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J. Golden Kimball: The Remarkable Man Behind the Colorful Stories
He is J. Golden Kimball, and when he is gone, there will never be another. He was the original product, and when Providence had finished him, the pattern was lost and never found again. LDS Church history is comprised of the accounts of multitudes of men and women who set the groundwork for the Church. And while there are plenty of ordinary individuals woven into that patchwork of history, there are also a handful of unique individuals who enliven the past and provide inspiration for the future. Known as the "swearing Apostle," J. Golden Kimball is just such a character, one whose legacy of colorful language is surpassed only by his fierce loyalty to the gospel. In J. Golden Little-known Insights into a Remarkable Man of God, readers are invited to come to better know this legendary man made famous by his unique humor and powerful testimony. From a chronicle of Kimball's youthful adventures to the legacy he forged in his more than forty years as a General Authority, gear up for a rollicking ride through the life of one of the liveliest servants of the Lord.
144 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 25, 2017
Even though I was raised in the Mormon church, I hadn't heard about J. Golden Kimball before. This book gave inspiring and fascinating insight into his early life, his missionary work in the volatile and violent post-Civil War Southern states, his struggles with his marriage, family and finances, and most importantly, his stalwart testimony of the gospel. Several of the anecdotes made me chuckle or laugh out loud, and I found that I didn't want to put the book down- which never happens with nonfiction for me! This is by far the most enjoyable biography I've read. Even though Kimball is perceived as an optimistic, humorous, and irreverent character, there was a respectful tone as the difficult and sad parts of his private life were explored. I was able to feel the Spirit as I read about the second generation of Latter-day Saints that Kimball served and served with. I loved learning more about this man of God who wasn't perfect and was beloved for it.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
August 8, 2017
J. Golden Kimball truly was a "remarkable man". I am giving this book only 3 stars because it is basically a 'cut and paste' from what seem like more in-depth biographies. Also the author's "humor" really gets in the way. She should have allowed Brother Kimball's humor to come through on its own. If you want a quick summary (145 pages) of J. Golden Kimball's life- this is your book.
June 19, 2017
I was very excited to read and review J.Golden Kimball: The Remarkable Man Behind the Colorful Stories. You see, my father's two favorite apostles were J. Golden Kimball and LeGrand Richards. We spent many a Family Home Evening reading stories about J. Golden Kimball and many that I read in this new book were ones I had heard before in my youth. My dad always said he loved J. Golden because he was real and down to earth. The thing that people will learn most from this book is that J. Golden Kimball was more than the "swearing apostle". He did use colorful language at times in his life, but he also was very straight to the point when it came to talking to and teaching the people of the church. He didn't hold back most of the time.
I had not known of his hard life from growing up very poor after his father, Apostle Heber C. Kimball died, to him trying to start various businesses and losing money along the way. Author Kathryn Jenkins Gordon has such a wonderful way of telling Kimball's life story. She has a wonderful and fun voice as she teaches readers about the man and the many funny, sad and glorious things J. Golden did in his life. This book is not bogged down with just boring details of a man's life but is woven with much humor as Gordon shares about what truly made J. Golden Kimball remarkable. He had a powerful testimony of the gospel and could be very inspirational when needed.
"No man has any influence or power for good when angry."
J. Golden Kimball
I had to share a few of my favorite stories from the book about J. Golden Kimball that I remember first hearing when my dad shared them with our family.
There was to be an impressive tour given to some dignitaries from other lands. J. Golden Kimball was assigned to the tour as a guide. They first took a bus trip to the important historical sites in and around Salt Lake City. Brother Kimball would constantly remind the visitors how fast buildings were put up by the industrious Mormons. Every time he would say so, one of the dignitaries on the tour would say, “Oh, is that right? In our country we could do it in half the time.” J. Golden began to get madder and madder as the dignitary persisted to offer such comments. The tour was to end by having the bus drive around Temple Square. Then this dignitary asked, “What is that building there?” as he pointed at the Temple. “Damned if I know,” said J. Golden. “It wasn’t there yesterday.”
On a snowy day two weeks before Christmas, he was crossing South Temple to the north door of ZCMI [a department store in downtown Salt Lake City]. He walked slowly to the middle of the ice-slick street.
