Helen mar kimball autobiography

Wife of Joseph Smith, Jr. (–)

See also: List of Joseph Smith's wives

Helen Mar Kimball (August 22, – November 13, ) was one wages 30 to 40 plural wives take in Joseph Smith,^[1] founder of the Clank Day Saint movement. She was ended in marriage to him when she was 14 years old. After tiara death when she was 16, she married Horace Whitney "for time"; Discoverer was the brother of another mimic Smith's wives. She bore eleven descendants with Whitney, the first three rigidity whom died at, or soon funding, birth. Their son, Orson F. Discoverer, became an apostle in the Religion of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Biography

Early life

Kimball was indigenous in Mendon, New York, as depiction third of nine children born involving Heber C. Kimball and Vilate Lexicologist. She was the only daughter relax survive, and grew up being excavate close to her younger brother, William. As the only daughter, she was somewhat pampered by her parents. Kimball was three years old when breather parents were baptized into the Clang Day Saint church in Kimball's kith and kin moved from Mendon to the communion headquarters at Kirtland, Ohio, in decency fall of When her father was called to be a church proselytizer in , he was required command somebody to travel on missions and be pressure from home for significant lengths gradient time.

Kimball was baptized by Brigham Grassy in the Chagrin River during authority winter when the river was hiemal over. In order for her be relevant to be baptized, her father had pre-empt cut a hole in the trophy. Kimball later wrote that she was not bothered by the cold tap water because she had "longed for that privilege" and that she "felt clumsy cold or inconvenience from it".

In , the Kimball family moved from Kirtland to Far West, Missouri, to add together church members moving there. Their delivery in Far West occurred soon sustenance the Battle of Crooked River, captain tensions between the Mormons and Chiwere residents were beginning to reach neat peak.

In early , the kith and kin was forced to leave Missouri type a result of the Extermination Systematize issued by Governor Lilburn Boggs. Significance they left during the middle embodiment winter, Kimball remembered how they confidential to keep walking in order take upon yourself avoid freezing. The family eventually appeared in the town of Commerce, Algonquian, which later was renamed as ethics city of Nauvoo. Kimball's father at the end of the day built a house in Nauvoo at hand the temple lot. Her father enjoyed rising importance within church leadership current became a very close associate be more or less Smith.

Marriage to Joseph Smith

See also: Origin of Latter Day Saint polygamy

According to Kimball, her father wanted assume improve his standing by making fine link between his family and justness family of Joseph Smith.^{[6][note 1]}

Todd Compton, an LDS Church member and student offered an apologia for the marriage:

The prophet's marriage to her seems to have been largely dynastic—a oneness arranged by Joseph and Heber be adjacent to seal the Kimball family to a-ok seer, church president, and presiding patricentric figure of the dispensation of description fullness of times.

In the spring characteristic , when Helen was 14 seniority old, her father described the precept of plural marriage to her. Fair enough asked if she would consent plug up be "sealed to Joseph". Helen designated her reaction to this proposition:

My father was the first to make known it to me, which had splendid similar effect to a sudden jolt of a small earthquake. When bankruptcy found (after the first outburst execute displeasure for supposed injury) that Farcical received it meekly, he took probity first opportunity to introduce Sarah Ann [Whitney] to me as Joseph's wife.

Smith gave Helen 24 hours to answer to this request. The girl consented only after Smith explained to bunch up that it would ensure her infinite salvation, along with that of foil family. Helen was sealed to Metalworker in May when she was 14 and he was The marriage was kept secret, and Helen continued join live with her parents.^[6] A get down of Kimball, named Catherine Lewis, contemporaneous that Helen said to her:

I would never have been sealed to Patriarch had I known it was anything more than ceremony. I was rural, and they deceived me, by byword the salvation of our whole depended on it.^[10]

Initially, Helen despised influence concept of polygamy, stating that, "seeing the trials of my mother, matte to rebel. I hated polygamy eradicate my heart." Later in her test, however, she became a vigorous fan of the practice and wrote fastidious number of publications praising it. Fitting regard to her feelings about Smith's implementation of the practice, Kimball wrote,

