city is the county seat of Graham County. Safford is the principal ...
, as the Kimball–Greenhalgh Agency, dealing in local
insurance Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...
,
real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
, debt collection, and bonds. The business suffered greatly during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
and lost much of its
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
between 1930 and 1933. Through continued work and re-investment of profits, it survived the Great Depression and became increasingly successful during the late 1930s and early 1940s. By 1943, Kimball's initial $150 investment in the agency was worth nearly $100,000. Kimball was active in many civic organizations, including the Parent-Teacher Association,
city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
,
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
,
Boy Scouts Boy Scouts may refer to: * Boy Scout, a participant in the Boy Scout Movement. * Scouting, also known as the Boy Scout Movement. * An organisation in the Scouting Movement, although many of these organizations also have female members. There are ...
, and he was elected leader of the Arizona
Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...
in 1936. Kimball had achieved record success in organizing new Rotary Club chapters, and the Arizona membership voted to pay for him and his wife to travel to the club's 1936 international convention in
Nice, France Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
. They went by train to
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
and then to
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, where their oldest son, Spencer L., was serving as an LDS missionary. They traveled on a week-long passage on an ocean liner to
Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
. From there, they visited
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
,
Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
,
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
,
Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...
,
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
,
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
,
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
, the
Swiss Alps The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (german: Schweizer Alpen, french: Alpes suisses, it, Alpi svizzere, rm, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss ...
,
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, and
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. In February 1938, LDS apostle
Melvin J. Ballard Melvin Joseph Ballard (February 9, 1873 – July 30, 1939) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). His grandson, M. Russell Ballard, also became an apostle. Birth a ...
was sent to Thatcher to divide the growing St. Joseph Stake. The newly created Mount Graham Stake covered the eastern half of the old stake, and Kimball was called as its first stake president. Though smaller than the previous stake, the newly formed stake covered a large area that extended east as far as
El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. For Kimball and his two counselors to visit each
ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
in the stake required traveling a total of . During the Mount Graham Stake's semiannual stake conference in September 1941, unusually heavy rains caused the
Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...
to overflow its banks, flooding several of the towns in the stake and causing $100,000 in damage to the farms and buildings of Latter-day Saints in the area. As stake president, Kimball co-ordinated the LDS Church's humanitarian response, which quickly mobilized funds, materials, and manpower to care for displaced residents and begin recovery. Following the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ju ...
on December 7, 1941 and the subsequent entry of the United States into
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, a number of young men from the stake left to join the
US military The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six Military branch, service branches: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States N ...
. At one point, 250 men from the stake served in the war, and Kimball ensured that each received a copy of the monthly stake bulletin and often wrote personal notes on each copy to the recipient. Kimball was widely known and respected in the community, and he was constantly stopped on the streets of Safford by acquaintances and friends asking for his advice. After he was called to serve as stake president, non-Mormon residents and travelers in Safford often asked Kimball to perform marriages for them. Kimball's demanding schedule of managing the Kimball–Greenhalgh Agency, serving in civic organizations, and serving in LDS Church leadership positions as well as making time for his wife and children took mental and physical tolls on his body. His journals from the 1930s and early 1940s often mention his exhaustion from days that were spent working 16 hours or more: "Am on a tension from 7 a.m. till 11 p.m. every single minute every day. I know I'm working too hard but there seems no place to stop."


Apostolic ministry (1943–73)


