Helen Mar Kimball is an interesting woman in Mormon History. She was a speaker, writer, poet and defender of the Plural Marriage principle. She was born on August 22, 1828 to Vilate and Heber C. Kimball. As part of her religious duty, she married Joseph Smith in May of 1843. During the same month, Joseph Smith also married Lucy Walker, Sarah Lawrence and Maria Lawrence. Helen believed that her marriage to Joseph Smith eternally linked her family to the prophet and seer of the Church. Joseph Smith assured her saying, "If you will take this step, it will ensure your eternal salvation & exaltation and that of your father's household & all of your kindred." It provided heavenly security for her and her family.
At the age of 15, Helen became a widow. Her eternal husband, Joseph Smith, was martyred. At the age of 17, Helen married for love. Her earthly husband, Horace Whitley, was 23 years old. He was much closer to her age than Joseph Smith was.
Helen's father, Heber C. Kimball, had an important role in Mormon history. He was told by Joseph Smith that he must enter into plural marriage or lose his apostleship and be damned. By February of 1846, he had married about 35 women. Helen's husband Horace also married other wives: Lucy Amelia Bloxham, Mary Cravath and Mary Minerva Wells.
Helen wrote about her early life in Kirtland and Nauvoo. These writings were first included in the Woman's Exponent in May 1880. Although she may have hated polygamy in her heart, she publicly defended the practice. In 1882 she published Plural Marriage as Taught by the Prophet Joseph. This was a defense against Joseph Smith III, who was preaching that his father (Joseph Smith) never practiced polygamy. In 1884, she published another booklet, Why We Practice Plural Marriage.
At General Conference, on October 6, 1890, Helen witnessed a historical change in her church. Her own son, Orson Whitney, read the Manifesto which stated that the church ceased performing plural marriages. I wonder if Helen might have thought of Matthew 5:18 as she listened to the Manifesto. "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Or perhaps 1 Peter 1:24&25 might have come to mind, "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever." If plural marriage really was God's law, why would it "pass from the law" or not endure or be set aside? Joseph Smith told her that her step of plural marriage was for her eternal salvation. This was not the kind of eternal salvation that the apostle Paul preached. Neither was it Paul's gospel message. The Apostle Paul had these strong words in Galatians 1:7-9, ",,,but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Helen Mar Kimball lived a difficult life. She suffered through serious illnesses and depression. She buried two husbands and five children. Another child committed suicide. Helen passed away on November 15th, 1896.
I read this story of Helen Mar Kimball from the book, In Sacred Loneliness by Mormon author Todd Compton.
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Wife
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Date
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Age
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Husband*
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Emma Hale
Fanny Alger Lucinda Morgan Harris Louisa Beaman Zina Huntington Jacobs Presendia Huntington Buell Agnes Coolbrith Sylvia Sessions Lyon Mary Rollins Lightner Patty Bartlett Sessions Marinda Johnson Hyde Elizabeth Davis Durfee Sarah Kingsley Cleveland Delcena Johnson Eliza R. Snow Sarah Ann Whitney Martha McBride Knight Ruth Vose Sayers Flora Ann Woodworth Emily Dow Partridge Eliza Maria Partridge Almera Johnson Lucy Walker Sarah Lawrence Maria Lawrence Helen Mar Kimball Hanna Ells Elvira Cowles Holmes Rhoda Richards Desdemona Fullmer Olive Frost Melissa Lott Nancy Winchester Fanny Young |
Jan 1827
1833 1838 Apr 1841 Oct 1841 Dec 1841 Jan 1842 Feb 1842 Feb 1842 Mar 1842 Apr 1842 Jun 1842 Jun 1842 Jul 1842 Jun 1842 Jul 1842 Aug 1842 Feb 1843 Spring 1843 Mar 1843 Mar 1843 Apr 1843 May 1843 May 1843 May 1843 May 1843 Mid 1843 Jun 1843 Jun 1843 Jul 1843 Mid 1843 Sep 1843 1843 Nov 1843 |
22
16 37 26 20 31 33 23 23 47 27 50 53 37 38 17 37 33 16 19 22 30 17 17 19 14 29 29 58 32 27 19 14 56 |
NONE
NONE George W. Harris NONE Henry Jacobs Norman Buell NONE Windsor Lyon Adam Lightner David Sessions Orson Hyde Jabez Durfee John Cleveland NONE NONE NONE NONE Edward Sayers NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE Jonathan Holmes NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE |
* Living Husband at the time of
Marriage to Joseph Smith |
BIBLIOGRAPHY
WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City)
MORMON POLYGAMY: A HISTORY (Van Wagoner, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1989)*
MORMON ENIGMA: EMMA HALE SMITH (Newell & Avery, University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago, 1994)*
IN SACRED LONELINESS: THE PLURAL WIVES OF JOSEPH SMITH (Compton, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1997)*
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City)
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