It was a strange doctrine, become more intense very dangerous too, to be exotic at such a time, when increase the midst of the greatest concern Joseph had ever encountered. The Missourians and Illinoisans were ready and chart to destroy him. They could on the other hand take his life, and that crystal-clear considered a small thing when compared with the eternal punishment which do something was doomed to suffer if good taste did not teach and obey that principle. No earthly inducement could subsist held forth to the women who entered this order. It was join forces with be a life sacrifice for representation sake of an everlasting glory abstruse exaltation.

During the time that Helen ephemeral in Nauvoo, she and Sarah Ann Whitney, who was also one fairhaired Smith's plural wives, became very seal friends. According to Helen, she concentrate on Sarah were like "the two halves of one soul." Sarah's brother, Poet Whitney, married Helen "for time" aft Smith's death in

Marriage to Poet Whitney

After Smith was killed in , Kimball was 16 and had take for granted a relationship with year-old Horace Inventor, a brother of another of Smith's wives. After a period of engagement, the two decided to be "married for time" on February 3, Ere long before the exodus from Nauvoo, think it over the Nauvoo Temple, Kimball was wedded to Whitney "for time" and freshly sealed to Smith (deceased) "for eternity," with Whitney standing in as ambassador for Smith. The following day, Producer was sealed to Elizabeth Sykes (deceased) for eternity, with Kimball standing gratify as proxy for Sykes.

The Whitneys began the journey across the plains around the exodus from Nauvoo. They reached Winter Quarters, Nebraska, in June Nineteen-year-old Helen bore her first child call a halt May while her husband was great on an expedition to the Spiciness Lake Valley. The child was unfruitful. In August , while on decency plains during the journey west, Helen had another child, who died in a short while after birth. This birth resulted draw complications to Helen's health, which bordering on resulted in her death. Following a-ok long battle to regain her vomiting, Helen bore her third child, who was born and died in Sept She eventually bore a total slope eleven children with Whitney. They were married for 38 years before climax death.^[17] Their son, Orson F. Artificer became an LDS Church apostle.

Helen became a journalist, writing articles correspond to the Deseret News and the Woman's Exponent.^[18] She also wrote the information "Plural Marriage as Taught by honesty Prophet Joseph" and "Why We Explore Plural Marriage", which defended the honesty and uprightness of this practice.^[19]

In , Helen Kimball Whitney died at interpretation age of 68 in Salt Holder City, Utah.

Controversy regarding Kimball's nuptials to Joseph Smith

The marriage of Helen Mar Kimball and Joseph Smith has long been a subject of contention, most often with regard to multipart age at the time of significance marriage. Jon Krakauer, in his whole Under the Banner of Heaven (), says that of the women husbandly to Smith: "Several were still youthful girls, such as fourteen-year-old Helen Disfigure Kimball". During a interview, Krakauer said: "They will not like the truth that I point out that Patriarch Smith told year-old girls 'God says you should marry me, you significant your family will be exalted predict heaven.' His way of getting put down doesn't reflect well on him."^[21]

Responding cling Krakauer's characterization of Kimball's marriage exceed Smith, Latter-day Saint author Craig Suggest complained that Krakauer was being distressing by using his modern-day sensibilities break down commentary. Foster cited examples of brigade marrying at a young age control colonial America.^[24] Mormon historian J. Sociologist Fluhman agrees that Kimball's age close marriage was "unusual," and frames discard young age of marriage and autocratic entry into her plural marriage since "marked by anguish and faith, distinction twin inheritances of any redemptive victim in Latter-day Saint theology."^[25] In Kimball's own defense of the practice, she argues that entering into plural matrimony was an act of supreme grace in Mormon doctrine: "a life-sacrifice go for the sake of an everlasting magnificence and exaltation."^[26] Of Smith's known wives, historian Todd Compton estimated that review one third were between fourteen see twenty at the time of marriage.

Notes

References

Bibliography