Calling

The deaths of
Sylvester Q. Cannon Sylvester Quayle Cannon (June 10, 1877 – May 29, 1943) was an American businessman, engineer, and religious leader who served as the sixth presiding bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1925 to 1938 a ...
and Rudger Clawson created two vacancies in the LDS Church's
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...
in mid-1943. On July 8, 1943, Kimball received a telephone call from
J. Reuben Clark Joshua Reuben Clark Jr. (September 1, 1871 – October 6, 1961) was an American attorney, civil servant, and a prominent leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Born in Grantsville, Utah Territory, Clark was a ...
, the first counselor to church president
Heber J. Grant Heber Jeddy Grant (November 22, 1856 – May 14, 1945) was an American religious leader who served as the seventh president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Grant worked as a bookkeeper and a cashier, then wa ...
, notifying him that he had been called to fill one of the vacancies. Kimball was initially so shocked by the call that he asked Clark's permission to ponder it for several days before he went to Salt Lake City to meet with him in person, as part of a previously-scheduled family trip. After the phone call, Kimball's desire to accept the calling was overwhelmed by feelings of self-doubt and incompetence. His wife, Camilla, recounted that although her husband was not prone to tears, he afterward lay on the floor of their home and wept uncontrollably as she tried to comfort him. After an intense emotional and spiritual struggle, Kimball had an unusual dream, which gave him peace on his ability to accept the calling. He was ordained an apostle by Grant and added to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Salt Lake Temple on October 7, 1943. Grant had chosen
Ezra Taft Benson Ezra Taft Benson (August 4, 1899 – May 30, 1994) was an American farmer, government official, and religious leader who served as the 15th United States Secretary of Agriculture during both presidential terms of Dwight D. Eisenhower and ...
to fill the other vacancy in the Quorum, and he and Kimball were ordained on the same day. As he was four years older than Benson, Kimball was ordained first, which put him ahead of Benson in the Quorum's seniority. In accordance with church requirements and tradition, the Kimballs immediately began the transition from Arizona to Salt Lake City upon Kimball's call to be an apostle. Kimball sold his share in the Kimball–Greenhalgh Agency for $65,000 and sold their home and all their other property in Arizona. Kimball was particularly saddened to leave his local Rotary Club chapter and his other professional associations; Camilla worried about leaving her elderly parents in Arizona and relocating their second son, Andrew, who had just been elected senior class president at Safford High School.


World War II

Kimball's first years as an apostle were dominated by World War II. Kimball often encouraged American church members to purchase
war bonds War bonds (sometimes referred to as Victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an unpopular level. They are a ...
to support the war effort, which they would then be able to cash out after the war and use the accumulated interest to send the returned soldiers on their LDS missions. Kimball lamented the global destruction of World War II and once wrote in his journal, "How outraged the Lord must feel to see His children fighting down here like wild beasts." As the keynote speaker at BYU's 1944
baccalaureate service A baccalaureate service (or baccalaureate Mass) is a celebration that honors a graduating class from a college, high school, or middle school. The event is typically a Christianity-based interdenominational (ecumenical) service, though it may ...
, Kimball publicly criticized members of Allied nations for concentrating on "the tyranny and shackles of
ther Ther may refer to: *''Thér.'', taxonomic author abbreviation of Irénée Thériot (1859–1947), French bryologist * Agroha Mound, archaeological site in Agroha, Hisar district, India *Therapy *Therapeutic drugs See also *''Ther Thiruvizha ''T ...
nations and at the same time emainingin bondage individually to sin." As World War II neared its conclusion, Kimball and other LDS Church leaders constantly responded to the needs of the friends and families of LDS war casualties. Kimball's eldest son, Spence, was nearly killed in 1945 while serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS ''Franklin'', when bombs dropped from Japanese airplanes damaged the ship and ignited its tanks of aviation fuel. In an attempt to give comfort to families of those killed in combat, Kimball drafted a well-known letter in which he wrote that sin, not premature death, was the only true tragedy in life. Kimball compared the death of young servicemen to the early death of
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
and stated that although such death is heartbreaking, from an eternal perspective, God's all-knowing purposes would be seen in their circumstances.


