Remembering Uncle Golden

Hundred and. Local production of remembering uncle Golden was made possible by generous grants from the George S. and Delores storey Eccles foundation and Missy Comstock Clayton foundation Iraq. I went with Melvin Ballard Nova NJ about one of the great speakers of the church. We were supposed to speak together up in Logan and so I went up there with him and he stood up. I mean I don't mean to be funny. I don't try to be funny. But here's a classic example he said of me says brothers and sisters. The Lord alone knows what I'm going to say the words you hear from me this night or spoken by direct inspiration from the Lord. And even when I want to give a wonderful thought I thought I can do that so why should have I

said brothers and sisters. God only knows what I'm going to say. In Mormon history few have captured the hearts and imaginations of church members quite like Jay golden Kim. This former Mule Skinner who rose to become a general authority spoke plainly and honestly. And people loved him for it. But it was his gift of wit and spontaneity combined with his colorful language that made his stories part of Mormon folklore today. Jonathan golden Kimball was born into prominence in June 1853 his father was none other than Heber C Campbell Apostle Prophet and first counselor to Brigham Young. His mother Christine Golden a convert to the Mormon Church left a substantial force to become one of the receipt Kimball's 43 was. When his father died in 1860 eight gold and supported his mother younger brother and

sister by becoming a mule driver seller digger rock color anything to make ends meet. In the mid 1870 the family relocated in Meadow Vale near Bear Lake Utah. Where he and his brother Elias took up wrenching and. Was a hard rugged life with long hours of work. Despite his father's legacy Golden had little involvement in the Mormon Church. It was only after hearing an inspirational speech by the great pioneer educator Carl Mays at. The Jay golden Kimball experienced an intellectual and spiritual awakening. He attended Brigham Young Academy served as missionary and mission president in the southern states and ultimately as a general authority. He's 85 years old and Kimball witnessed the church's transformation from Frontier Mormonism to modern Mormonism. Through it all he remained a remnant of. His unique personality was a mixture of unvarnished spontaneity candor. And a rare remarkable gift.

Many of compare him to Mark Twain and Will Rogers but. Author Wallace Stegner was probably more accurate when he wrote. Jay golden should never have been compared to anyone because Jay Golden was an original. Like all originals he defies transcription. He was himself no more. And nobody knew it better than. Me. Very over here her view of her more surprise. Anybody. Part of my pyramid. Thank you very much. It's nice of you to be with me tonight to be an out of the heat

and to be cool and to experience something of my great uncle Jay golden Kimball. Jay golden Kimball was a unique. An extraordinary personality in the hierarchy of the Mormon Church and over the years I've gathered several stories about him Uncle Goldman was probably one of the most beloved. Personalities that the church has ever produced. There are still people today who still say to me oh yes I I remember your great uncle he he was that swearing elder who told jokes. Well to the best of my knowledge Jagan Kimball never told a joke in all of his life. He made amusing observations about himself or about life or about others or about the church but didn't tell jokes. If I were about 40 pounds lighter and more bald.

And about an inch taller I could be a dead ringer for him. But I'm moving in that direction I have to admit. But. But what. What there was about his persona that was the most distinctive thing was his high pitched voice not a voice that was way up here. Most peculiar voice. When my sister and I first heard it she suggested we wake him up in the middle of the night and see if he just didn't talk like everybody else. And so we did and he reared up in bed in parallel and when my father was a seminary teacher and he says What the hell do you want. He wear glasses similar to these. His son Max gave me a pair of his glasses and I used them for years until after one performance

woman of Scandinavian extraction picked me up off the floor and gave me a big hug and crushed the glasses and broke as I recall several My ribs in the process but. So I had to get a duplicate pair made. So what we're going to do tonight is I will essentially tell you a remembrance of Jay golden Kimball from his own life and from his own words. Collected over the years and I hope you find it as amusing as I do and others have. This then is golden Kimball. Well it's awfully nice to be with you tonight. Brothers and Sisters. I'm. I'm Jerry golden Kimball I'm president the first council 70 of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I'm grateful for the seniority system I never would have amounted to anything when the first court of 70.

My father was Heber C Kimball. Wonderful man great church leader. I found out from the church historians office that he had. He had 43 wives. Forty five sons and twenty daughters. He never mentioned any of these figures to mother but I found out nevertheless. A remarkable man and he taught me a great deal he died when I was 14 I was just a young boy and. The family then took what little we had has they divided up the estate and we moved up to Round Valley. Just south of Bear Lake and we bought a ranch up there. My mother my brother Elias and my sister Mary Margaret and me they were just three of us and that was a tough tough living up there I'm telling you it was hard scrabble

existence and I don't know how we made it I really don't I think back on it I mean it has a peculiar growing season up there it has one month of late summer and 11 months of dead winter. Really does. But the snow doesn't melt in the spring the just kind of wears out. As a reluctant Lee waits for spring to approach. But he loved to go back there. Love to go back to Bear Lake. And so whenever an assignment came up to go to Randolph Utah he would take it. To be among his friends and and he kept his old ranch up there for years. This Stake President was introducing golden at this particular state conference and got carried away as sometimes state presidents are wont to do and talk about how wonderful the steak was went on and on about the statistical support it is about a steak the largest the most. This that he said we have more tithing payers in this state than all of the

states in northern Utah. And our youth program is unparalleled Brother Kimball will have you know and we have. We have more missionaries in the field the more Temple marriages and we have the highest attendance Itzhak we need in the church we have a 95 percent attendance of sacrament meeting and that as we all know who are members of the Mormon Church is a rather hard percentage to achieve consistently because there's too many people offended every Sunday by something somebody else says to get 95 percent. I stayed away from church many times myself for that very reason so. So he said Now the next speaker is his brother Jay golden Kimball from the First Council of 70 and Britain and the golden state of unease Well it's awfully nice to be here with you today. I was here a year ago. If you