A woman burst out of the north door of ZCMI with a pile of packages in her hands and no clear line of sight.
She plowed right into Golden.
Packages flew everywhere. Golden was knocked down and the woman fell on top of him. Together they began to slide south towards the curb.
All traffic stopped. Everyone stood entranced by this most unlikely sight.
They slid until they hit the curb. It was then that the woman realized someone was beneath her. She brushed the snow away and exclaimed, “Oh, Brother Kimball, it’s you! Speak to me. Are you all right?”
“It’s all right, Sister, but you’ll have to get off here,” he painfully croaked. “This is as far as I go".
This book was such a delightful read that I read it in one sitting. It's only 150 pages and is the perfect book for a lazy, Saturday afternoon. Readers will learn so much from J. Golden Kimball's life, especially how to find and use humor while going through the trials of life. I highly recommend this book to all ages of readers from teens to adults.
I had not known of his hard life from growing up very poor after his father, Apostle Heber C. Kimball died, to him trying to start various businesses and losing money along the way. Author Kathryn Jenkins Gordon has such a wonderful way of telling Kimball's life story. She has a wonderful and fun voice as she teaches readers about the man and the many funny, sad and glorious things J. Golden did in his life. This book is not bogged down with just boring details of a man's life but is woven with much humor as Gordon shares about what truly made J. Golden Kimball remarkable. He had a powerful testimony of the gospel and could be very inspirational when needed.
"No man has any influence or power for good when angry."
J. Golden Kimball
I had to share a few of my favorite stories from the book about J. Golden Kimball that I remember first hearing when my dad shared them with our family.
There was to be an impressive tour given to some dignitaries from other lands. J. Golden Kimball was assigned to the tour as a guide. They first took a bus trip to the important historical sites in and around Salt Lake City. Brother Kimball would constantly remind the visitors how fast buildings were put up by the industrious Mormons. Every time he would say so, one of the dignitaries on the tour would say, “Oh, is that right? In our country we could do it in half the time.” J. Golden began to get madder and madder as the dignitary persisted to offer such comments. The tour was to end by having the bus drive around Temple Square. Then this dignitary asked, “What is that building there?” as he pointed at the Temple. “Damned if I know,” said J. Golden. “It wasn’t there yesterday.”
On a snowy day two weeks before Christmas, he was crossing South Temple to the north door of ZCMI [a department store in downtown Salt Lake City]. He walked slowly to the middle of the ice-slick street.
A woman burst out of the north door of ZCMI with a pile of packages in her hands and no clear line of sight.
She plowed right into Golden.
Packages flew everywhere. Golden was knocked down and the woman fell on top of him. Together they began to slide south towards the curb.
All traffic stopped. Everyone stood entranced by this most unlikely sight.
They slid until they hit the curb. It was then that the woman realized someone was beneath her. She brushed the snow away and exclaimed, “Oh, Brother Kimball, it’s you! Speak to me. Are you all right?”
“It’s all right, Sister, but you’ll have to get off here,” he painfully croaked. “This is as far as I go".
This book was such a delightful read that I read it in one sitting. It's only 150 pages and is the perfect book for a lazy, Saturday afternoon. Readers will learn so much from J. Golden Kimball's life, especially how to find and use humor while going through the trials of life. I highly recommend this book to all ages of readers from teens to adults.
April 1, 2025
Loved learning about this man. Can you name another seventy from the early 1900s? Not likely. The three stars are all for J. Golden.
The missing two stars are for the writing style or lack there of. I at least appreciate the author gathering the information into one place for me.
The missing two stars are for the writing style or lack there of. I at least appreciate the author gathering the information into one place for me.
June 29, 2017
I wanted to enjoy the colorful character and fascinating history of J. Golden Kimball, but was never able to set down my mental red marking pen. Full of grammatical errors, incomplete sentences, and terrible transitions between topics/ideas, the poor writing overshadowed anything I might have hoped to take away from this book.
January 18, 2018
4 stars for the story. 2 for the author's portrayal.
August 21, 2018
This book was okay...
