Prophet Spencer W. Kimball

Spencer W. Kimball is the 12th Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Spencer was born in Salt Lake City on the twenty-eighth of March, 1895. His parents were Andrew and Olive Kimball, both parents were .

Spencer W. Kimball came from a rich pioneer ancestry. Both sides of his family contributed to the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ back on the earth. Spencer is the grandson of Heber C. Kimball, who was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when it was organized in 1835. He later served as First Counselor to President Brigham Young for over two decades. Edwin D. Woolley, Spencer’s grandfather on his mother’s side, embraced the gospel in the days of Joseph Smith. He was a respected bishop in the Salt Lake Valley. He also served from time to time as a manager of Brigham Young’s personal business affairs.

In 1898, Spencers parents Andrew and Olive received a calling to settle in the Gila Valley of south-central Arizona. They packed up their six children (including three-year-old Spencer) and made the move 600 miles south from Salt Lake City. Spencer grew up in Thatcher Arizona where his father was the president of the St. Joseph Stake in Gila Valley.

Spencer faced many tragedies as a young boy with two of his sisters passing away, one as a newborn and one as a five year old. The hardest of all was in 1906 when Spencers mom passed away, Spencer was only 11 years old. It was devastating to the young boy.

After graduating from grade school at fifteen, in 1914 Spencer attended Gila Academy. Spencer was voted class president for each year he spent there. During his senior year he was voted Student Body President.

When Spencer graduated from Gila Academy he planned on attending University of Arizona. At his graduation, Spencer and his father were speakers of the ceremony. During the graduation ceremony Spencers father announced that Spencer would not be going to the University but would serve a mission instead. Everyone was surprised including Spencer. He ended up getting his call to Swiss-Austrian Mission, but World War 1 broke out and he was sent to the Central States Mission instead. He served from 1914 to 1916.

On November 16, 1917 Spencer married Camilla Eyring. The young couple was married in Pima, Arizona. Seven months later, on June 7, 1918, the couple were sealed in a marriage ceremony in the Salt Lake Temple.

When Spencer was 48 years old he was called to be an Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by Heber J. Grant.

At 51, President Kimball received an assignment from President George Albert Smith to work with the American Indians. Growing up in the Gila Valley helped immensely with this assignment.

President Kimball had many health problems throughout his life. He suffered from Bell’s Palsy, which paralyzed his face, typhoid fever, small pox, heart attacks, throat cancer(which caused his voice to change), subdural hematomas, strokes and boils. Spencer W. Kimball suffered cancer of the throat; one and a half vocal cords were removed (1957).

At one point President Russel M. Nelson was President Kimball’s heart surgeon.

President Spencer W. Kimball was called to be the prophet after the death of Harold B. Lee in 1974. He served as prophet for nearly 12 years.

In 1978 President Kimball addressed the Church to announce that the Priesthood of God would be extended to all worthy male members. President Kimball was 83 at the time of the announcement.

After brain surgery in 1979 President Kimball had more health problems. In 1981 President Kimball could no longer attend to his duties as President of the Church. Elder Gordon B. Hinckley took over most of the responsibilities for the prophet.

President Kimball died November 5, 1985 at the age of ninety, he is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.