Life of Heber C. Kimball, an apostle

by Orson F. Whitney

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.