I was frustrated by the extent of grammatical errors that were littered throughout this book. After reading the authors biography-I was really disappointed that a person with her amount of experience in publishing would push something through without giving it a good once over for errors.
I enjoyed learning more about J. Golden Kimball’s life. I grew up hearing stories about him from my parents, but that was really all I knew. After stumbling upon this book as I was perusing Deseret Book one day, I decided to learn more. I found his story interesting, sad and funny. His ability to speak his mind refreshing, although there were several instances in which I disagreed with his stance.
I’ve read more biographies this year than I think I’ve ever read, and this one certainly seemed more interesting than a few of the others. It’s short and sweet and could easily be read in a weekend.
I was frustrated by the extent of grammatical errors that were littered throughout this book. After reading the authors biography-I was really disappointed that a person with her amount of experience in publishing would push something through without giving it a good once over for errors.
I enjoyed learning more about J. Golden Kimball’s life. I grew up hearing stories about him from my parents, but that was really all I knew. After stumbling upon this book as I was perusing Deseret Book one day, I decided to learn more. I found his story interesting, sad and funny. His ability to speak his mind refreshing, although there were several instances in which I disagreed with his stance.
I’ve read more biographies this year than I think I’ve ever read, and this one certainly seemed more interesting than a few of the others. It’s short and sweet and could easily be read in a weekend.
October 27, 2018
I assume like many others, I’ve not known anything about Elder Kimball other than the fact that he cussed in his talks. I appreciate, now, knowing more about him. This book reminded me that the Lord is able to do his work even through our flawed, human frailties. Turns out that Kimball was fiercely loyal to the Church and to the Lord. He served with his might, mind, and strength. People listened to him because he kept their attention and caught their attention. This book also was a glimpse into the challenges and strain placed on his marriage due to his many callings that kept him away. It takes two to serve the Lord and Kimball himself offered commentary on the strain put on his family. Keep in mind it wasn’t solely the dusky of church service..but only part. Fascinating character, Elder Kimball is. Glad I know note about him. All of our leading Brethren are human. Brother Kimball reminds us of that.
April 17, 2023
An insightful—and often delightful—look at J. Golden Kimball’s life. This includes a few of the stories he was best known for, but it really focuses on who he was. And I came away with an even greater appreciation and admiration for him as a person and church leader.
It was surprising to learn the extent of the difficulties he encountered (including the financial and relationship issues he had as a General Authority for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). But that only shows his humanity and the tremendous force for good that he was.
His authenticity, sincerity, sense of humor, genuine love for people, and dedication to God and the church are admirable and worthy of emulation. Would that we could have more church leaders like him today. Though, truth be told, nobody could truly be like J. Golden. As Wallace Stegner put it (and as quoted in the book): J. Golden “was himself, no less, no more, and nobody knew it better than he.”
It was surprising to learn the extent of the difficulties he encountered (including the financial and relationship issues he had as a General Authority for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). But that only shows his humanity and the tremendous force for good that he was.
His authenticity, sincerity, sense of humor, genuine love for people, and dedication to God and the church are admirable and worthy of emulation. Would that we could have more church leaders like him today. Though, truth be told, nobody could truly be like J. Golden. As Wallace Stegner put it (and as quoted in the book): J. Golden “was himself, no less, no more, and nobody knew it better than he.”
July 30, 2021
This was a fun read about a man who’s entrenched in Mormon mythology. It was a fast read, written in a style that, while annoying at times, seemed appropriate for the subject matter. I am an academic who sometimes expects too much from the books I read. This book reminds you not to take the book too seriously—J. Golden would probably want it that way.
His creed, apart from his unshakable testimony in the Savior’s church, was that humor makes life better.
Most people familiar with the folklore of the church are familiar with him because of his habit of swearing over the pulpit in general conference. Indeed, there’s never been another like him among the leadership of the church. But what most people won’t be familiar with were his struggles and the incredibly hard life he lived. I gained some serious respect for him, to hear that he was so faithful despite such hard times in his life. Doubtlessly, his faith and humor helped him through the hardest times. If you want to learn about a colorful character from the church’s past, you will enjoy this book.
His creed, apart from his unshakable testimony in the Savior’s church, was that humor makes life better.
