Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Heber Chase Kimball (June 14, 1801 – June
22, 1868) (commonly known as Heber C. Kimball) was
a leader in the early Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. He served as one of the
original twelve Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles|apostles in the early Mormon church, and
as first counselor to Brigham Young in the
presidency of the church from 1847-1868.

==Early life==

Heber Chase Kimball was born June 14, 1801 to
Solomon Farnham Kimball and Anna Spaulding in
Sheldon, Vermont|Sheldon, Franklin County,
Vermont. Kimball's grandfather arrived in America
from England, and assisted in the Revolutionary
War.  His immediate family consisted of Charles
Spaulding Kimball, Eliza Kimball, Abigail Kimball,
Heber Chase Kimball, Melvina Kimball, Solomon
Kimball and Daniel Spaulding Kimball. All were
born in Sheldon. Daniel died at the age of seven
months. Heber Chase was named after a judge named
Chase, who had taken his father under his wing and
helped the family in the area.

Kimball writes of his parents in Synopsis of the
History of Heber C. Kimball:

:My father was a man of good moral character, and
though he did not profess any religion, he taught
his children good morals, and never would suffer
them to swear, or play upon the Sabbath day
without correcting them, but would have them
remain at home and read good books or attend the
church.
	  	 
:My mother was a Presbyterian, and agreeably to
the strictest sense of their religion, she lived a
virtuous life, and according to the best of her
knowledge taught her children the ways of
righteousness.

Solomon Kimball suffered the loss of his
investments due to the embargo preceding the War
of 1812. He left Vermont and moved west and
eventually settled the family in West Bloomfield,
New York, Ontario County, New York around 1811.

===Education and training===

Kimball began attending school in 1806, and
continued until the age of 14. At that time, his
father took him from school and taught him how to
be a blacksmith.  The year 1816 was particularly
cold and he recorded that the family ate boiled
milkweeds for three weeks. (See Year Without a
Summer for an explanation.)

Around 1820, Heber set out on his own. His father
had lost all of his property and Heber decided it
was best to start making it on his own. His manner
was timid and shy, and he would go for days
without food rather than ask a neighbor.
Eventually, his oldest brother, Charles C., took
him under his wing. He taught Kimball the potter's
trade. About this time he moved with his brother
to Mendon, New York|Mendon, Munroe County, New
York. He also enlisted with the local militia, and
was never delinquent for 14 years. On November 7,
1822, he married Vilate Murray. Shortly after
that, he purchased his brother's pottery business.

For ten years he worked as a potter in the summer,
and as a blacksmith in the winter. He also chopped
wood and cleared land. In the meantime, he
accumulated five and a half acres
(22,000 m²) of land, built a house and a
barn, and planted an orchard.

===Masonry===

In 1823, Kimball received the three first degrees
of Freemasonry in the lodge at Victor Flats, New
York|Victor Flats, Ontario County, New York. In
1824, he and five others sent a petition to the
chapter at Canandaigua, New York to receive the
degrees up to the Royal Arch Masons. Their
petitions were accepted. Unfortunately,
anti-masons had burned down the chapter building
in Canandaigua.

Heber C. Kimball wrote of masonry:
:No man was admitted into a lodge in those days
except he bore a good moral character, and was a
man of steady habits and a member would be
suspended for immoral conduct. 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.

===Early family life===
Kimball's first daughter, Judith Marvin, was born
in Mendon on July 29, 1823. Their joy was brief;
she died May 20, 1824 at almost 11 months of age.

His mother passed away in February 1824 from
consumption. His father moved from West Bloomfield
to Mendon to live with Kimball. Roughly a year
after that, in the spring of 1826, his father died
from consumption as well. Shortly after that, his
oldest brother, Charles C., and his brother's wife
died from consumption as well and were buried
beside their father.

Kimball's son, William Henry, was born in Mendon,
April 10, 1825.

===Signs in the heavens===

Kimball claims a miraculous event on September 22,
1827. He describes it in his autobiography.

