Helen Mar Kimball
Encyclopedia
Helen Mar Kimball was a wife of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
.
, New York
as the third of nine children born to Heber C. Kimball
and Vilate Murray. She was the only daughter to survive, and grew up being very close to her younger brother William. Being the only daughter, she was somewhat pampered by her parents . Kimball was three years old when her parents were baptized into the Latter Day Saint church in 1832. Kimball's family moved from Mendon to the church headquarters at Kirtland, Ohio
in the fall of 1833. When her father was called to be an apostle of the church in 1835, he was required to travel on missions and be away from home for significant lengths of time .
Kimball was baptized by Brigham Young
in the Chagrin River
during the winter when the river was frozen over. In order for her to be baptized, her father had to cut a hole in the ice. Kimball later wrote that she was not bothered by the cold water because she had “longed for this privilege” and that she “felt no cold or inconvenience from it" .
In 1838 the Kimball family moved from Kirtland to Far West, Missouri
to join members of the church who were moving there. Their arrival in Far West occurred soon after the Battle of Crooked River
, and tensions between the Mormons and Missourians were beginning to reach a peak. In early 1839, the family was forced to leave Missouri as a result of the Extermination order
issued by Governor Lilburn Boggs
. Leaving during the middle of winter, Kimball remembered how they had to walk in order to keep from freezing . The family eventually arrived in the town of Commerce, Illinois, which would later become the city of Nauvoo
. Kimball's father eventually built a house in Nauvoo near the temple lot
. Her father's rising importance within the church leadership made him a very close associate of Joseph Smith, Jr.
Todd Compton
describes the reason for the marriage:
In the early summer of 1843, when she was 14 years old, Kimball’s father described the doctrine of plural marriage
to her. He then asked if she would consent to be “sealed to Joseph” . Helen describes her reaction to this proposition,
Kimball took 24 hours to respond to this request, and consented after Smith explained to her that it would ensure her eternal salvation along with that of her family. Helen was ‘’sealed’’ to Smith in May 1843. The marriage was kept secret, and Kimball continued to live with her parents .
Initially, Kimball despised the concept of polygamy, stating that, "seeing the trials of my mother, felt to rebel. I hated polygamy with my heart." Later in her life, however, she became a vigorous defender of the practice and wrote a number of publications praising it . With regard to her feelings about Smith's implementation of the practice, Kimball states,
in 1844, and by age sixteen, Kimball had formed a relationship with twenty-two-year-old Horace Whitney. After a period of courtship, the two decided to be “married for time” on February 3, 1846 . Shortly before the exodus from Nauvoo, in the Nauvoo Temple
, Kimball was married to Whitney for time and again sealed to Joseph Smith, Jr. (deceased) for eternity, with her husband Whitney standing in as proxy for Smith. The following day, Whitney was sealed to Elizabeth Sykes (deceased) for eternity, with Kimball standing in as proxy for Sykes .
Kimball bore eleven children with Horace Whitney . Her son Orson F. Whitney
became an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
in June 1846. Nineteen-year-old Helen bore her first child in May 1847 while her husband was away on an expedition to Salt Lake Valley
. The child was stillborn . In August 1848, while on the plains during the journey west, Helen had another child that died shortly after birth. This birth resulted in complications to Helen's health, which almost resulted in her death. Following a long battle to regain her health, Helen bore her third child, who was born and died in September 1849 .
In 1896 Helen died in Salt Lake City
, Utah
at the age of 68.
, in his book Under the Banner of Heaven, claims that of the women married to Smith: "Several were still pubescent girls, such as fourteen-year-old Helen Mar Kimball" . Krakauer stated his opinion more bluntly during an interview in 2003: "They will not like the fact that I point out that Joseph Smith told 14-year-old girls ‘God says you should marry me, if you don’t...’ His way of getting laid doesn’t reflect well on him.”
Responding to Krakauer’s characterization of Kimball’s marriage to Smith, Mormon
author Craig Foster states,
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
.
