Life of Heber C. Kimball, an apostle

by Orson F. Whitney

CHAPTER LXIII.

ANECDOTES AND REMINISCENCES OF HEBER C. KIMBALL—THE MAN AS OTHERS KNEW HIM—GOLDEN GRAINS FROM THE SANDS OF MEMORY.

At this point in our history we deem it proper to introduce a series of anecdotes and reminiscences relating to President Kimball, nearly all of which were contributed, at the author's invitation, especially for this work. These flowers of incident culled from the gardens of recollection, cannot fail to interest the reader, while they illustrate, as nothing else could, the character and conduct of this remarkable man.

The first is from Brother N. B. Baldwin, of Fillmore, who writes as follows:

"My first acquaintance with Elder Kimball was in Zion's Camp, in the Spring and Summer of 1834. The following winter the young and middle-aged Elders, all who conveniently could, were called in to attend school in Kirtland, Ohio. William E. McLellin was the teacher of the grammar classes, grammar being then taught on the Kirkham plan, by lecture and repetition. Our class consisted of Joseph Smith (who, in the absence of the teacher at other duties, took charge of the class), David W. Patten, Heber C. Kimball, Benjamin Winchester, Nathan B. Baldwin and others that I do not now recollect.

"It seemed to be very hard for Brother Kimball to memorize sentences by hearing them repeated. One time when he was thus at fault, Joseph, in a jocular mood, said to him; 'Repeat that correctly, or I will take a stick and whip you as I would a little child.'

"With his model meekness, Brother Kimball smilingly said; 'Well, you may whip me.'

"'Yes,' said Joseph, 'it would be just about like whipping a little child. YOU ARE JUST AS INNOCENT AS A LITTLE CHILD.'"

This simple anecdote furnishes not only a key to the character of Heber C. Kimball, showing his native meekness and veneration, but also an evidence of the estimation in which he was held by the Prophet, even at that early day. Jesus said that "except ye become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

ELDER WILLIAM B. BARTON contributes the following:

"It was my happy privilege, while filling a mission to England in 1874-5-6 to receive my appointment to labor in the Liverpool Conference. This conference included, among others, a few branches that were left of the once flourishing conferences of Clithero and Preston. I realized that I was traveling on historic ground. I found some few Saints still in that land, who were personally acquainted with the early Elders and Apostles who first preached and established the gospel in Preston; and I found that while all were kindly remembered, none had made as indelible and lasting an impression on their minds as Brother Heber C. Kimball. They pointed out with pleasure and reverence the places where he and others had stood forth proclaiming the restored gospel. Among these were the Market-place, the Cock Pit, and the Rev. James Fielding's Chapel. I was fortunate in securing a photograph of this chapel, but had no idea at the time that it would ever be used to illustrate a history of the founder of the British mission.

"This Mr. Fielding and a Mr. Aitken were two of twelve men who had united together and made a vow that they would neither eat nor drink until the Lord revealed to them whether he would raise up His Church in their day. The Lord did make known to them that he had already established His Church on the earth, and in due time His servants would be sent with authority to preach and baptize. Brother Kimball visited Mr. Aitken and bore a powerful testimony of the truth, and prophesied to him that if he rejected the message of salvation, he would lose his influence, his flock would leave him, and he would go down; all of which was fulfilled to the very letter, with regard to him and Mr. Fielding also. Mr. Fielding had commenced to build a more commodious church, but he never finished it, and he himself was for a long time an inmate of Grosvenor hospital; a place where unfortunate and aged clergymen spent their declining years."

"Among the early converts of Apostle Kimball in that land were the sisters Mary Ann and Margaret Heaton Topping, whose parents were opposed to and never joined the Church. Brother Kimball counseled them to obey their parents, and told them that the time would come when they would cease to object to their attending the meetings of the Saints. Said he: 'When I say come, come, and all will be well,' which promise was literally fulfilled. He warned one of these sisters not to marry a young man she was engaged to, as he would apostatize and leave the Church, and told her that her future husband was not then in the Church, but would come in and remain faithful; and, said he, 'You shall see the man you are going to marry at the conference that I will notify you to attend.' These remarkable promises were all fulfilled, and Sister Topping is alive to-day to bear witness of their truth."