recall and I was about to go to a welfare meeting and my old friend from Round Valley or Hutchison called me up said let's go fishing golden. I said oh I can't go I've got to go to welfare meeting. He says oh you know how boring welfare meetings are and I said yeah I know they are. And he said I got the bait the tackle he is going to be a beautiful day out on Bear Lake. Why don't you come in and they will miss you and I said OK let's go let's go fishing. And everyone in the audience was going where's this story going you know. And he said. So we went out on Bear Lake and we fished and start to get dark we lit a lantern in the from the boat because Harvey said now the fish will bite and boy we were winning in the end. We're having a good time out in the lake and it's getting dark and funny one of those winds came up on Bear Lake and whitecaps and I said we'd better get to the shore.

Harvey we're going to drown. And so we rode to the shore and 50 yards from the dock the boat sank and we lost everything lost everything and I said I damn near drowned brothers and sisters. Well I was here yesterday. Ready to go to the welfare meeting and Harvey called me up again. He said let's go fishing I said I'm not going fishing as you almost killed me last year. He will come on I got a new boat it's got a 10 bottom with the Bait Tackle everything's ready to go. It's just a welfare meeting again and you know how they go. Nothing's ever going to change in welfare. I'm going says yeah you're right. Let's go. So we went out. Brother and sisters and we had. Everything we needed was a beautiful boat and we were about 50 yards from the dock and I looked down the lake and I said Harwood down there there's the boat from last year. And I'll be damned. There was and he was surprised and we looked and there it was in the grass 50

feet down 25 feet down and and there was the tackle and the fish and there in the front of the bowl was a ladder then it was still lit brothers and sisters. One year after it sank it was still wet. Everyone just was. And they call that stage presence is not can your brother do you believe that story. So friends and no I do not believe that a lantern coming blip in a bottom of a lake for a one year course is not make you deal. You take 15 percent off shark I mean tennis now dolphin ladder. But. I have to admit to yeah I got in was a pretty with a pretty rough crowd up there. I mean my friends were were cigar chilling swear and no good horse thieves. I have to admit to it. I was well on my way to hell I was a matter of fact halfway there

when my mother approached me one night and said Golden I tell you go on a mission. I said Oh mother I'm 30 years old that's too old for that. She's no I want you to go son it's a mother's wish. I wish you'd do it respect my request so I said all right mom. My mother was an angel you see. She was an angel I wish I could love my wife like I love my mother. But so I went down to see a President Taylor rode down to Salt Lake. My mother wrote him a letter and said I'd be coming and I went in the seam and I guess I was a sight to behold I had on the cowboy boots and chaps and a pistol on my side and that was sure to know my horse and best horse I ever had best damn horse I ever had I really love that horse and present Tater. I thought he'd take one look at me and send me home. But he he said Your father was a great missionary one of the great missionaries churches ever had so.

We want you to go and serve. I said what you want me to go and he said the southern states. And I said well I can't go looking like this. You don't want me to go out like I always know go sell your horse your bridle and your saddle and we'll buy you a suit over as you see a mind and a Book of Mormon and get you through the temple and I'll see you off on the train tonight that's exactly what he did. I mean that was the preparation I had. I can't believe it I mean I was a complete ignoramus. Well honestly honest I tell you this is the truth. I thought Apostles were wives of apostles when I left on that train. It really did. I mean the gospel must be true or ignoramus missionaries like me would have ruined it a long time ago you have to understand that they sent us out we didn't know anything. It was a tough experience. I mean they sent us out without purse or scrip. I didn't know what that meant. When I left from that train to full bid farewell the President Taylor

I found out in the mission field that without purse or script means you're penniless you sleep on the ground most the time and you have to depend on the generosity of people to feed you. If I hadn't known that I would have gone. That's what it came down to. It was a tough life. I mean we were running all the time you stayed if you stayed put they'd catch in and whip you and tar and feather you and throw you in jail and happened to me. All those things they ignored me. They mocked me. They chased me they caught me they whip me they threw me in jail I caught yellow fever almost died. Beats Roberts who is the acting mission president he came to me at a conference one time his Brother Kimball you look real you got to go home. I says Well I've always looked this way. You know you look really ill now. I've lost about 22 very precious pounds and he said to me Well Brother Kimball. I tell you it's a economic

consideration I said What do you mean he says if you we can send you home live it costs us fifty three dollars and eighteen cents if you Dayana says one hundred twelve dollars and forty two cents. Now how would you feel if your mission president told you that. But I'll tell you this too. It was the refiner's fire for me. The mission field taught me to deal with fear taught me that the Gospel was true. I mean there's nothing to compare with the thrill in the flame of the Holy Spirit in missionary work I had men put rifles at my back and against my chest and threaten my life and I never denied what I was doing or the validity of it. And I grew up out there and I came home a better man I'll never forget that experience. There was ministers of religion out there they were all worked up that we were going to take some of the flocks away.