Early life
Kimball was born in MendonMendon, New York
Mendon is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States, and an affluent suburb of Rochester, New York. The population was 9,152 at the 2010 census.The Town of Mendon is on the south border of the county...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as the third of nine children born to Heber C. Kimball
Heber C. Kimball
Heber Chase Kimball was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Latter Day Saint church, and as first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his...
and Vilate Murray. She was the only daughter to survive, and grew up being very close to her younger brother William. Being the only daughter, she was somewhat pampered by her parents . Kimball was three years old when her parents were baptized into the Latter Day Saint church in 1832. Kimball's family moved from Mendon to the church headquarters at Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland, Ohio
Kirtland is a city in Lake County, Ohio, USA. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census. Kirtland is famous for being the early headquarters of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Origins of Kirtland:...
in the fall of 1833. When her father was called to be an apostle of the church in 1835, he was required to travel on missions and be away from home for significant lengths of time .
Kimball was baptized by Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
in the Chagrin River
Chagrin River
The Chagrin River is located in Northeast Ohio. The river has two branches, the Aurora Branch and East Branch. Its name is believed to stem from what the local Erie Indians used to call it, the "Sha-ga-rin", or "Clear Water". Given the clear flowing nature of especially the East Branch of the...
during the winter when the river was frozen over. In order for her to be baptized, her father had to cut a hole in the ice. Kimball later wrote that she was not bothered by the cold water because she had “longed for this privilege” and that she “felt no cold or inconvenience from it" .
In 1838 the Kimball family moved from Kirtland to Far West, Missouri
Far West, Missouri
Far West, Missouri, was a Latter Day Saint settlement in Caldwell County, Missouri.-Foundation and early history:The town was founded by Missouri Mormon leaders, W. W. Phelps and John Whitmer in August 1836 shortly before the county's creation. The town was platted originally as a square area,...
to join members of the church who were moving there. Their arrival in Far West occurred soon after the Battle of Crooked River
Battle of Crooked River
The Battle of Crooked River was a skirmish between Latter Day Saint forces and Missouri state militia unit from southeast of Elmira, Missouri in Ray County under the command of Samuel Bogart...
, and tensions between the Mormons and Missourians were beginning to reach a peak. In early 1839, the family was forced to leave Missouri as a result of the Extermination order
Extermination order
An Extermination order is an order given by a government sanctioning mass removal or death. The term is often associated with genocide.Extermination orders were issued in conjunction with the following events:* Armenian genocide...
issued by Governor Lilburn Boggs
Lilburn Boggs
Lilburn Williams Boggs was the sixth Governor of Missouri from 1836 to 1840. He is now most widely remembered for his interactions with Joseph Smith and Porter Rockwell, and Missouri Executive Order 44, known by Mormons as the "Extermination Order", issued in response to the ongoing conflict...
. Leaving during the middle of winter, Kimball remembered how they had to walk in order to keep from freezing . The family eventually arrived in the town of Commerce, Illinois, which would later become the city of Nauvoo
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
. Kimball's father eventually built a house in Nauvoo near the temple lot
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
. Her father's rising importance within the church leadership made him a very close associate of Joseph Smith, Jr.
Marriage to Joseph Smith Jr.
According to Kimball, her father wished to create an eternal link between his family and the family of Joseph Smith, Jr.Todd Compton
Todd Compton
Todd Merlin Compton is an American historian in the fields of Mormon history and Classics.- Biographical background :Compton is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who lived for a number of years in Santa Monica, California. He has served an LDS mission to Ireland...
describes the reason for the marriage:
“The prophet’s marriage to her seems to have been largely dynastic—a union arranged by Joseph and Heber to seal the Kimball family to a seer, church president, and presiding patriarchal figure of the dispensation of the fullness of times" .
In the early summer of 1843, when she was 14 years old, Kimball’s father described the doctrine of plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
to her. He then asked if she would consent to be “sealed to Joseph” . Helen describes her reaction to this proposition,
“My father was the first to introduce it to me, which had a similar effect to a sudden shock of a small earthquake. When he found (after the first outburst of displeasure for supposed injury) that I received it meekly, he took the first opportunity to introduce Sarah Ann [Whitney] to me as Joseph's wife" .