Native Americans

In May 1945, shortly after becoming church president,
George Albert Smith George Albert Smith Sr. (April 4, 1870 – April 4, 1951) was an American religious leader who served as the eighth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Early life Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territor ...
instructed Kimball, "I want you to look after the Indians—they are neglected. Take charge and watch after the Indians in all the world." Kimball saw the assignment as fulfillment of a prophecy given in the
patriarchal blessing In the Latter Day Saint movement, a patriarchal blessing (also called an evangelist's blessing) is an ordinance administered by the laying on of hands, with accompanying words of promise, counsel, and lifelong guidance intended solely for the rec ...
he received as an eight-year-old in 1903, which had stated that Kimball would "preach the Gospel to many people, but more especially to the
Lamanites The Lamanites () are one of the four ancient peoples (along with the Jaredites, the Mulekites, and the Nephites) described as having settled in the ancient Americas in the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement. The Lamani ...
." That term refers to a people in the
Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...
believed by Latter-day Saints to be among the ancestors of modern Native Americans; another term was
Nephites According to the Book of Mormon, the Nephites () are one of four groups (along with the Lamanites, Jaredites, and Mulekites) to have settled in the ancient Americas. The term is used throughout the Book of Mormon to describe the religious, po ...
. In September 1946 George Albert Smith again gave Kimball the charge to watch over the interests of the indigenous people of the Americas. At this time Smith explicitly included the indigenous peoples of the Pacific islands. In October 1946, Kimball and several other general authorities toured the
Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...
in an effort to improve relations between the LDS Church and the Navajo people. Kimball was dismayed at the abject poverty among the Navajo and empathized with their distrust of the US government. At that time, the average Navajo person ate no more than a day, and a single dentist served the entire population of 55,000. Though the reservation of the Navajo Nation covered , only 0.01% of that area was arable. In 1947, Golden Buchanan, an LDS leader in
Sevier County, Utah Sevier County ( ) is a county in Utah, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 20,802. Its county seat and largest city is Richfield. History Evidence of indigenous peoples residing in Sevier County up to 5,000 ...
, heard of a 17-year-old Navajo girl working on a
sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wi ...
farm who wanted to stay in Utah and attend public school. Buchanan wrote Kimball with an idea for the children of Navajo families to live with local LDS families so that they could receive proper nutrition and educations. Kimball supported the idea and asked Buchanan if his family would be willing to take Helen John, the Navajo girl, as a foster daughter to begin the program. Buchanan's family agreed. While it took time to develop the program, that is referred to as the start of the LDS Church's
Indian Placement Program The Indian Placement Program (IPP) or Indian Student Placement Program (ISPP), also called the Lamanite Placement Program,
, also known as the "Lamanites Placement Program." By 1954, the program had 68 students, and the Church had standardized some of its approach. By 1969, nearly 5,000 students were placed with LDS families throughout the Western United States and Canada. Kimball was particularly distressed by the racism against Native Americans that was still widespread among white church members in the 1940s and 1950s. At the LDS Church's April 1954 general conference, Kimball openly denounced the prevalent prejudices against non-whites and compared such church members to the
Pharisees The Pharisees (; he, פְּרוּשִׁים, Pərūšīm) were a Jewish social movement and a school of thought in the Levant during the time of Second Temple Judaism. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Pharisaic beliefs bec ...
who mistreated Jesus Christ and the priest and Levite from the
parable of the Good Samaritan The parable of the Good Samaritan is told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. It is about a traveler (implicitly understood to be Jewish) who is stripped of clothing, beaten, and left half dead alongside the road. First, a Jewish priest and then a ...
. Kimball subsequently repeated his warning at a BYU campus devotional, stating that there were "too many Pharisees among the white tudents and faculty.. too many Levites who pull their robes about them and pass by with disdain."