And so they were telling everybody the Mormon missionaries are here for one reason they're here just to your wives and your daughters and take them back to live in polygamy. That's what they were saying. I couldn't believe it. I mean all you have to do is look at those women and know that thought never would have crossed our minds. I know. I mean they were pretty rough looking bunch I mean I was only 18 years after the Civil War when I arrived. There was one one minister whose name was Reverend Weatherby. He had a great deal to say about the Mormon Church. He would go around the south and give lectures titled Mr. Smith's magic spectacles. That's what it was titled. And they would pay him to bring him in. And we can do missionary work in those areas for months afterwards. Mr. Weatherby he was a reverend whether he was quite a guy. As a matter of fact I I encountered him once in in Nashville I went in to see a doctor because I was getting sicker all the time and losing weight and the doctor

told me I was going to die if I didn't get well. Which was an interesting observation. But I I came out of that doctor's office with my companion and we were walking down the streets of Nashville and up the street came this reverend Weatherby a lot of the same side of street we were on. I said Michael Bennett isn't that the man we see these picture on the posters in the news. And he's the other that's him. Well as he got near to us he could see we were too ragtag Mormon elders ill fitting suits with polices and hats on and. And he looked at us and he stared at us and he said Good morning you sons of the devil. I took off my head and I said Good morning Father hundred. You know I think that was the first funny thing I ever said in my life. My companion glass already had to sit down the grass for several minutes.

I had a chance to meet Reverend Reverend Weatherby. He got up and he spoke one night with me and he went on and on about how all the Mormons are going to go to hell if they don't change their ways they don't have the truth we're going to go to hell straight to hell this is a good man he pointed the way but in the next life he'll go straight to hell. He spoke for 42 minutes. Funny it was my turn to speak and I got up and I said I only have one thing to say I'd rather be a Mormon going to hell than not be a Mormon and not know where the hell I'm going beyond. But we survived it all got an honorable release I came home came home and. And moved to Northern Utah again where I'd left. I got into the farm implement business with my brother Elias. We had a little money in our pocket for the first time in our lives. I married Jenny Gold and we started a family and life was going along reasonably well. And then I got a letter from Pres.

WOODRUFF One day he said I want you come down and see me. And I didn't know what he wanted I was working in the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association up there. So I went down to seem and he was very nice and he started asking me some questions about what I was doing with my life. And pretty soon he got around to missionary work he says. How would you like to serve on a mission I said Well I've I've served I've been out. I've served in the southern states it was a wonderful experience thank you very much. And he said well I was thinking of sending you to the southern states it's funny you would mention that I said Well isn't that interesting I've already been there. And he said Well I'm calling you is a mission president of the Southern states well he had me there I had been the mission president. So I said OK you're the prophet I'll do whatever you want. So twice in one lifetime I was off to the southern states that's a hell of a deal you know brother and sisters.

So down I went with two weeks later Jenny and I and the children were at the train station once again and Prez would have came down to the train station to see us off I thought that was very nice of anyone. Friends were there and family. He came up to me put his arm around me a short little feller and he said Brother Kimball I've never been to Southern states what's it like you've been there now twice. Tell me a little bit about it. Well I couldn't lie to him he was a prophet so I thought I'd just tell him what I thought I said Well I'll tell you President if I had my way I'd drown them all to bed tis more work for the dead. He gave me the strangest look I have ever seen. Now marm wins in the south may not have been very popular. He was there at the height of some of the Ku Klux Klan activities and he had some confrontations that I'm sure strengthened him as you defend your beliefs. And as you

fight for them. Whether you don't believe them very strongly at first are not the fighting for them I think that strengthens the cause for which we're fighting. But off we went. Second time southern state things had improved in the southern states however for as far as the church was concerned in my absence. Well I don't mean it that way but we have had a lot more members come in and we had some chapels and it was growing and it wasn't so much the ministers or religion that that made it so difficult for us the second time as it was the Ku Klux Klan. I mean the Ku Klux Klan Can you imagine that they thought we were a threat to their way of life. And it was a peculiar experience I mean we would encounter them in certain sections of the South. I mean you never knew who they were they could be the town leaders the lawyers the doctors the town council because they have this damn sheet on you never knew who they were.

I mean that to me that's the waste of a good cheat. And. But I don't know I I didn't really worry about it until one of the elders elder Jenkins wrote me a letter and I received it and opened it up and he said the Klan has said he was down in Rome Georgia. He said to present the Klan has said that if we hold one more meeting in and around this area they're going to tar and feather every one of us. Well I took that very seriously brother and sister because I didn't want any of the elders to be tarred and feathered that I witnessed and that I have somewhat experienced but it kills the spirit I mean and the elder has no good after that yet send him home. What they do is they tear off your clothes they scratch all over your body they poor hot tar on you that eats your skin and then they put chicken feathers on you and chase you out of town. It's a very

humiliating experience so. I wrote to the elder and I said I'll be down in ten days you meet me just outside Rome Georgia at the crossroads. I knew the country well I'd been there myself. And so I went over the bank and borrowed what little money I could to go that far. The Lord wasn't too generous to us in those days. I'll have you know I said good bye to Jenny I told her I might not be back and she didn't say goodbye to me. And I left and I walked a lot of road where I went I couldn't hitchhiked in on a wagon on a bike but 10 days I got there I was there and they were waiting for me outside Rome Georgia. And it was good to see I had 36 elders in that conference and the conference present elders Regan's was there. I said OK what's the plan they said will we have a place up in the Georgia pine It's a wonderful spot we'll go up there and I said good I don't want to be any place around the town.