:Sept. 22, 1827, while living in the town of
Mendon, I having retired to bed, John P. Greene, a
traveling reformed Methodist preacher, waked me up
calling upon me to behold the scenery in the
heavens.
:I called my wife and sister Fanny Young (sister
of Brigham Young) who was living with me; it was
so clear that you could see to pick up a pin, we
looked to the eastern horizon and beheld a white
smoke arise towards the heavens, and as it
ascended it formed itself into a belt and made a
noise like the rustling of a mighty wind, and
continued southwest, forming a regular bow dipping
in the western horizon.
:After the bow had formed it began to widen out
and grow clear and transparent of a bluish cast,
it grew wide enough to contain twelve men abreast.
	  
:In this bow an army moved, commencing from the
east and marching to the west. They moved in
platoons, and walked so close, the rear ranks trod
in the steps of their file leaders, until the
whole bow was literally crowded with soldiers. 	 
	 
: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.
:Subsequently I learned this took place the same
evening that Joseph Smith received the records of
the Book of Mormon from the Angel Moroni.

Kimball had two more children after this event.
Hellen Mar was born August 22, 1828. Roswell Heber
was born January 10, 1831. He died six months
later on June 15.

==Joining the LDS Church==

Kimball writes that he had always contemplated
things like salvation and religion since he was
about 12 years old. The directions provided by the
priests and teachers of the various churches never
satisfied him. However, while in New York, Kimball
joined the local Baptist Church. He attended
several of their meetings, and eventually received
baptism. He claims that many of the teachings he
agreed with, but there were many he did not
believe in as well. He counted the association as
a good thing, however.

Only three weeks after receiving baptism in the
Baptist Church, three elders from the early Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited the
house of his friend, Phinehas Young. Kimball
visited the house at this time and was impressed
with their 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, he reported that, while he and
several of the Young family were chopping wood, a
vision opened up to them and they saw the
"gathering of the Saints to Zion" and many other
things.  This and many other events led him to
travel to Pennsylvania to visit with the elders
some more, accompanied by some of the Youngs. They
stayed six days with the elders and the church
there. They witnessed more miracles such as
speaking in tongues and the interpretation of
tongues.

On April 14, 1832, Brigham Young was baptized by
Eleazer Miller. Shortly thereafter, one of the
elders called on Kimball while he was at work.
During the conversation, Kimball jumped up and
declared that he wanted to be baptized. They went
immediately to a small stream in the woods and he
was baptized in April 1832 by Alpheus Gifford.
After the confirmation, the elder offered to give
the priesthood, but Kimball refused it as he felt
he was unready. Shortly after that, 30 more people
were baptized in Mendon, and they formed a branch
of the church.

About this time, people began calling Kimball
"crazy", although he claims he was "clothed in the
right mind". He claims the scriptures unfolded for
him. 

Local clergy and members of other faiths soon
became antagonistic towards the small LDS branch
and its members. Heber had several people make
executions on his property to recall debt owed.
Although the debt was great, he was able to secure
the money necessary to pay them in full.

== Church service ==

Shortly after his baptism, Kimball was ordained an
elder by Joseph Young, and began proselyting in
the neighboring areas with Joseph and Brigham
Young. They were met with great success, baptizing
many and building up churches. He reports one
instance where Ezra Landon baptized some twenty
people but wanted Kimball to confirm them. He did
so, and immediately they began speaking in tongues
and interpreting them. It was like Pentecost.

In 1833, Kimball relocated his family to Church
headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio.  Kimball was
ordained a member of The Quorum of Twelve Apostles
on February 14, 1835. He was one of the original
twelve members of the Quorum, being 4th in
seniority. He marched with Zion's Camp in 1834.

Joseph Smith, Jr. called Elder Kimball to lead a
group of missionaries to England in 1837.  The
mission began work in Liverpool, England and met
with considerable success.  Kimball was known as a
simple and outspoken preacher who worked hard.  He
and the other missionaries brought many people to
the new faith.  The missionaries began organizing
groups of British converts to travel to America,
beginning in 1840, and join the main body of the
church.  Kimball returned with an 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 Joseph Smith was imprisoned in
the Liberty Jail, Brigham Young (now ranking
leader of the Quorum) and Kimball organized the
removal of approximately 12,000 LDS refugees
across the border into Illinois.  There the Church
founded the city of Nauvoo and built a temple. 
Kimball returned to his mission in England in 1840
and served until 1841.

