• Born 1895 Salt Lake City, Utah
• Baptized as a child; Aaronic Priesthood as a youth; Melchizedek Priesthood as a young man
• Mission to Central States, 1914-1917
• Married Camilla Eyring 1917; four children
• Ordained Apostle and called to Quorum of the Twelve 1943-1973
• Acting President of Quorum of the Twelve 1970-1972
• President of Quorum of the Twelve 1972-1973
• Twelfth President of the Church, 1973-1985
• Received Revelation giving Priesthood to all worthy males, 1978
• Died 1985 Salt Lake City, Utah

    Spencer Wooley Kimball, the twelfth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proved a surprise and a paradox to many throughout his life. Of short stature, he proved an able athlete. Attaining the office of President late in life and with severe health problems, his was expected to be a short tenured caretaker Presidency. Instead, it lasted twelve years and made monumental achievements. This man of peace, who always sought to smooth troubled waters, instead often found himself embroiled in controversy and conflict.

    Spencer was born March 28, 1895 in Salt Lake City to Andrew Kimball, a son of Apostle Heber C. Kimball, and Andrew's wife Olive Wooley Kimball. When Spencer was three, the family moved to Thatcher, Arizona so that his father could accept a call to serve as Stake President in the area. Thus Spencer grew up in Arizona. He served a mission to the Central States and during the latter half was called to preside over twenty-five Elders, all older than himself.

    Returning home, he married Camilla Eyring, a school teacher, on November 16, 1917. They eventually had four children: Spencer L., Olive Beth, Andrew E., and Edward L. Spencer. He worked in the fields of banking and insurance, determined to remain self-employed for the flexibility it gave him to tend to Church duties.

    In 1943, after serving for years in Stake callings, he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve. He felt woefully inadequate and was depressed for days before receiving a confirmation that the calling was of God. He sold his business, moved his family to Salt Lake City, and at the October General Conference in 1943 received the sustaining vote of the Church's membership and was that same day ordained an apostle by President Heber J. Grant.

    As a General Authority, President Heber J. Grant gave him the responsibility of working with the Indian peoples. Appalled by the poverty and hardship he saw, he first presided over the distribution of welfare goods, then determined that any long term benefit must come from the twin efforts of improvements to infrastructure in the Reservations and improvement of education of the Native Americans. Elder Kimball developed the Indian Student Placement Program which allowed worthy Indian students to be placed in homes where they could receive an extended education. This program was in place many years until improving conditions lessened its need. He preached vigorously against racial prejudice.

    Much of his time was spent counseling members with various problems. His experience led him to write The Miracle of Forgiveness, which has brought hope to millions and is a classic in Church literature.

    Elder Kimball suffered a heart attack in 1948 and throat cancer a few years later. Removal of most of his vocal cords left him with a distinctive weak, raspy voice. In 1972 he underwent open-heart surgery to replace an obstructed artery and a failing valve.

    Thus when, with the death of President Harold B. Lee in 1973, Spencer W. Kimball was sustained as President of the Church, most observers expected a short, uneventful, caretaker Presidency. Another surprise! Among the achievements of President Kimball's administration were almost doubling the membership of the Church, granting the Priesthood to all worthy members, articulating for the first time the Three-fold Mission of the Church, organizing the First Quorum of the Seventy for the first time since the days of Joseph Smith, establishing operating Areas and Area Presidencies to decentralize Church government, establishing the three-hour Block Meeting Schedule, and increasing the operating temples from fifteen to thirty-one.

    If Grampa Bill may be excused for sharing a short personal experience with President Kimball, Elder Kimball at the time... Sitting outside the office of the Patriarch to the Church, Eldred G. Smith, while my parents received their Patriarchal Blessings, Gramma Letty and I were greeted by a short man who came running up the stairs of the Old Church Office Building. He introduced himself as Elder Kimball and asked if he could be of any assistance. We explained that we were waiting while the Patriarch talked to my parents. He laughed and told us we might have quite a wait as Patriarch Smith sometimes talked for hours. Assured that we were okay, he resumed his run up the stairs. Eventually, the conversations and blessings were over and Patriarch Smith accompanied my parents to the door. When we told of having met Elder Kimball, it was the Patriarch's turn to laugh. He explained that Elder Kimball was not afraid of elevators but would never enter one unless it was on his floor with the door open. He simply did not have time to wait. Yet he had time to check on two strangers to see if we needed his help.

    On November 5, 1985, at age ninety, President Kimball died in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was succeeded as Church President by Ezra Taft Benson.

You will note that some are available only as text; some are available only in the MP3 format; while still others are avaible in both text and MP3.

Talks marked with an asterisk (*) are not (to my knowledge) available anywhere else on the web. As a service, they have been copied onto this web site.