Individual counseling

When not touring missions or presiding over weekend stake conferences, Kimball spent weekdays answering correspondence at his home or working in his office at LDS Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. Kimball was noted among the apostles for his willingness to meet with church members struggling with serious personal problems, particularly married couples considering divorce or individuals wishing to confess serious violations of the LDS Church's
law of chastity The law of chastity is a moral code defined by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). According to the church, chastity means that "sexual relations are proper only between a man and a woman who are legally and lawfully wedde ...
, which prohibits sexual relations outside of marriage. During his time as an apostle, Kimball met with thousands of church members and full-time missionaries who, for various reasons, felt their own local church leaders could not help them. Kimball "had no patience for sin utalmost infinite patience for sinners" and often spent long hours with individuals in greatest distress. In 1959, Kimball and fellow apostle
Mark E. Petersen Mark Edward Petersen (November 7, 1900 – January 11, 1984) was an American news editor and religious leader who served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1944 un ...
were assigned to counsel church members dealing with
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
, which Kimball believed could, "like all other problems," be overcome through "consistent prayerful exercise of self-restraint." Kimball's experiences impelled his writing of ''
The Miracle of Forgiveness ''The Miracle of Forgiveness'' is a book written by Spencer W. Kimball while he was a member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He later became the church's president. Content Origi ...
'', first published in 1969, which dealt frankly with the serious nature of LDS standards on sexual morality and counseled church members on avoidance of such problems and repentance.


Health challenges

Beginning in 1932, Kimball began suffering from
boils A boil, also called a furuncle, is a deep folliculitis, which is an infection of the hair follicle. It is most commonly caused by infection by the bacterium ''Staphylococcus aureus'', resulting in a painful swollen area on the skin caused by an ...
and infectious sores, which plagued him until the advent of antibacterial medicines such as
sulfonamides In organic chemistry, the sulfonamide functional group (also spelled sulphonamide) is an organosulfur group with the structure . It consists of a sulfonyl group () connected to an amine group (). Relatively speaking this group is unreactive. ...
and
penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...
during World War II. In May 1948, while he was holding church meetings throughout
Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
and
Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
communities in Arizona, Kimball suffered severe chest pain from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
, after he had spent an afternoon struggling to lift an automobile out of deep sand. Kimball was physically sluggish throughout the rest of the trip, and after he had returned to Salt Lake City and undergone an electrocardiogram, his physician prescribed one month of rest from his church duties. Kimball was only 53 and had considered himself to be generally healthy and fit; he persuaded his physician not to tell the other apostles or the First Presidency. However, on his next assignment, in
Rigby, Idaho Rigby is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. The population was 3,945 at the 2010 census, up from 2,998 in 2000.
, Kimball again experienced chest pains, which escalated into another heart attack several days after his return. During the early episodes, Kimball passed the time by discussing his wishes regarding the family's finances and investments with his wife in case he did not survive the infarctions. After receiving a
priesthood blessing A priesthood blessing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is a "prayer for healing, comfort or counsel given by a Melchizedek Priesthood holder, who lays his hands on the head of the person receiving the blessing." Priest ...
from church president George Albert Smith, Kimball spent two months on
bed rest Bed rest, also referred to as the rest-cure, is a medical treatment in which a person lies in bed for most of the time to try to cure an illness. Bed rest refers to voluntarily lying in bed as a treatment and not being confined to bed because of ...
followed by two weeks resting on the Navajo Nation. At his physician's urging, he spent several additional weeks recuperating with his wife near the seashore in
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
. A
cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...
that Kimball consulted in California believed that his heart had been weakened by an undiagnosed case of
rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful jo ...
during childhood and instructed Kimball to avoid overwork and gaining unnecessary weight. Kimball's chest pains recurred occasionally throughout the next several years, particularly in times of greatest stress or fatigue. In early 1950, when he was 55, Kimball, who had never smoked or used tobacco, began experiencing persistent hoarseness and after a physical examination, he underwent a
biopsy A biopsy is a medical test commonly performed by a surgeon, interventional radiologist, or an interventional cardiologist. The process involves extraction of sample cells or tissues for examination to determine the presence or extent of a diseas ...
of a white spot in his throat. The biopsy caused some brief voice impairment and indicated that Kimball had a throat infection but not cancer. In late 1956, Kimball's hoarseness returned, coupled with occasional bleeding in the back of his throat. Kimball's physician sent him to New York City to meet with Dr. Hayes Martin (1892–1977), an expert on cancers of the head and neck. Martin performed another biopsy, which indicated "borderline
malignancy Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse. Malignancy is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous ''benign'' tumor in that a malignancy is not s ...
," and in early 1957, Martin recommended immediate surgery. Kimball had neglected to seek approval from church president David O. McKay regarding his 1957 biopsy. At the time, the biopsy itself could cause permanent vocal damage. He felt that as an apostle, he should have sought McKay's approval before he underwent surgical procedures that could render him incapable of fulfilling apostolic duties. McKay stated that he believed Kimball could still serve as an apostle even if he underwent a complete
laryngectomy Laryngectomy is the removal of the larynx and separation of the airway from the mouth, nose and esophagus. In a total laryngectomy, the entire larynx is removed (including the vocal folds, hyoid bone, epiglottis, Thyroid cartilage, thyroid and cr ...
and advised him to go forward with the procedure. Martin subsequently surgically removed one of Kimball's
vocal cords In humans, vocal cords, also known as vocal folds or voice reeds, are folds of throat tissues that are key in creating sounds through vocalization. The size of vocal cords affects the pitch of voice. Open when breathing and vibrating for speech ...
and half of the other, leaving him barely able to speak above a hoarse whisper. After several weeks of enforced silence, Kimball slowly recovered, and by November 1957, he was allowed by his physician to resume speaking in public. Kimball's voice remained raspy throughout the rest of his life, and he usually wore an ear-mounted microphone to help magnify his voice, even when he was speaking at normal microphone-equipped pulpits. In early 1972, when he was 77, Kimball began experiencing difficulty breathing, excessive fatigue, and sleeplessness. Medical examinations discovered serious aortic calcification and some
coronary artery disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial ischemia, or simply heart disease, involves the reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle due to build-up of atherosclerotic pla ...
. Meanwhile, Kimball had experienced a recurrence of his earlier throat cancer. He arranged a meeting between his physicians, cardiologist Ernest L. Wilkinson and cardiothoracic surgeon
Russell M. Nelson Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Nelson was a member of the LDS Church ...
(a future LDS Church president), and the church's First Presidency. Nelson later described the meeting: Kimball's heart surgery was postponed for him to undergo
radiation therapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...
on his throat, which was successful. Immediately following the conclusion of the LDS Church's April 1972 general conference, Kimball successfully underwent a 4.5 hour open-heart surgery that was performed by Nelson. Kimball spent the next several months recovering.