After Joseph Smith's assassination in 1844,
succession to the leadership of the Church was a
divisive issue.  Brigham Young, standing as the
head of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, led the
majority of church members across the state line
into Iowa and eventually to the Salt Lake Valley. 
Heber C. Kimball stood next in leadership in the
Quorum and was called to the new First Presidency
in 1847.  Kimball led one of three large companies
to the Salt Lake Valley in the summer of 1848.  He
established his families in Utah and supported
them by farming, ranching, milling and freighting,
in addition to church responsibilities.  While in
the First Presidency, Kimball received special
assignments to supervise the ongoing British
Mission and to conduct temple ordinances.  He also
served in the Utah's Territorial legislature.     

Heber C. Kimball passed away on June 22, 1868 in
Salt Lake City, Utah, from the effects of a
carriage accident. He was buried on the south
slope of what's now known as Capitol Hill (Salt
Lake City)|Capitol Hill, an area then called
"Heber's Bench" after him.

== Plural marriage ==

Kimball received private instruction from Joseph
Smith on the new LDS commandment of plural
marriage.  Initially reluctant, 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.  Kimball eventually
married a total of forty-three women, although a
number of these marriages were not intimate ones. 
He had sixty-five children by seventeen different
women.

== Reference ==

* Allen, James B. and Leonard, Glen M.  The Story
of the Latter-day Saints.  Deseret Book Co., Salt
Lake City, UT, 1976.  ISBN 0-87747-594-6.

* Ludlow, Daniel H.,  A Companion to Your Study of
the Doctrine and Covenants, Deseret Book Co., Salt
Lake City, UT, 1978.  ISBN 1-57345-224-6.

* Ludlow, Daniel H., Editor.  Church History,
Selections From the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.  
Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, UT, 1992.  ISBN
0-87579-924-8. 

== External links ==

* http://saintswithouthalos.com
SaintsWithoutHalos.com sections of Heber C.
Kimball's autobiography.
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hc.pht
ml
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch1.p
html
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch2.p
html
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch3.p
html
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch4.p
html
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch5.p
html

start box
series box |
 title= Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
 years= February 14, 1835–December 27, 1847
|
 before=Brigham Young |
 after= Orson Hyde |

end box

	Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Heber Chase Kimball (June 14, 1801 – June
22, 1868) (commonly known as Heber C. Kimball) was
a leader in the early Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. He served as one of the
original twelve Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles|apostles in the early Mormon church, and
as first counselor to Brigham Young in the
presidency of the church from 1847-1868.

==Early life==

Heber Chase Kimball was born June 14, 1801 to
Solomon Farnham Kimball and Anna Spaulding in
Sheldon, Vermont|Sheldon, Franklin County,
Vermont. Kimball's grandfather arrived in America
from England, and assisted in the Revolutionary
War.  His immediate family consisted of Charles
Spaulding Kimball, Eliza Kimball, Abigail Kimball,
Heber Chase Kimball, Melvina Kimball, Solomon
Kimball and Daniel Spaulding Kimball. All were
born in Sheldon. Daniel died at the age of seven
months. Heber Chase was named after a judge named
Chase, who had taken his father under his wing and
helped the family in the area.

Kimball writes of his parents in Synopsis of the
History of Heber C. Kimball:

:My father was a man of good moral character, and
though he did not profess any religion, he taught
his children good morals, and never would suffer
them to swear, or play upon the Sabbath day
without correcting them, but would have them
remain at home and read good books or attend the
church.
	  	 
:My mother was a Presbyterian, and agreeably to
the strictest sense of their religion, she lived a
virtuous life, and according to the best of her
knowledge taught her children the ways of
righteousness.

Solomon Kimball suffered the loss of his
investments due to the embargo preceding the War
of 1812. He left Vermont and moved west and
eventually settled the family in West Bloomfield,
New York, Ontario County, New York around 1811.

===Education and training===

Kimball began attending school in 1806, and
continued until the age of 14. At that time, his
father took him from school and taught him how to
be a blacksmith.  The year 1816 was particularly
cold and he recorded that the family ate boiled
milkweeds for three weeks. (See Year Without a
Summer for an explanation.)

