David Patten Kimball (August 23, 1839 – November 21, 1883) was an early

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

leader, one of the three young men of the Sweetwater handcart rescue. Kimball was born on August 23, 1839, in

Nauvoo, Illinois Nauvoo ( ; from the ) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its h ...

the son of

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 ...

and his wife the former Vilate Murray. His father was an

Apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

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 Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

and left to serve a mission in England about the time of David's birth. In the winter of 1856, Kimball helped a company of handcart pioneers stranded near the Sweetwater River, in response to a request from

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 h ...

. Several accounts of the event imply that Young promised Kimball and others a guaranteed place in heaven for their efforts, although no direct evidence attributing this statement to Young exist. Kimball served as president of the Bear Lake

stake A stake is a large wooden or metal implement designed to be driven into the ground and may refer to: Tools * Archer's stake, a defensive stake carried by medieval longbowmen * Survey stakes, markers used by surveyors * Sudis (stake) (Latin for ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

before moving to

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

in 1877. He was a

teamster A teamster in American English is a truck driver; a person who drives teams of draft animals; or a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union. In some places, a teamster was called a carter, the name referring to the ...

, and when he died he was first counselor in the St. Joseph stake. In November 1881, Kimball was making a freight run between Maricopa railroad station and

Prescott Prescott may refer to: People Given name * Prescott E. Bloom, American lawyer and politician * Prescott Bush, American banker and politician * Samuel Prescott Bush, American industrialist * Prescott F. Hall, American lawyer, author and eugenicist ...

when he was caught in a snowstorm near Prescott and contracted pneumonia. On the return trip, he became separated from his traveling companion and wagon and got lost in the

Salt River valley The Salt River Valley is an extensive valley on the Salt River (Arizona), Salt River in central Arizona, which contains the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Although this geographic term still identifies the area, the name "Valley of the Sun" popularl ...

south of

Wickenburg Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa and Yavapai County, Arizona, Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States. The population was 7,474 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and was estimated to be 7,920 in 2022. H ...

. He spent four days in the desert with no food or water. During this time, he reported seeing a vision in which his deceased father warned him to get his life in order, and that he had only two years to live. Kimball had doubted Mormonism for over a decade. His traveling companion assembled a search party, and they found Kimball near present-day Surprise. Kimball died at the age of 44 on November 21, 1883, in St. David, Arizona.

Notable descendants

* Thomas S. Kimball, Arizona state senator, son *

Quentin L. Cook Quentin LaMar Cook (born September 8, 1940) is an American religious leader and former lawyer and business executive who is currently a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). ...

, Apostle in LDS Church, great-grandson Lineage: Heber C. Kimball -(Vilate Murray Kimball)- David Patten Kimball - Quince Kimball - LaVon Kimball - Elden Clifford Kimball - Lynda Diane Kimball Richards - John Adair Kimball -

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimball, David Patten 1839 births 1883 deaths American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mormon pioneers People from Nauvoo, Illinois People from Cochise County, Arizona People from Rich County, Utah Latter Day Saints from Illinois Latter Day Saints from Utah Latter Day Saints from Arizona

Notable descendants

See also

Notes