Church presidency (1973–85)

Given Kimball's history of health problems, many peopleincluding Kimball himselfdid not anticipate him living long enough to become president of the LDS Church. However, on December 26, 1973, Harold B. Lee, who was four years younger than Kimball and had previously been in much better health, unexpectedly died, leaving Kimball as the most senior apostle and thus the presumptive new church president. Kimball was ordained church president on December 30, 1973, the day after Lee's funeral, choosing
N. Eldon Tanner Nathan Eldon Tanner (May 9, 1898 – November 27, 1982) was a politician from Alberta, Canada, and a leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1935 to 1952 a ...
and Marion G. Romney as his first and second counselors. LDS apostle
Boyd K. Packer Boyd Kenneth Packer (September 10, 1924 – July 3, 2015) was an American religious leader and educator who served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jes ...
recalled shortly afterward discovering Kimball sitting alone in the church president's office quietly weeping, and Kimball saying to him: "I am such a little man for such a big responsibility!" Kimball traveled more than any previous church president, visiting a total of 85 countries worldwide. His other contributions included announcing 27 temples, dedicating four, establishing
satellite communication A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. C ...
in church buildings, and decreasing the duration of church services to three hours.


Missionary work

Kimball was the earliest church president to state clearly that all able-bodied LDS young men should serve a full-time mission. When Kimball became president in 1974, the church had 17,000 full-time missionaries, and within several years, it had 25,000. Additionally, under Kimball's leadership, the number of missionaries in North America increased from 2,000 to 7,000. Between 1976 and 1978, the church built and dedicated its Missionary Training Center in
Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is the fourth-largest city in Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County and is home to Brigham Young University (BYU). Provo lies between the ...
, north of BYU, where new missionaries go to receive training in scripture, teaching methods, and, if necessary, a new language.