Around 1820, Heber set out on his own. His father
had lost all of his property and Heber decided it
was best to start making it on his own. His manner
was timid and shy, and he would go for days
without food rather than ask a neighbor.
Eventually, his oldest brother, Charles C., took
him under his wing. He taught Kimball the potter's
trade. About this time he moved with his brother
to Mendon, New York|Mendon, Munroe County, New
York. He also enlisted with the local militia, and
was never delinquent for 14 years. On November 7,
1822, he married Vilate Murray. Shortly after
that, he purchased his brother's pottery business.

For ten years he worked as a potter in the summer,
and as a blacksmith in the winter. He also chopped
wood and cleared land. In the meantime, he
accumulated five and a half acres
(22,000 m²) of land, built a house and a
barn, and planted an orchard.

===Masonry===

In 1823, Kimball received the three first degrees
of Freemasonry in the lodge at Victor Flats, New
York|Victor Flats, Ontario County, New York. In
1824, he and five others sent a petition to the
chapter at Canandaigua, New York to receive the
degrees up to the Royal Arch Masons. Their
petitions were accepted. Unfortunately,
anti-masons had burned down the chapter building
in Canandaigua.

Heber C. Kimball wrote of masonry:
:No man was admitted into a lodge in those days
except he bore a good moral character, and was a
man of steady habits and a member would be
suspended for immoral conduct. 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.

===Early family life===
Kimball's first daughter, Judith Marvin, was born
in Mendon on July 29, 1823. Their joy was brief;
she died May 20, 1824 at almost 11 months of age.

His mother passed away in February 1824 from
consumption. His father moved from West Bloomfield
to Mendon to live with Kimball. Roughly a year
after that, in the spring of 1826, his father died
from consumption as well. Shortly after that, his
oldest brother, Charles C., and his brother's wife
died from consumption as well and were buried
beside their father.

Kimball's son, William Henry, was born in Mendon,
April 10, 1825.

===Signs in the heavens===

Kimball claims a miraculous event on September 22,
1827. He describes it in his autobiography.

:Sept. 22, 1827, while living in the town of
Mendon, I having retired to bed, John P. Greene, a
traveling reformed Methodist preacher, waked me up
calling upon me to behold the scenery in the
heavens.
:I called my wife and sister Fanny Young (sister
of Brigham Young) who was living with me; it was
so clear that you could see to pick up a pin, we
looked to the eastern horizon and beheld a white
smoke arise towards the heavens, and as it
ascended it formed itself into a belt and made a
noise like the rustling of a mighty wind, and
continued southwest, forming a regular bow dipping
in the western horizon.
:After the bow had formed it began to widen out
and grow clear and transparent of a bluish cast,
it grew wide enough to contain twelve men abreast.
	  
:In this bow an army moved, commencing from the
east and marching to the west. They moved in
platoons, and walked so close, the rear ranks trod
in the steps of their file leaders, until the
whole bow was literally crowded with soldiers. 	 
	 
: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.
:Subsequently I learned this took place the same
evening that Joseph Smith received the records of
the Book of Mormon from the Angel Moroni.

Kimball had two more children after this event.
Hellen Mar was born August 22, 1828. Roswell Heber
was born January 10, 1831. He died six months
later on June 15.

==Joining the LDS Church==

Kimball writes that he had always contemplated
things like salvation and religion since he was
about 12 years old. The directions provided by the
priests and teachers of the various churches never
satisfied him. However, while in New York, Kimball
joined the local Baptist Church. He attended
several of their meetings, and eventually received
baptism. He claims that many of the teachings he
agreed with, but there were many he did not
believe in as well. He counted the association as
a good thing, however.

Only three weeks after receiving baptism in the
Baptist Church, three elders from the early Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited the
house of his friend, Phinehas Young. Kimball
visited the house at this time and was impressed
with their 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, he reported that, while he and
several of the Young family were chopping wood, a
vision opened up to them and they saw the
"gathering of the Saints to Zion" and many other
things.  This and many other events led him to
travel to Pennsylvania to visit with the elders
some more, accompanied by some of the Youngs. They
stayed six days with the elders and the church
there. They witnessed more miracles such as
speaking in tongues and the interpretation of
tongues.

