Spencer W. Kimball

After President Lee came President Spencer W. Kimball, twelfth President of the Church, ordained and set apart as President on December 30, 1973, at the age of 78.

For President Kimball, obstacles became his opportunities. He was totally dedicated, a worker such as one seldom sees. He cared not at all about personal aggrandizement.

One day I was sitting in the temple near President Kimball. As I looked down, I noticed that he had a large hole in his shoe. And I mean large! His stocking showed through. After the meeting I said to Arthur Haycock, President Kimball’s secretary, “Arthur, you can’t let the President wear those shoes.”

Arthur responded, “Has he got that pair out again? He has many pairs of shoes, and I frequently hide that pair, but he searches and finds that particular pair most of the time.”

President Kimball was known for his statement showing his humility: “My life is like my shoes—to be worn out in service.”

President Kimball was totally, completely, unequivocally dedicated to the Lord. He was dedicated to living the gospel.

One of President Kimball’s favorite songs was “I Need Thee Every Hour.” Let’s remember that one particularly. That choice demonstrates his humility. Concerning his favorite food, I watched him for all the years I was in the Twelve while he was living. He would fill a glass with milk and take some date nut bread and crumble it into the glass until it was thick. Then he would take a spoon and eat it! I did not follow his example.

What was a favorite quotation or a lesson from him? “Lengthen your stride.” We had to lengthen our stride in order to keep up with him! I asked President Kimball what would be a guiding principle from his life. And then I answered it: I believe it would be dedication.

Spencer W. Kimball served as President of the Church for twelve years until his death on November 5, 1985, at the age of 90.

Brother Hinckley and I served with President Kimball on the Missionary Executive Committee, so we were with him every Tuesday morning assigning missionaries, and the three of us had a very good camaraderie together.

One day he said to Brother Hinckley and me, “Is this the night where the parents are coming to visit with the mission presidents who are here for conference and we’re to have our offices ready for them?”

Brother Hinckley and I said, “Yes, it is, President.”

“Is your office ready, Tom?”

I said, “Yes, it is.”

“Is your office ready, Gordon?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Uh, will the two of you carry on with the meeting while I make my office ready?”

He carried a thick stack of papers and would thumb through them constantly until they were worn out on the edges, and he began to take care of cleaning up his office so it would be ready for the parents and missionaries. He emptied the files, put them in the closet, and then he moved everything off of his desk and moved it to his secretary’s desk. And then he picked up that big stack of papers he usually carried and threw it in his refrigerator. It was the only place left, so he refrigerated his notes! And then he said, “Now I’m ready!”

You had to love him. You had to love Spencer W. Kimball. You just had to.

I’ll introduce one little thought. He said to me one day, “Tom, could you come in and help me with a problem I have?”

I said, “Sure!”

So I went into his office, and he had a man sitting there. (I hope he’s not related to you.) But Brother Kimball in a sweet way said, “Brother Monson, this is Brother So-and-So, and he’s not happy with the assignment which we made for his son to go on a mission. Why don’t you tell Brother Monson why you’re not happy with the call the apostles made.”

He still didn’t catch on. He said, “Well, he’s assigned to the New England mission. I don’t want him to go to the New England mission; I want him to go to the old England mission.”

And then Brother Kimball with a smile said, “And which mission would you have him assigned to of those in Great Britain?”

“Oh, any of ’em, any of ’em.”

And Brother Kimball said, “Now let’s see. There’s Bristol, there’s London, there’s London South,” and he named them all. “Now which one?”

And the man said, “Oh no, you go ahead.”

“No, since you, as the father, rather than Brother Monson and I as apostles, are making your missionary son’s assignment, you name it.”

I’d never seen a man told off so adroitly, yet he didn’t recognize he was being told off.

He said, “Well, that one you mentioned, Bristol. That sounds good. Send him to Bristol.”

After he left, Brother Kimball said, “Aren’t some parents unusual?” He would not use a word I might have used, but then he wasn’t in the navy like I was! (That line is not in my prepared message!)

Thomas S. Monson "Principles From Prophets" September 15 2009 BYU Devotional