1978 revelation on priesthood

Beginning in the late 1840s, men of black African descent were prohibited from ordination to the LDS Church's priesthood, which is normally held by all male members who meet church standards of spiritual "worthiness", and from receiving temple ordinances such as the endowment and celestial marriage (sealing). The origins of the policy are still unclear. During the 20th century, most LDS church leaders and members believed the policy had originated during founding prophet
Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...
's time, but church research in the 1960s and 1970s found no evidence of the prohibition before the presidency of
Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...
. LDS Church presidents
Heber J. Grant Heber Jeddy Grant (November 22, 1856 – May 14, 1945) was an American religious leader who served as the seventh president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Grant worked as a bookkeeper and a cashier, then wa ...
and
David O. McKay David Oman McKay (September 8, 1873 – January 18, 1970) was an American religious leader and educator who served as the ninth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1951 until his death in 1970. Ordain ...
are known to have stated privately that the restriction was a temporary one that would be lifted later by a divine revelation to a church president. In the years prior to his presidency, Kimball kept a binder of notes and clippings related to the issue. In the first years of his presidency, he was recorded as frequently making the issue one of investigation and prayer. In June 1977, Kimball asked at least three general authoritiesapostles
Bruce R. McConkie Bruce Redd McConkie (July 29, 1915 – April 19, 1985) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1972 until his death. McConkie was a member of the First Council o ...
,
Thomas S. Monson Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, he was considered by adherents of the re ...
, and
Boyd K. Packer Boyd Kenneth Packer (September 10, 1924 – July 3, 2015) was an American religious leader and educator who served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jes ...
to write him memoranda "on the doctrinal basis of the prohibition and how a change might affect the Church." McConkie wrote a long treatise concluding there were no scriptural impediments to a change. In 1977, Kimball obtained a personal key to the
Salt Lake Temple The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At , it is the largest Latter-day Saint temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth temple ...
for entering in the evenings after the temple closed and often spent hours alone in its upper rooms praying for divine guidance on a possible change. On May 30, 1978, Kimball presented his two counselors with a statement that he had written in longhand that removed all racial restrictions on ordination to the priesthood, stating that he "had a good, warm feeling about it." On June 1, 1978, following the monthly meeting of general authorities in the Salt Lake Temple, Kimball asked his counselors and the ten members of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles then present to remain behind for a special meeting. Kimball began by describing his studies, thoughts, and prayers on removing the restriction and on his growing assurance that the time had come for the change. Kimball asked each of the men present to share their views, and all spoke in favor of changing the policy. After all present had shared their views, Kimball led the gathered apostles in a prayer circle to seek final divine approval for the change. As Kimball prayed, many in the group recorded feeling a powerful spiritual confirmation.
Bruce R. McConkie Bruce Redd McConkie (July 29, 1915 – April 19, 1985) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1972 until his death. McConkie was a member of the First Council o ...
later said: "There are no words to describe the sensation, but simultaneously the Twelve and the three members of the First Presidency had the Holy Ghost descend upon them and they knew that God had manifested his will.... I had had some remarkable spiritual experiences before... but nothing of this magnitude."
L. Tom Perry Lowell Tom Perry (August 5, 1922 – May 30, 2015) was an American businessman and religious leader who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1974 until his deat ...
described: "I felt something like the rushing of wind. There was a feeling that came over the whole group. When President Kimball got up he was visibly relieved and overjoyed."
Gordon B. Hinckley Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...
later said: "For me, it felt as if a conduit opened between the heavenly throne and the kneeling, pleading prophet of God who was joined by his Brethren." The church formally announced the change on June 9, 1978. The story led many national news broadcasts and was on the front page of most American newspapers, and in most largely Latter-day Saint communities in Utah and Idaho, telephone networks were completely jammed with excited callers. The announcement was formally approved by the church at the October 1978 general conference and is included in the LDS Church's edition of the
Doctrine and Covenants The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes abbreviated and cited as D&C or D. and C.) is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. Originally published in 1835 as Doctrine and Covenants of the Chur ...
as Official Declaration 2.