And so we went around Rome Georgia and we went into the hills and walked up into a wonderful spot. It was a beautiful night the move was out the full moon and it was not a breeze summer night and there was a big stream of water next to us and it cut into a bank and then went out down behind us. They had a big fire and I I talked with all the elders and then we had a Fast and Testimony Meeting and the spirit was there and it was wonderful. It really was. I was the last to speak. And I was very much testimony and we heard men on horses coming up behind us through the trees and by the light of the moon you could see the white sheets and they had a wagon with a big cauldron on it they went behind us crossed that stream and up on that bank over just beyond us to the right. And I just kept talking to the elders I did not notice them or pay any attention to them and I could hear them or hooping it up and building a fire and pretty

soon you could smell that pungent smell of tar. I could see the fear on the other faces. I said elders don't you worry about a thing. You're here because I've had you appointed to be here. It's my responsibility I was raised around scum like that I know how to talk their language. So we're going to have a closing prayer and then I want you to leave and go back to your quarters. Don't you worry about me if anything happens to to me just ship my body home. So I gave all a big hug and a pat on the back and then they went off into the darkness. And when I thought they had gone I went over to the edge of the stream and I yelled we're all finished over here you know who we are. And they all came and they stood there and there were about 50 of them. Fifty five they said yeah we know who you are you those blankety blank Mormons and we're here to teach you a lesson running out of town I says Ya we're all warm and every one of us. Let me tell you something Mormons have horns you will bore the hell out of

me. WILLIE. They stood there and looked at me like I was crazed. I guess I was I was a little bit but I just stood right there and stood my ground and I looked behind me and the elders had come up and they were standing there by the light of that moon they couldn't tell whether we had horns or not. And and finally they blinked first. They backed off and and went back one by one they got on the horses and rode off and they dumped the tar on the ground but the cauldron back on the wagon and left us alone over Jenkins told me later that the one grand wizard told another that by the light of a full moon the Mormons grew more and become vicious we should leave them alone. Well. We encountered some good times and some bad times.

You just had to stand up to him I learned the things got better. There will never be and I don't conquer all. He was completely dedicated to the church. A moment he did well he was. He was very sweet man in the full scope of what that means he was. He was dear soul. He was a he was a spiritual man. And that spirituality was combined with an irrepressible sense of humor. You talk to some people today and all they know is when you ask about Jovan Kimball they scratch your head and say he was a gentle authority that cussed. But you know very few people have read his talks and and seen that behind this folksy image that he had. He was a very intelligent human being and very connected with the darker of the church and his heavenly father.

I'm telling you. I love the mission both experiences. I was willing to stay in my full for five years but I got a letter from President he says I'd like to have you come home and be on the First Council of 70 we have an opening. So I went home and my brother Elias came out and finished the mission for me. And so. A whole new experience opened up for me. I became a General Foti. That's quite an experience. I mean people expect you to have all the answers. They expect you to perform miracles. I did what I was doing most of the time. I mean one sister down in Richfield she said after the meeting could you come come with me back to my farm I got a problem. She said you know the soil and you know cattle and you know I says well what is it we we rode out there in her buggy and she says I would use would you say a prayer on my farm. Nothing wrong and I went out and kicked the dirt around for a while.

I came back and said Sister I'm not going to say a prayer in front what you need on your farm is manure. She looked so shocked at me but that was the truth. Just in the new are no blessings when necessary. My father at game we decided to have that out and go go. And for a while I feed them like you do your sick cows. I give them two or three apples and then I roll in and then you know. And that gets their attention. It was my impression during my first years as a gentle authority that they would send me out as a gunslinger. I mean they had problems and they felt good. I could handle them. I don't know that was necessarily true

but I took those assignments faithfully. I did what they asked me to do. I was young I was inexperienced. I remember one time we had a stake president up in up in Montana and he said he'd like to have a general authority come up and talk to the young people because they were going around with pistols in their hip pockets and shooting them off after basketball games and dances and someone he was going to be killed. If they didn't send somebody up to talk to them. So President Grant called me and he says This sounds like an assignment for you Brother Kimball. And I said Why me. And he says well you're the only cowboy that's a general Thore. So I said OK. So I went up in to Montana and I wrote a stay present told him I'd be coming in together all the used together and put him in assembly hall for a conference hall or some public building bring them all together and so he did just that when I got up there.

There they were they had the doors locked they couldn't get out and they had to. The stage and I was to speak to them. Well they were Yahoo OEnone firing off pistols inside the building and throwing paper airplanes and showing no respect for me whatsoever. So my approach was very simple. I walked out onto the stage. I stood there they didn't calm down or quiet themselves at all in fun I said go to how. They thought. Well what did he say. I said Good. And they all stopped us and I said that's where you're all going to go if you don't change your ways. I hear that some of you been walking around town with pistols in your hip pockets. Better be careful might go off and blow your brains out. And I left. That's all I said.

The Stake President he wrote me later and said you helped his Brother Kimball it took the machismo out of the whole thing it became absurd that they might blow their brains out and their brains been on their backside so I felt I had accomplished my mission. But I. Don't what I learned by the Sisters I learned over the passing of years there were certain people that like to hear me speak. I don't know what it was about them but sometimes that even followed me from conference to conference. I think that there were certain people in the church that couldn't relate to some of the general stories and they could relate to me. I mean I thought all the educated and and well-to-do members could relate to grant because that's what he was I mean he was a fine man and all of the sod busters and cowboys and nuts in the church could relate to me and so I was quite happy to divide it up that way. I had a lot more interesting conversations.

I was down in Canaveral. I remember it was a beautiful night in the summer you know how the sun goes down in those cliffs turn that the million color on it. And I looked at that audience I gave the best speech I could and I watched one man on the back row and I thought he was my kind of guy he's going to come up and talk to me I know he is. And sure enough when the meeting was over he came up. I knew he was my kind of man because all he had on was a lawn cloth and moccasins and a long beard. And he waited and waited and finally he stepped to the front of the crowd and put his hand out and he said to the Kimball I'm happy to meet you. I'm not active in the church. I said well I gathered that. And I said what's your problem and he says well it's very simple. My problem is I don't believe the Old Testament be the Word of God I said why not use as well. I don't believe Jonah can live in the belly of a whale for three days. I said that's one hell of a reason for not being active.