Bewildered and Shocked * Note: This is the first address given by Elder Spencer W. Kimball in General Conference following being sustained as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.	General Conference 1 October 1943
Devotional	BYU Fireside 26 May 1949	MP3
A Style of Our Own	BYU Fireside 13 February 1951	MP3
Whom Shall I Marry?	BYU Fireside 4 March 1952	MP3
The Lamanite	BYU Fireside 15 April 1953	MP3
Tragedy Or Destiny?	BYU Fireside 6 December 1955	MP3
Prayer	BYU Fireside 11 October 1961	MP3
Humility	BYU Fireside 16 January 1963	MP3
Love Vs Lust	BYU Fireside 5 January 1965	MP3
Lamanite Prophecies Fulfilled	BYU Fireside 13 April 1965	MP3
Kings and Priests	BYU Fireside 15 February 1966	MP3
The Lamanite: Their Burden, Our Burden	BYU Fireside 9 February 1967	MP3
Gospel Forum: Continuing Revelation	Ensign, February 1971
Voices of the Past, of the Present, of the Future	Ensign, June 1971
Of Royal Blood	Ensign, July 1971
Peter, My Brother	BYU Fireside 13 July 1971	MP3
Church Is a Cure-all for All Problems	BYU Fireside 26 September 1971	MP3
Glimpses of Heaven	Ensign, December 1971
Keep the Lines of Communication Strong	Ensign, July 1972
President Marion G. Romney: A Symbol of Righteousness	Ensign, November 1972
Church Growth and Lamanite Involvement	BYU Fireside 7 November 1972
“We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet”	Ensign, January 1973
The Family Influence	Ensign, July 1973
Marriage Is Honorable	BYU Fireside 30 September 1973	MP3
The Rewards, the Blessings, the Promises	Ensign, January 1974
A Giant of a Man	Ensign, February 1974
"Guidelines to Carry Forth the Work of God in Cleanliness" Note: This is the first address given by President Spencer W. Kimball in General Conference following the Solemn Assembly in which he was sustained as President of the Church.	General Conference April 1974
Planning for a Full and Abundant Life	General Conference, April 1974
What Do We Hear?	General Conference, April 1974
The Cause Is Just and Worthy	General Conference, April 1974
First Presidency Message Temples and Eternal Marriage	Ensign, August 1974
Be Ye Therefore Perfect	BYU Fireside 17 September 1974	MP3
“When the World Will Be Converted”	Ensign, October 1974
God Will Not Be Mocked	General Conference, October 1974
The Davids and the Goliaths	General Conference, October 1974
Ocean Currents and Family Influences	General Conference, October 1974
Small Acts of Service	Ensign, December 1974
Home: The Place to Save Society	Ensign, January 1975
The Marriage Decision	Ensign, February 1975
“Why Call Me Lord, Lord, and Do Not the Things Which I Say?”	General Conference, April 1975
To Bear the Priesthood Worthily	General Conference, April 1975
Why Do We Continue to Tolerate Sin?	General Conference, April 1975
The Example of Abraham	Ensign, June 1975
Always a Convert Church: Some Lessons to Learn and Apply This Year	Ensign, September 1975
"Announcement of Restoration of the First Quorum of the Seventy" Note: Almost as an aside, President Kimball announced the restoration of the First Quorum of the Seventy for the first time since the days of Nauvoo... an event of the first magnitude in Church history.	General Conference October 1975
The Lord’s Plan for Men and Women	Ensign, October 1975
Spoken from Their Hearts	General Conference, October 1975
There Is Still Much to Do	General Conference, October 1975
The Time to Labor Is Now	General Conference, October 1975
The Privilege of Holding the Priesthood	General Conference, October 1975
The Second Century of Brigham Young University	BYU Devotional, 10 October 1975
Our Paths Have Met Again	Ensign, December 1975
Relief Society—Its Promise and Potential	Ensign, March 1976
The Blessings and Responsibilities of Womanhood	Ensign, March 1976
Family Preparedness	General Conference, April 1976
The Stone Cut without Hands	General Conference, April 1976
Seeking Eternal Riches	General Conference, April 1976
Boys Need Heroes Close By	General Conference, April 1976
The False Gods We Worship	Ensign, June 1976
How Rare a Possession—the Scriptures!	Ensign, September 1976
Marriage and Divorce	BYU Devotional, 7 September 1976	MP3
Loving One Another	General Conference, October 1976
A Report and a Challenge	General Conference, October 1976
Our Own Liahona	General Conference, October 1976
A Program for Man	General Conference, October 1976
The Things of Eternity—Stand We in Jeopardy?	Ensign, January 1977
Oneness in Marriage	Ensign, March 1977
Our Great Potential	General Conference, April 1977
Revelation: The Word of the Lord to His Prophets	General Conference, April 1977
The Lord Expects His Saints to Follow the Commandments	General Conference, April 1977