Equal Rights Amendment

In 1972, the
US Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washingto ...
passed the
Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...
(ERA), which introduced an amendment to the
US Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the nation ...
guaranteeing that equal rights could not be denied by the federal government or any
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
on the basis of gender. Upon becoming church president in late 1973, Kimball initially indicated to media outlets that the LDS Church had no official stand on the amendment and made no comment on it. In July 1974, Belle S. Spafford, the general president of the
Relief Society The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...
, the LDS Church's women's organization and one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world, gave a public talk in New York City in which she expressed her view that the amendment's objectives would be better achieved through legislation, not the constitutional amendment, which she feared was too broad and vague. Her successor, Barbara B. Smith, echoed those sentiments later that year in a talk at the church's Institute of Religion at the
University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
, which was followed by a supporting editorial in the LDS ''
Church News The ''Church News'' (or ''LDS Church News'') is a weekly tabloid-sized supplement to the ''Deseret News'' and the ''MormonTimes'', a Salt Lake City, Utah newspaper owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is ...
''. The two women's comments, combined with the ''Church News'' editorial, greatly increased opposition to the ERA among the Utah populace, and when the
Utah State Legislature The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 state representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 state senators. There are no term li ...
voted on its ratification in February 1975, it was defeated by a wide margin. Kimball and his counselors in the First Presidency did not release a formal statement on the ERA until October 1976, when the amendment was only four states away from passing. The statement indicated that the First Presidency recognized and "deplore the legal injustices women had suffered throughout history, but warned that the amendment would not help women and "could indeed bring them far more restraints and repression." In August 1978, the First Presidency issued a second statement elaborating on the first, in which Kimball and his counselors stated that the ERA's "deceptively simple language ... onstitutesencouragement of those who seek a unisex society, ndan increase in the practice of homosexual and lesbian activities." Contemporary media coverage of the church's opposition to the ERA was frequently negative. At the October 1980 General Conference, about 30 picketers marched outside the
Salt Lake Tabernacle The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, in the U.S. state of Utah. The Tabernacle was built from 1863 to 1875 to house meetings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Sa ...
, and when Kimball was presented to the congregation during the customary sustaining of church officers, three women stood and shouted "No! ERA policy, no!" At the dedication of the church's new temple in Seattle, in November 1980, several dozen protesters again demonstrated. Minor protests and pickets continued across the United States at major church events until June 1982, when the ratification period expired without the amendment reaching the three-fourths of the states needed for ratification.