It's enough to take me out of activity I'll tell you. But he was very serious. I said so you don't believe the Old Testament of the Word of God I said well I'm prepared to testify that it is I've read it. It was difficult to read but I read it and I can tell you it's the Word of God he says well then we have an impasse. I don't think you know what that word meant but we had one. And I said Look I'll make you a deal. He says What is it. I said I'm soon going to die and I'll get over on the other side I'll look up join and find out how the hell he did it. You stay active till I get back he says it's a deal. Shook hands right there. I suppose Jay golden Campbell would have a story about him and nearly every town in Utah because as he traveled he would stand in front of a congregation and give them his Sunday talk. But he would do it in such a way that it became memorable. He would make

reference to things that were humorous that were irreverent you know which he used some profanity. And it just became something that everyone loved to hear and then retail and then retail and then retail and two or three generations later that becomes legend. Now the folklore is just rich with Jay golden Kimball isms. Well the fact that I remember after some 60 years the talk that he gave in the university award show that I was very impressed with Jerry golden Kimball and I know that applied to other people too as he would. Travel around throughout Nevada he was well-known through in Idaho he was well-known Salt Lake City Main Street in Salt Lake City with golden Kimball was a treat.

You know you have to know how to treat these people. You have to kid with him just a little bit. Anybody here from Delta by any chance. Good I can tell you the story. As far as I'm concerned brothers sisters. God's creative juices ran out on him when he got to Delta. Delta is not the end of the earth but it's just slightly beyond Delta. About over by the Nevada border. Every time I go down there I tell him the same thing and they all laugh I say brother and sisters you do not have to fear hell you are living in it. The sister came up to me after the meeting and she was no not she was a sweet sister. So the couple got a real problem you've got to help me and I said well what is it. She's down here on the front row and I said OK what is it and she said Oh she said I feel so terrible about this.

She says I have two older brothers. And the older of the two. I was out hating last August was hit by lightning. The wagon brought him back in horses to the corral instead and he was just as fine a man as God ever created Brother Kimball I mean he was the bishop and he taught at school and he was a great father and active in the community and the whole town that came to his funeral and I said oh I'm sorry sister. She says well that's not my problem my I miss him but I know I'll see him again but she says It's my younger brother is no good at all. He smokes he drinks he gambles he cheats on his wife he's a terrible father and husband he's still alive I can't figure it out that's a terrible thing to say but I can't figure it out. And she started crying. I put my arm around and I said Oh sister now there's got to be an answer here. And I prayed for an answer but I didn't have one. And I prayed very hard and finally came to me and I said Sister do you know what it is. It's God's will. And she says what does that mean I says it's God's Will God doesn't want that jackass brother of yours any more than you do.

And she said Brother Kimball that's the best answer I have ever received. Well. Anybody here from St. George. OK. St. George is not the end of the earth St. George is lovely except for the heat the Indians the flooding Virgin River and the Scorpions. That's the only thing along with Saint George. III. I get assigned to St. George every July and August Heber Grant goes down in January and February. But that's because he's the prophet. I don't have any seniority. You see you want to get ahead the church brother sisters I'll tell you about this it's a very simple process. It's inspiration revelation or relation. I mean if I had been the son of Heber C Campbell I never would have amounted to a damn thing in this church who we can.

You know believe that. Where was I. Oh is back in St. George. Well in Saint George they finally called on me to speak I thought they were going to forget about me. So hot day was 118 degrees I was in a breed is it finally called on me. I got to speak and I looked at those poor people out there. Those women in those full skirts and that bonnets and the men you know tan from their hats down brown black suits. I don't know how they I stood up and told my sis I do not know how you do it brother and sisters I mean of this insufferable heat the Indians the Scorpions the flooding Virgin River I don't know how you do it. I said if Listen if I had a house in St. George and I had a house in hell I'd rent out the one in St. George I'd move straight to hell. I really would. Well I should be saying things like that.

Now they've invented that damn contraption the telephone people call here back on the phone telling what I've said. You should be able to get back in town and deny it. But he's waiting at the train station for me I arrive and he says did you say this and I said yes back on the train go apologize so I've been doing a lot of train travel lately. Church brother and I had criticized him for his salty language and he had apologized for it. But under the circumstances of the talk that he was giving the salty language came too quickly to his mind and and I'm sorry he said that he caused didn't come from the fact that he was a general authority of the coast. The good that he caused was that he was accomplished because he was a gentle authority who could relate to people. Cussing was incidental to it could have done it without the

cussing. Probably but that was golden. I should probably give a little more thought before I say things but they just come out and I can't call those words back. People say I shouldn't swear. I don't mean to brother and sister that just comes out. There are leftovers from my cowboy days that experience made me as tough as a pine on which can drive mules if you can't swear the only language they understand. I do swear a little but they're just small leftovers from a far larger vocabulary my. Sister Clarissa Williams came up to me on the street that this is Brother Kimball She says Your You're an embarrassment to the church. She's the president of the release society said this to me and I said well so why.