Presentation of Scouting Award	General Conference, April 1977
The Gospel Vision of the Arts	Ensign, July 1977
Temples Now and in the Future	BYU Devotional, 4 August 1977	MP3
Absolute Truth	BYU Devotional, 6 September 1977	MP3
“It Becometh Every Man”	Ensign, October 1977
The Power of Forgiveness	General Conference, October 1977
The Foundations of Righteousness	General Conference, October 1977
Welfare Services: The Gospel in Action	General Conference, October 1977
Jesus the Christ	General Conference, October 1977
The Sabbath—A Delight	Ensign, January 1978
"Becoming the Pure in Heart" Note: In this landmark address, President Kimball articulated, for the first time, the three-fold mission of the Church. It is considered a watershed discourse in Church history.	General Conference April 1978
“Train Up a Child”	Ensign, April 1978
Living the Gospel in the Home	General Conference, April 1978
Strengthening the Family—the Basic Unit of the Church	General Conference, April 1978
Listen to the Prophets	General Conference, April 1978
The True Way of Life and Salvation	General Conference, April 1978
A Vision of Visiting Teaching	Ensign, June 1978
Official Declaration 2 Note: This historic document recorded the revelation allowing the priesthood be granted to all worthy male members of the Church.	Letter to all Priesthood Leaders, June 1978
The Abundant Life	Ensign, July 1978
Absolute Truth	Ensign, September 1978
"On My Honor"	BYU Devotional, 12 September 1978	MP3
Fundamental Principles to Ponder and Live	General Conference, October 1978
The Fruit of Our Welfare Services Labors	General Conference, October 1978
“Hold Fast to the Iron Rod”	General Conference, October 1978
An Eternal Hope in Christ	General Conference, October 1978
Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters	General Conference, October 1978
Sisters, Seek Everything That Is Good	Ensign, March 1979
On My Honor	Ensign, April 1979
Fortify Your Homes Against Evil	General Conference, April 1979
Applying the Principles of Welfare Services	General Conference, April 1979
Preparing for Service in the Church	General Conference, April 1979
Let Us Move Forward and Upward	General Conference, April 1979
“The Uttermost Parts of the Earth”	Ensign, July 1979
Jesus: The Perfect Leader	Ensign, August 1979
Integrity: The Spirit of BYU	BYU Devotional, 4 September 1979
The Importance of Celestial Marriage	Ensign, October 1979
“Give Me This Mountain”	General Conference, October 1979
The Role of Righteous Women	General Conference, October 1979
Our Sisters in the Church	General Conference, October 1979
“We Need a Listening Ear”	General Conference, October 1979
Give the Lord Your Loyalty	Ensign, March 1980
Remarks and Dedication of the Fayette, New York, Buildings	General Conference, April 1980
A Deep Commitment to the Principles of Welfare Service	General Conference, April 1980
Introduction to the Proclamation	General Conference, April 1980
“No Unhallowed Hand Can Stop the Work”	General Conference, April 1980
“Let Us Not Weary in Well Doing”	General Conference, April 1980
“We Feel an Urgency”	Ensign, August 1980
Acquiring Spiritual Literacy	BYU Devotional, 9 September 1980
Families Can Be Eternal	General Conference, October 1980
The Law of Tithing	General Conference, October 1980
“Learn—Then Teach”	General Conference, October 1980
“Do Not Weary by the Way”	General Conference, October 1980
President Kimball Speaks Out on Morality	General Conference, October 1980
Jesus of Nazareth	Ensign, December 1980
Ministering to the Needs of Members	General Conference, October 1980
President Kimball Speaks Out on Personal Journals	Ensign, December 1980
President Kimball Speaks Out on Profanity	Ensign, February 1981
“He Did It with All His Heart, and Prospered”	Ensign, March 1981
Rendering Service to Others	General Conference, April 1981
A Report of My Stewardship	General Conference, April 1981
Follow the Fundamentals	General Conference, April 1981
We Are on the Lord’s Errand	General Conference, April 1981
“Pray Always”	Ensign, October 1981
“Therefore I Was Taught”	Ensign, January 1982
God Will Forgive	Ensign, March 1982
Remember the Mission of the Church	General Conference, April 1982
The Lord Is at the Helm	General Conference, April 1982
The Gospel of Repentance	Ensign, October 1982
"The Lord Expects Righteousness" Note: This is the last address given by President Spencer W. Kimball in General Conference prior to his death. He lived another three years, but health precluded him ever again visiting with and personally addressing the Saints in General Conference.	General Conference October 1982
“And the Lord Called His People Zion”	Ensign, August 1984