Physical decline and death

On March 28, 1975, his 80th birthday, Kimball said: "I can't believe that I am eighty years old.... I don't feel eighty, and I don't think in those terms." However, Kimball suffered from a myriad of mostly minor health issues ranging from blurred vision to
osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which affects 1 in 7 adults in the United States. It is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the w ...
in his spine. In July 1979, Kimball suffered a series of three minor strokes, theorized to have been caused by small nylon fibers shed by his artificial heart valve, which briefly incapacitated him but had little lasting effect. In September 1979, Kimball suddenly experienced loss of strength throughout his entire body without affecting his mental clarity. A CT scan indicated Kimball had a
subdural hematoma A subdural hematoma (SDH) is a type of bleeding in which a Hematoma, collection of blood—usually but not always associated with a traumatic brain injury—gathers between the inner layer of the dura mater and the arachnoid mater of the meninges ...
, but its cause was never pinpointed. A neurosurgeon quickly drilled a small hole in Kimball's skull, just above his right ear, from which nearly one cup (235 mL) of blood and fluid drained out. Kimball left the hospital 12 days after his operation and insisted on participating in the October 1979 general conference. In November 1979, Kimball underwent a similar operation on another less severe hematoma. In the summer of 1981, Kimball's health began to decline rapidly. He began suffering from bouts of confusion and difficulty speaking. Realizing his deteriorating capacity and the poor health of his two counselors in the church's First Presidency, Kimball called Gordon B. Hinckley as an additional counselor to assist in the church's daily administration. Shortly following Hinckley's selection, Kimball developed a third subdural hematoma of greater seriousness than the previous two. The subsequent surgery left Kimball with intermittent difficulty in speaking and activity and further damaged his vision and hearing. By 1982, Kimball was rarely well enough to appear in public, and his leadership as church president was largely limited to giving final approval or denial to more important church matters that were brought to him by Hinckley. However, Kimball still attended at least one session of each semiannual general conference of the church until his death. At the Sunday afternoon session of the church's April 1982 general conference, Kimball unexpectedly took the pulpit to deliver a short closing message, which proved to be his final public address: Over subsequent years, Kimball would occasionally attend meetings in the Salt Lake Temple and was able to give assent or direction on matters of significance, such as the calling of
Russell M. Nelson Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Nelson was a member of the LDS Church ...
and
Dallin H. Oaks Dallin Harris Oaks (born August 12, 1932) is an American religious leader and former jurist and academic who since 2018 has been the first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was ...
to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984, but he was otherwise mostly incapacitated. Kimball was mentally alert for his 90th birthday on March 28, 1985, and he attended that week's meeting of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles in the Salt Lake Temple. In November 1985, he suffered a recurrence of a previous bleeding
peptic ulcer Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines i ...
, and his family decided not to take surgical action. Kimball died shortly after 10:00pm on November 5, 1985, at the age of 90. One of Kimball's final utterances, which he had repeated several times in the days before his death, was "My life is at an end now. She's so happy, oh so very happy." When asked was meant by "she," Kimball indicated his mother, Olive Woolley Kimball, who had died in 1906, when he was 11. Kimball's teachings as an apostle were the 2007 course of study in the LDS Church's Sunday
Relief Society The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...
and
Melchizedek priesthood The priesthood of Melchizedek is a role in Abrahamic religions, modelled on Melchizedek, combining the dual position of king and priest. Hebrew Bible Melchizedek is a king and priest appearing in the Book of Genesis. The name means "King of Right ...
classes.


Awards and recognition

In 1977, he received the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...
. In 1996, a bronze statue of his likeness, commissioned by Arizona land developers Gary Walker and Buddy Johnson, was unveiled in Arizona.


Works

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See also

*
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the second-largest religious denomination in Arizona, behind the Roman Catholic Church. In 2019, the church reported 436,521 members in Arizona, about 6% of the state's population. According to th ...


Notes


References


Works cited

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External links


Spencer W. Kimball biography, 2006
L. Tom Perry Special Collections,
Harold B. Lee Library The Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL) is the main academic library of Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, Utah. The library started as a small collection of books in the president's office in 1876 before moving in 1891. The Heber J. Gr ...
,
Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

Biographical information on President Spencer W. Kimball, 1974–1985
L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
President Spencer W. Kimball speeches, 1966–1985
L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
News releases on President Spencer W. Kimball, 1967–1982
L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
Photographs of Spencer W. Kimball President, 1970–1982
L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
Spencer W. Kimball devotional, 1976 September
L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
Spencer W. Kimball articles, 1977
L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University


President Spencer W. Kimball, First Presidency Message: "Our Paths Have Met Again"
December 1975 (discussion of church's relation with Lamanites (or Native Americans) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kimball, Spencer Woolley 1895 births 1985 deaths 20th-century Mormon missionaries American Latter Day Saint writers American Mormon missionaries in the United States Apostles (LDS Church) Brigham Young University alumni Eastern Arizona College alumni People of the Arizona Territory People from Thatcher, Arizona Presidents of the Church (LDS Church) Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church) Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Doctrine and Covenants people American general authorities (LDS Church) Religious leaders from Arizona Latter Day Saints from Arizona Harold B. Lee Library-related University Archives articles