Customer Reviews

Spencer W. Kimball, twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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Too often LDS biography suffers from an inability to develop the entire picture of an individual. The laudable desire to focus on the positive often prevents the LDS biographer from telling the entire story. Indeed, given the restrictions incumbent upon a prophet's biographers, this work could probably only have been written by President Kimball's sons; they have the unique perspective that allowed them to tell their father's story without ever seeming critical or unfair. They remind us that before he was a prophet who traveled the entire world, he was their father, a young man from rural Arizona struggling to support a family.

Do not misunderstand; Spencer Kimball was one of the most Christlike men to ever walk the earth--he did incredible work as the President of the Church. But, he struggled with discouragement and overcame terrible adversity. His humility and work ethic were born from his experiences--if only more LDS biographers could capture and describe the development of such integrity. Instead, the reader of LDS biography is too often given a one-sided picture that makes it seem as if the subjects never battled with circumstance or conscience.

The book is an easy and interesting read; it is appropriate for all ages and would be especially interesting for young men. It is priceless because it does more than tell President Kimball's story, it teaches the reader the value of a testimony and what can be accomplished with faith and dedication. It should be found on the shelf of every LDS home.

I can't believe this one hasn't been reviewed yet! It's one of the best books I've ever read.

It is the biography of Spencer W Kimball, from his birth to about 1977, written by his son Edward Kimball.

Spencer Kimball was an Apostle and Prophet in the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints. His life was one of hard work and much hardship. During his time as an Apostle (and later as Prophet) he had constant, and recurring health problems. One of the most serious of the recurring problems was heart problems.

One of the lessons that I learned by reading this book was the value of being totally committed to the Lord, no matter what difficulties arise.

--George Stancliffe

In this readable volume, Spencer W. Kimball's son and grandson tell the story of his life through 1977, drawing principally on journals and interviews. They don't shy away from sharing the man's insecurities and frustrations as well as his strengths. President Kimball's drive to work and serve and work and serve despite ongoing illness and disability is both impressive and inspiring. This volume also yields insight on the interactions among the top leaders of the Church in determining policy.

Biographies of LDS prophets tend to fall into one of three categories: hagiographic, day-to-day, and the historian's biography. This biography of Spencer W. Kimball is a top-quality example of the day-to-day biography. The hagiographic biography focuses entirely on the greatness of the prophet (throughout his life) and - while it may include powerful stories - doesn't really feel complete. Examples include B.H. Roberts' biography of John Taylor or anything by Francis M. Gibbons. The day-to-day biography is often not written by an historian and is usually based on journals and perhaps letters: it takes you through the life of the prophet, including a few foibles to remind you that he's human but with little historical analysis. Sheri Dew's biography of President Gordon B. Hinckley falls in this category. Finally, the historian's biography is similar to the day-to-day except that it makes more effort to place the prophet in his historical context and analyze his beliefs and acts from a historical as well as a theological perspective. A prominent example of this is the new book (Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling) by Richard Lyman Bushman.

The prose in this day-to-day biography is easy to read and the subject matter is inspiring and instructive; I recommend the book. Be aware that this book only takes us through 1977, one year before President Kimball led the Church in extending the priesthood to blacks. One of the authors, Edward L. Kimball, recently authored a new biography entitled Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball, which covers that period.

In the same subject area, two favorite books of mine about LDS leaders are memoirs: "An Abundant Life: the Memoirs of Hugh B. Brown" (which gives more honest, faithful insight into the working of modern Church leadership than I've seen anywhere else), and "Yearning for the Living God: Reflections from the Life of F. Enzio Busche" (which is one of the most spiritually powerful volumes I've read).