She says but all you have to do is stop swearing and act more like Ana. One of the Lord's anointed. I said Well I'll give it some thought. She says you are one of the Lord's anointed aren't you and I said well yes she says You've certainly received the revelation haven't you and I said no but I've had some damn good nightmares. Nightly. Ya. Wasn't what she wanted to hear. Turned around walked away from a. Stake President took me aside down in some line and he said Brother can we go talk to the youth. I said what's the problem he says I can't send him on missions or swearing too much. I says You want me to talk to them. He says he said listen to you. So I gathered them all together and I said I understand you brother and I are not going to be called on missions and I shouldn't give up the swearing in they said Well it's awfully hard. I said you can do it hell I did. People One woman said to me I remember she said to me why do you swear so much she says

President Graham doesn't swear. She says No president got whoever her pleasure grants where in all your life. And I said well I wouldn't say that sister. She says What do you mean. I says well we were down in St. George and as we drove out of St. George on our way to Cedar City we paused in our carriage and looked over the valley the serene heat and the dying cattle and those poor people and I said Look at that he were. And he says yeah look at it and I says it's a damn shame isn't it. He said yes it is. She didn't get it either. The IAD. Well. You know I listen to the other general authorities and I think quite Can I get get into that that mood I mean why can't I mean I went with Melvin Ballard Melvin Jay Bauer one of the great speakers of the church. We were supposed to speak together up in Logan and so I went up there with him and he stood up.

I mean I don't mean to be funny. I don't try to be funny. But here's a classic example he said of me says brothers and sisters. The Lord alone knows what I'm going to say the words you hear from me this night are spoken by direct inspiration from the Lord. And he then he went on to give a wonderful thought and I thought I can do that. So I stood up and I said brothers and sisters. God only knows what I'm going to say. The nuance. Ya know I don't get it. I don't get it. I got an invitation to speak at a funeral I didn't know was coming when I got back from a church assignment in Southern California. There it was waiting for me said there's a member of the Stake Presidency up in Colleville passed away. His family has requested that you come and speak at his funeral. And I said Jenny the funeral is today it's

one hour from now we'll never make it it's a long drive up the coal will take us a couple hours to get up there. She better leave me to catch the end of the funeral I said OK so we got in our model T and drove as fast as we could up to Colleville. When we got there the funeral was just about over and they saw me coming and they said Brother Kimball come forward. We would like to hear from you. So I went up and and I I stood there and I said I'm very happy to be here I'm sorry I'm late. I want to tell you what a wonderful man this man was I knew him I'd stayed in his home. He was a inspiration to me was a good father he was a good husband. He goes to a great reward. And I was I went on I worked on the audience and about the eighth roll back for health sages there said the man I thought was. A on. Ya well.

I thought my my my eyesight was going so I went on Yes he'll go to a great reward. He will he'll be one of the chosen in the next world. And then I recognize his wife and all of his children all of them were there. So I look down in the casket. I did not recognize the man sitting in the front line there in the casket. I said see the bishop who the hell's dead around here anyway. I. Should have done it. Those kinds of stories follow me around the church. There's so many stories about me now when if you said to me you know Dave you're the latest Jay golden Kimball stories you know I don't want to hear it. He says well it's very funny I like to tell it you know I said no. I said to him things that happen now days are either blamed on may or may well just. There were some people in the church that got the idea he was critical of the brother and now that's not

true. He wasn't critical. He loved his brother and I and sometimes those who wanted to be critical of the church would ask him to speak at a fireside because they knew that he was say some funny things about the brethren. But when he they came to him and wanted him to criticize the Brethren he'd get after him and talk tell him you know that he was a he was a one off them you know. I wouldn't miss the experience I mean the general story. It was very rewarding. I think back on it now I met some good man met some lovely people. The brother were kind to me. I love mall of some a hell of a lot more than I do others. But.

I got to tell you one story that really confused me. I was supposed to go over to the tabernacle. I was asked boy Roderick Lawson to take his place at the meeting over there while I went over to the tabernacle. But I couldn't remember whether he said the assembly hall or the tabernacle. And so I went to the assembly hall and I was confused. There was a big meeting in the Assembly Hall of all the Republicans from the state of Utah and meeting there for a state conference a state election conference. And I walked in and thought I was at a church meeting and Senator Reid. Smoot was conducting and he knew that I wasn't a Republican he knew I was a Democrat so he thought he'd have a little fun with me and he brought the gavel down and he said Well we're very happy to welcome all of you here to this Republican state convention and we're happy to see brother Gerry Goeden Kimmel The

first council 70 this represents a change in his political affiliation we're happy to have him here. Would you give the opening prayer for the Kimball I jumped up and I said I'll pass on that read I just sued the Lord didn't know I was here. Roger Clawson I feel so sorry for poor Edgar because he gets assigned to go with me. Often I'll run classes present the conga 12 he's going to be the next prophet. And he's a very reserved and quiet and dignified man and somebody in the church office building who has a really strange sense of humor puts us together to travel. It's the strangest combination of personalities you've ever seen. One pundit from the Sollie Tribune said they go together because what good puts him to sleep and golden wakes them up. Well that didn't help my relationship one damn bit.