On April 14, 1832, Brigham Young was baptized by
Eleazer Miller. Shortly thereafter, one of the
elders called on Kimball while he was at work.
During the conversation, Kimball jumped up and
declared that he wanted to be baptized. They went
immediately to a small stream in the woods and he
was baptized in April 1832 by Alpheus Gifford.
After the confirmation, the elder offered to give
the priesthood, but Kimball refused it as he felt
he was unready. Shortly after that, 30 more people
were baptized in Mendon, and they formed a branch
of the church.

About this time, people began calling Kimball
"crazy", although he claims he was "clothed in the
right mind". He claims the scriptures unfolded for
him. 

Local clergy and members of other faiths soon
became antagonistic towards the small LDS branch
and its members. Heber had several people make
executions on his property to recall debt owed.
Although the debt was great, he was able to secure
the money necessary to pay them in full.

== Church service ==

Shortly after his baptism, Kimball was ordained an
elder by Joseph Young, and began proselyting in
the neighboring areas with Joseph and Brigham
Young. They were met with great success, baptizing
many and building up churches. He reports one
instance where Ezra Landon baptized some twenty
people but wanted Kimball to confirm them. He did
so, and immediately they began speaking in tongues
and interpreting them. It was like Pentecost.

In 1833, Kimball relocated his family to Church
headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio.  Kimball was
ordained a member of The Quorum of Twelve Apostles
on February 14, 1835. He was one of the original
twelve members of the Quorum, being 4th in
seniority. He marched with Zion's Camp in 1834.

Joseph Smith, Jr. called Elder Kimball to lead a
group of missionaries to England in 1837.  The
mission began work in Liverpool, England and met
with considerable success.  Kimball was known as a
simple and outspoken preacher who worked hard.  He
and the other missionaries brought many people to
the new faith.  The missionaries began organizing
groups of British converts to travel to America,
beginning in 1840, and join the main body of the
church.  Kimball returned with an 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 Joseph Smith was imprisoned in
the Liberty Jail, Brigham Young (now ranking
leader of the Quorum) and Kimball organized the
removal of approximately 12,000 LDS refugees
across the border into Illinois.  There the Church
founded the city of Nauvoo and built a temple. 
Kimball returned to his mission in England in 1840
and served until 1841.

After Joseph Smith's assassination in 1844,
succession to the leadership of the Church was a
divisive issue.  Brigham Young, standing as the
head of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, led the
majority of church members across the state line
into Iowa and eventually to the Salt Lake Valley. 
Heber C. Kimball stood next in leadership in the
Quorum and was called to the new First Presidency
in 1847.  Kimball led one of three large companies
to the Salt Lake Valley in the summer of 1848.  He
established his families in Utah and supported
them by farming, ranching, milling and freighting,
in addition to church responsibilities.  While in
the First Presidency, Kimball received special
assignments to supervise the ongoing British
Mission and to conduct temple ordinances.  He also
served in the Utah's Territorial legislature.     

Heber C. Kimball passed away on June 22, 1868 in
Salt Lake City, Utah, from the effects of a
carriage accident. He was buried on the south
slope of what's now known as Capitol Hill (Salt
Lake City)|Capitol Hill, an area then called
"Heber's Bench" after him.

== Plural marriage ==

Kimball received private instruction from Joseph
Smith on the new LDS commandment of plural
marriage.  Initially reluctant, 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.  Kimball eventually
married a total of forty-three women, although a
number of these marriages were not intimate ones. 
He had sixty-five children by seventeen different
women.

== Reference ==

* Allen, James B. and Leonard, Glen M.  The Story
of the Latter-day Saints.  Deseret Book Co., Salt
Lake City, UT, 1976.  ISBN 0-87747-594-6.

* Ludlow, Daniel H.,  A Companion to Your Study of
the Doctrine and Covenants, Deseret Book Co., Salt
Lake City, UT, 1978.  ISBN 1-57345-224-6.

* Ludlow, Daniel H., Editor.  Church History,
Selections From the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.  
Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, UT, 1992.  ISBN
0-87579-924-8. 

== External links ==

* http://saintswithouthalos.com
SaintsWithoutHalos.com sections of Heber C.
Kimball's autobiography.
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hc.pht
ml
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch1.p
html
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch2.p
html
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch3.p
html
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch4.p
html
http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/b/kimball_hch5.p
html

start box
series box |
 title= Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
 years= February 14, 1835–December 27, 1847
|
 before=Brigham Young |
 after= Orson Hyde |

end box