Spencer W. Kimball

Twelfth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Prophet-Seer-Revelator

Spencer W. Kimball
This man was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was raised in the Thatcher Area of the State of Arizona. He was a plagued with health issues from the time he was very young. Four of his sisters died in their childhood. His mother died when he was only 11 years old. Spencer became a business man in Thatcher working in several banks, He worked as a debt collector, and started his own real estate and insurance companies.

He was drafted into WWII but was not able to serve because of last minute changes by Government directives. He was called to be an Apostle in 1943 for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He sold his businesses and home in Arizona when called to become an Apostle and moved to Salt Lake City.

He became President of the church in 1972. Under his stewardship as President of the world wide church, membership flourished, numbers of missionaries increased to nearly 30,000. In 1978 he declared officially that all worthy males may hold the Priesthood which meant black males of African descent could now receive the priesthood.

President Spencer W. Kimball was a humble hardworking man. He could barely speak because of bouts with throat cancer and having lost vocal chords due to surgery. He re-learned to speak by trapping air and releasing it as needed. Yet when he did speak, you heard the strange sounds from his mouth (some words were undetectable and hushed in a deep whisper) Yet the spiritual purity was understood.

The words and the strength of the man were far greater than one would expect from one with a stature not much over 5 feet tall and riddled with heart surgeries, cancer and all the complications. To this he would say, "it is time to stand a little taller and lengthen our stride." His motto was "do it". This plaque was on his desk to remind him to do it now. Nike didn't invent the phrase you know.

Spencer W. Kimball was loved by millions. He died at age 90 passing the keys to the fullness of the Priesthood, which he testified he held and that they were the same keys held by Peter the Original Apostle to Jesus; to Ezra Taft Benson in 1985. President Kimball lead the Latter-day Saint people (Mormans) as their prophet for twelve years. A Thatcher, Arizona man became a world leader and spiritual instructor to mankind.


Spencer W. Kimball

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