And so my wife was showing me the schedule that had arrived in the mail she says old for Red go he's got to go with you to California. She's a please golden don't hurt his feelings don't offend him don't swear. I said OK I'll do my very best but it's not. You know what I'm like when I get worked up. You know what you know what it's like when I say things I don't mean to say she's But please you're going to kill him. And so we went to California and the first conference went just fine just fine it was no problems. The second seven conference though the people weren't living the Gospel they weren't paying their tithing they were doing temple work they were doing nothing. It was during the depression I understand. And I got worked up and I started swearing at him I started cussing and I told they're all going to go to hell and I went through the whole thing I could hear rugger behind me shifting nervously. Police wrote When the meeting was only got up he walked right out of the meeting didn't say anything to anybody and I followed him because I knew I'd hurt his feelings and

he went right back to the hotel he packed his suitcase and I want to his bedroom I said What are you doing he says I'm going home. I can't take it any more golden. You're swearing just just takes it out of me and I said oh I'm sorry but you're really sorry I don't know what to do but I didn't know what to do. So I helped him pack. A are. Well we walk down the train station and we stood there on the platform and I don't know what to say we just stood there in silence and here came the train down the track and I said oh I've got to say something quickly sew it up I said Roger listen to me listen to me I don't mean to offend you. I mean these are just left overs from my cowboy days. I mean they come from a far larger vocabulary you've got to understand that and I'm struggling with it. And please don't leave Roger I mean Roger I mean if I did put some hells and dams in my talks they would listen to me anymore than listen to you Leon. He left you know he threw his head back and laugh he says you know Goldman there's something about you I just like you

know I really just like so let's go finish this conference off so we did. Bless his heart when he died he never made it to be prophet that Heber J Grant became the next prophet. I'm sure he would have killed Roger I almost killed Heber J. I think it was a policy at that time did not advertise that Jay golden Kimball was going to be talking at a meeting if they did they would be overwhelmed with visitors from other wards who would come to the war just to hear Jay golden Kimball talk. He was a storyteller I could relate to what he was say. And so I and I'm sure the right contemporaries. I look forward to attending the state governors meeting when we knew that he was the visiting yet again or the authority. I'm reminded of going out one time

to a conference in the cottonwood area. And the as was the tradition when we had the ironic Mochas the priesthood meeting they would set apart all the 70s the very first thing after the opening song the opening prayer we set apart all the 70s we had a chair. That we set up and the 70s were lined up along the wall and as soon as that was over with I would set them apart is that just in general for you that was fine. That was the tradition and I was right I respected it. There's only one problem. The last 70 to be set apart had a problem that didn't he didn't even know about. He told me later that Saturday night at his office somebody had come into the office and said I'm a new father he passed out a box of Cuban cigars to everyone and I just took it he said and put it in my upper left hand pocket and forgot about it put on my suit to come to this meeting the next day.

And so when he came up the last man I leaned over him to ask him his name and I saw the cigar in his pocket. And I thought that was rather unusual for a 70. But I set him apart and I said while the power vested in me I ordained you a 70 in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints cigar and all. The crowd was dumbfounded we had him stand up and take the cigar out and explain to all of them what happened. I don't think he'll ever forget that said in part. Well I tell you. I'm no saint. Brothers and Sisters I want you to know that I mean by the time he will grant got serious about the word of wisdom I had been drinking coffee for some years I went into and I said Heber what you doing and he says well we've got to tighten things up here on the Word of Wisdom. I said he with us can be awfully hard for me.

I've been drinking coffee since my frontier days that's all we had for breakfast up in Round Valley. And he says we'll do the best you can and I've almost got it licked more than SR's I'm 85 and I've just about got it licked. But I had an unusual experience. I went up to I went up to Brigham City. I got a note from Hebrew he says would you take the new desert Sunday school present up with you. Heber I said what's his name and he says always name is David old MacKaye. Just got back from a Scottish mission I said OK I'll take him with me breaky man seems like a nice young fellow. It was in the winter. The church had a sled and horses and we'd go as far as we could take it and it would stop and members of give us hot stones from the fireplace to keep us warm it would go on. Finally we got there. The meeting started at 9 we got there at 8. I thought I was going to die. I mean it was cold.

And I needed some fuel to steam up my system and I said Do you mind if we go over to the idol aisle restaurant there and have some breakfast and he says that's no problem with me but the Kimball. It's not fair Sunday let's go have some breakfast so we went over there. We went in and set down. Everything was just fine. And the waitress came up and she said what would you two gentlemen like. But McKay said I would like some ham and eggs and two cups of hot chocolate please. Well that wasn't exactly what I had in mind and. So I excuse myself I said you shouldn't have got to the men's room so I went back and I talked to that waitress and I said Would you mind putting a little coffee in my hot chocolate please and she says that's all right we do it all the time up here in Atlanta. So. I went back and I sat down and I waited and we talked about the Gospel and what we were going to do at this conference and the waitress came up and she got to the table and she says no which one of you wanted coffee in

your heart an. I said Aw hell put it in both of them. But you know the bad thing about that is McKay walked across the street and when he got up to speak at that conference he told everybody that story. And he keeps on doing it every time he speaks so we should keep his damn mouth shut. Maybe he will release and we won't hear any more about him. He was a character. He was a character because he was in a high position in the LDS church. He was recognized as one of the leaders and yet he was still a fairly common every day stop and visit on the streets. Swear a little bit and maybe drink a little coffee maybe challenge some of the doctrines by which other modern people were rather strictly judged. One time at the old rotisserie restaurant on Main Street they had a

day honoring golden Kimball. He was it was about a year before he died and and all the people downtown the downtown business men and Jews and Gentiles everybody gathered for this big celebration golden Kimball day. And they met at the rotisserie restaurant. And he was sitting at the head table and the waiter came to him and said What would you like to drink Brother Kimball. And he said water. I'd like to drink water. And he went to the next man and he says Oh you've been by the people a cup of coffee. He likes coffee and gold said the Lord heard me say water. I am. On. The other great story that everyone knows is when he was crossing a south temple going over to the temple. From the corner of Hotel Utah going to a Thursday Media Temple and some kids came by in a jalopy and just whipped right around the corner and

almost hit him and he just stood there in the street he says You sons of perdition can't you tell the difference between a common Gentile and one of the Lord's anointed to. Be a. He went in to see see my one time to get a suit today you have to appreciate how thin he was just frail and he walked out as he said he was very dapper dresser. Michael Gold was always on the cutting edge of fashion. And he walked into the CMI and looked around at some suits and says with the mumps and now he'll be certain he says Yes I'd like to see a suit that would fit me. Selden said Hell so would I am. Another is easy my story. He went in to buy a new Stetson hat he loves Stetson hats and he walked up to the counter and says I like to look at that Stetson hat right over there been looking at it for several weeks.