Kimball took 24 hours to respond to this request, and consented after Smith explained to her that it would ensure her eternal salvation along with that of her family. Helen was ‘’sealed’’ to Smith in May 1843. The marriage was kept secret, and Kimball continued to live with her parents .
Initially, Kimball despised the concept of polygamy, stating that, "seeing the trials of my mother, felt to rebel. I hated polygamy with my heart." Later in her life, however, she became a vigorous defender of the practice and wrote a number of publications praising it . With regard to her feelings about Smith's implementation of the practice, Kimball states,
“It was a strange doctrine, and very dangerous too, to be introduced at such a time, when in the midst of the greatest trouble Joseph had ever encountered. The Missourians and Illinoisans were ready and determined to destroy him. They could but take his life, and that he considered a small thing when compared with the eternal punishment which he was doomed to suffer if he did not teach and obey this principle. No earthly inducement could be held forth to the women who entered this order. It was to be a life sacrifice for the sake of an everlasting glory and exaltation" .
Marriage to Horace Whitney
With the death of SmithDeath of Joseph Smith, Jr.
The death of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844 marked a turning point for the Latter Day Saint movement, of which Smith was the founder and leader. When he was attacked and killed by a mob, Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States...
in 1844, and by age sixteen, Kimball had formed a relationship with twenty-two-year-old Horace Whitney. After a period of courtship, the two decided to be “married for time” on February 3, 1846 . Shortly before the exodus from Nauvoo, in the Nauvoo Temple
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
, Kimball was married to Whitney for time and again sealed to Joseph Smith, Jr. (deceased) for eternity, with her husband Whitney standing in as proxy for Smith. The following day, Whitney was sealed to Elizabeth Sykes (deceased) for eternity, with Kimball standing in as proxy for Sykes .
Kimball bore eleven children with Horace Whitney . Her son Orson F. Whitney
Orson F. Whitney
Orson Ferguson Whitney born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from April 9, 1906 until his death.-Early life:...
became an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Pioneer
Helen and Horace Whitney began the journey across the plains during the exodus from Nauvoo. They reached Winter Quarters, NebraskaWinter Quarters, Nebraska
Winter Quarters was an encampment formed by approximately 2,500 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they waited during the winter of 1846–47 for better conditions for their trek westward. It followed a preliminary tent settlement some 3½ miles west at Cutler's Park. The...
in June 1846. Nineteen-year-old Helen bore her first child in May 1847 while her husband was away on an expedition to Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
. The child was stillborn . In August 1848, while on the plains during the journey west, Helen had another child that died shortly after birth. This birth resulted in complications to Helen's health, which almost resulted in her death. Following a long battle to regain her health, Helen bore her third child, who was born and died in September 1849 .
In 1896 Helen died in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
at the age of 68.
Controversy regarding Helen's marriage to Smith
The marriage of Helen Mar Kimball and Joseph Smith, Jr. has long been a subject of controversy, most often with regard to her age at the time of the marriage. Jon KrakauerJon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
, in his book Under the Banner of Heaven, claims that of the women married to Smith: "Several were still pubescent girls, such as fourteen-year-old Helen Mar Kimball" . Krakauer stated his opinion more bluntly during an interview in 2003: "They will not like the fact that I point out that Joseph Smith told 14-year-old girls ‘God says you should marry me, if you don’t...’ His way of getting laid doesn’t reflect well on him.”
Responding to Krakauer’s characterization of Kimball’s marriage to Smith, Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
author Craig Foster states,
Falling into the same trap as many people and even some historians, he places his own modern values onto another place and time and, when their marriage patterns do not conform to his worldview, he looks upon it and writes about it with an open-mouthed, suitably shocked, and offended approach" .Foster then cited examples of women marrying at a young age in colonial America, arguing that it was a common practice at the time. .