BROTHER CHARLES HUBBARD, an old friend of Heber's, whom he mentions repeatedly in his history, relates this incident:

"As is well known, President Brigham Young, when he crossed the Mississippi River from Montrose, in September, 1839, and started on his mission to England, was very sick. He was brought to the house of Heber C. Kimball, in Nauvoo. Brother Kimball was also sick with the same disease (ague) but after the fever went off he climbed upon his house and was trying to finish the roof, when his brother missionary (Brigham) came out to walk a little to try his strength. In the effort he fainted and fell to the ground. Brother Kimball, not having strength to lift him, called to me, just across the river, to come and help assist Brother Brigham into the house, where, after placing him upon the bed, we administered to him and he recovered consciousness. When I left, Brother Heber followed me to the door and said:

"'Charley, I doubt very much if Brigham ever rises from that bed.'

"But he had no sooner uttered the words, than he spoke up, as with another voice, and said, 'He shall live, and shall start upon this mission with me to-morrow morning.' And they did start the very next morning, on their mission to England.'"

ELDER JACOB HAMBLIN leaves the following on record:

"At the April conference I, with others, was called on a mission to the Indians in Southern Utah, in 1854. We commenced our labors at a place we called Harmony.

"About the end of May of that year, President B. Young, Heber C. Kimball, P. P. Pratt and others, to the number of twenty persons, came to visit us. President Young gave much instruction, etc. Brother Kimball prophesied that if the brethren were united they would be prospered and blessed, but if they permitted the spirit of strife and contention to come into their midst, the place would come to an end in a scene of bloodshed.

"Previous to this meeting, President Young asked some brethren who had been into the country south of Harmony, if they thought a wagon road could be made down to the Rio Virgin. Their replies were very discouraging, but in the face of this report Brother Kimball prophesied in this meeting that a road would be made from Harmony over the Black Ridge, and a Temple would be built on the Rio Virgin, and the Lamanites would come from the east side of the Colorado River and get their endowments in it. All these prophecies have been fulfilled."

One of the Elders laboring in the Manti Temple writes:

"In an early day when President Young and party were making the location of a settlement here, President Heber C. Kimball prophesied that the day would come when a temple would be built on this hill. Some disbelieved and doubted the possibility of even making a settlement here. Brother Kimball said, 'Well, it will be so, and more than that, the rock will be quarried from that hill to build it with, and some of the stone from that quarry will be taken to help complete the Salt Lake Temple.' On July 28th, 1878, two large stones, weighing respectively 5,600 and 5,020 pounds, were taken from the Manti stone quarry, hauled by team to York, the U. C. R. R. terminus then, and shipped to Salt Lake City to be used for the tablets in the east and west ends of the Salt Lake City Temple.

"At a conference held in Ephraim, Sanpete County, June 25th, 1875, nearly all the speakers expressed their feelings to have a temple built in Sanpete County, and gave their views as to what point and where to build it, and to show the union that existed, Elder Daniel H. Wells said 'Manti,' George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young, Jr., John Taylor, Orson Hyde, Erastus Snow, Franklin D. Richards, Lorenzo Young, and A. M. Musser said 'Manti stone quarry.' I have given the names in the order in which they spoke. At 4 p. m. that day President Brigham Young said: 'The Temple should be built on Manti stone quarry.' Early on the morning of April 25th, 1877, President Brigham Young asked Brother Warren S. Snow to go with him to the Temple hill. Brother Snow says; 'We two were alone: President Young took me to the spot where the Temple was to stand; we went to the southeast corner, and President Young said; 'Here is the spot where the prophet Moroni stood and dedicated this piece of land for a Temple site, and that is the reason why the location is made here, and we can't move it from this spot; and if you and I are the only persons that come here at high noon to-day, we will dedicate this ground."

The late George Nebeker said that President Kimball told him, many years ago, that he would live to see the kings and great ones of the earth pass by his door. Brother Nebeker resided in the nineteenth ward. The railway at that time was not thought of in Utah. But the iron horse now rushes along the street immediately in front of Brother Nebeker's family residence, and he himself lived to see such celebrities as President Grant, the Emperor of Brazil and other royal and great ones literally pass by his door.

MRS. MAMIE HOOPER JENNINGS, daughter of the late Captain Hooper, relates:

"Brother Kimball gave my father a half dollar, telling him that as long as he kept it he should never want for money. Father placed faith in the promise, and testified often that he had realized its truth; he had never wanted for money, in any sum, from that time."