From abroad often dusted it off and said This is our very best Stetson often Gold says wow how much is it. He says $65 and gold looked at and he says were the holes in it. Menses holes in the holes and Stetson hats why should we have holes. Well holes for the ears for the jackass would pay $65. Ambien. Michael Golden had retained this ranch in Round Valley and he loved to go up there and my father and ranch and his sons with it all take turns nephews and sons and cousins with it would taking up driving up and he did. He loved to be at the ranch the old frontier days. And my dad went up with him on one occasion and the big problem was getting the mules hitched up some steak and giving him a pair of mules that refused to work together. They hated each other and wouldn't work together stubborn and.

And so Dad said sometimes it would take most of the morning to get the mules hitched up and that's it they were out there working. My dad's name was noble Kimball and they were out there working on getting the mules heats up and Golden was standing there in his mid-eighties just before his death and he always got back in his old cowboy outfit and he enjoyed it all they were going to go out and run the fence line and. And they got one mule out of the barn got him hitched up and the other mule could see what was coming down. And so as they led the other mule out they had that mule bucked and kicked the fence and knocked the fence down and ripped the cord away from my dad and took off. You know run down the road and the first real scene that the second little had gotten away took off too and the wagon tipped over and the tongue broke off and he went down this way and the other mule went that way and they had this trail of dust behind each one of them and they both stood there and Dad said Uncle Dick obvious Hapgood on the ground.

He says you know noble there's something I'll never be able to figure out. And dad says what's that he says. How Noah got to those sons of bitches on the ark. Hundred yards. I've met him on the street. When I was a young adult. Probably in my 20s and he would speak to me if he would book almost everybody on this street up Main Street. That's all they did he had to take him 20 minutes to go out because he would speak to almost everybody and stop and talk to a goodly number. And there's countless stories about his interaction with people where he go down the street and talk to people and invariably he'd show up late for appointments because he

couldn't get from one place to the other without people stopping to talk to him and he wasn't in the habit of brushing people off. He was connected with with people and I think he viewed that as his mission in life to be more important in making his meetings. One of the most unusual things that ever happened to me. I have to tell you this story because it's getting out of control people are embellishing an awful lot. I'll just tell you the basic facts. I don't think you'll find it very funny if you're just acquainted with the basic facts of the story. But I went to Howard. It was about to explode for Christmas. And I said I wanted to go over at noontime to see CMI to the Tiffen room and have some some lunch. And it just started snowing all day long from 6:00 a.m. it started to snow and by noon it was piled up on the streets everything was very slippery and and I said to my secretary I'll go over myself. I want to get out of here.

And she said OK so she helped me down to the front door with my collages and and and gloves and hat on and and I walked I was doing just fine and I went down the street and then I saw that pedestrian lane was to the north door of the seam I awaited across the street. There was no white in those days and I looked up to my left and finally there was a clear rain and I got to the middle of the street I was doing just fine I didn't need any help and looked down to my right and waited and waited. Snow was coming down. And finally there was a clearing to my right and I started the second half of the street. Unbeknownst to me a woman came out of the north door Azizi my with all these packages in Iran and she saw the same opening she took to her left and she was in a hurry and she had to get home to the kids and she just ran ahead with looking to her left not at me she couldn't even see me and she hit me right in the middle of the street and knocked me down.

And it was embarrassing because she dropped all of her packages and fell on top of me. And then we began to slide south towards the CMI. And all the traffic stopped and and everyone it was just a frozen moment in time I was embarrassed today. And finally when we hit the curb she cleared the snow away and she said Who are this Brother Kimball the president of the first quarter of Syria speak to me she grabbed me by the lapels his brother Kimball's speak to me are you all right I didn't I didn't see you it's my phone and say something and so I finally looked and I says Oh it's all right sister but you'll have to get off here this is far as I go. See A. On. The. Jay golden Kimball stories live of because there is a sense of truth in what he says. There's nothing artificial. And part of our culture is a

uniqueness and he wasn't afraid to talk about the funny uniqueness as a consequence of this. Those of us who are Mormons like to smile at ourselves we don't like to be criticized. But if somebody says something that's critical about us who loves us then that's really kind of true and it's a living thing. People have asked me. What story best summarizes Goldens life or best gives us the insight into what made him tick or what kind of a person he was. I think it has to be a couple lines that he wrote in his diary and he said in those lines I may not walk the straight and narrow but I try to cross it just as often as I can. Thank you very much ladies and gentleman. In 1038 J golden Kimball who died instantly in a car accident.

In announcing his death the Salt Lake Tribune for the first time got a favorable editorial on the passing of a General Authority. It read Jay golden Kimball's death takes from the LDS Church an extraordinary personality one which to a large degree has achieved the stature of an institution. During his 85 years of life he maid J Golden says a carman attention getting free. When Jay Golden had something to say. He said it bluntly. And with a sometimes startling disregard for the conventions. Local production of remembering a local Golden was made possible by generous grants from the

George S. and Delores storey Eccles Foundation and the S. Comstock Clayton foundation.