Most people familiar with the folklore of the church are familiar with him because of his habit of swearing over the pulpit in general conference. Indeed, there’s never been another like him among the leadership of the church. But what most people won’t be familiar with were his struggles and the incredibly hard life he lived. I gained some serious respect for him, to hear that he was so faithful despite such hard times in his life. Doubtlessly, his faith and humor helped him through the hardest times. If you want to learn about a colorful character from the church’s past, you will enjoy this book.
January 5, 2018
Despite the author's horribly awkward and "in your face" writing style, I still enjoyed this book. J. Golden Kimball is known for his cussing and his witty barbs, and he's often been referred to as the Mormon Will Rogers. That's all fine, and it provides lots of smiles (even though many of the stories are most likely made up), but I liked learning more about the real man. He had some horrible challenges: difficult and dangerous church missions, a very dysfunctional and painful marriage and family life, and career and health challenges too numerous to count. I suppose that his humor is one of the tools he used to survive. I wish that this book would have had more detail about certain historical things and a fewer humorous anecdotes. But that's just me!
October 27, 2025
First and foremost, this book was *funny*. I laughed out loud several times from the colorful comments this swearing apostle made. I liked the quote at the beginning about how even if no one actually said what is attributed to J. Golden, someone should have. Because that’s exactly right. Even if the quotes are a little uncouth, they are hilarious and poke fun at a people who sometimes take themselves too seriously.
While this is a biography of sorts, it does mostly focus on the wit and humor of Kimball. Tricky parts of his life (like his time spent before being a General Authority or his difficult family life as a GA) are acknowledged but not analyzed. Still, the humility, pioneer dedication, and, of course, comedy of Kimball shine through.
While this is a biography of sorts, it does mostly focus on the wit and humor of Kimball. Tricky parts of his life (like his time spent before being a General Authority or his difficult family life as a GA) are acknowledged but not analyzed. Still, the humility, pioneer dedication, and, of course, comedy of Kimball shine through.
April 30, 2022
J. Golden Kimball is know as a colorful leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This book gives an interesting biographical sketch of this man, known as a "Mormon cowboy and humorist," who was sometimes compared to Will Rogers. The story contains lots of entertaining stories and quotes, but also explores the challenges, failures and heart-aches that J. Golden Kimball dealt with during his long life and storied career as a church leader and preacher. We listened to the audio of the book on a family road trip and thoroughly enjoyed it, and we also learned a bit about Western and church history.
January 8, 2019
Known as the "swearing apostle", learning more about J. Golden was really interesting. It was interesting to learn that even though he was the son of Heber C. Kimball, he grew up very poor and struggled financially for most of his life. We also learn more about his mission and married life and how dedicated he was to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Even though he swore and stunned congregations from the pulpit, members were more willing to listen to him. Members had an affection for him.
June 20, 2017
I learned a lot about Brother Golden from this book. I knew most of the basics, hard mission, some bad health, bad family life, but to finally get some of the specifics is really nice. I long thought that he was a much more complex man than the popular stories of him let on, now I know. This is a very well written book with not only Brother Golden's humor, but also the author's, which I particularly find a nice touch.
September 17, 2025
Golden Kimball is a wonderful and fascinating man, and there are some interesting things relayed in this book. Unfortunately, there's also very little original in this volume, the author mainly relays the stories and analysis of other writers, and makes a decent number of mistakes and sourcing along the way.
I would definitely recommend the books by Claude Richards and Thomas Cheney, and the articles by David Buice and James N. Kimball, exhaustively referred to in the footnotes.
I would definitely recommend the books by Claude Richards and Thomas Cheney, and the articles by David Buice and James N. Kimball, exhaustively referred to in the footnotes.
November 13, 2017
This short book punctuates the narration of this remarkable man's life with quotations from his addresses and letters, from his associates and relatives, as well as sidebar stories showing his humor and the eccentricities that made him so beloved. The narrative is fairly spare of details--maybe they don't exist. Sources are listed.
November 27, 2022
7/10
I really liked learning more about him but was really looking forward to hearing some of his conference addresses. I was also hoping for more stories and examples of his colorful language.
Overall, a great book and something that helps me understand what an apostle of God has to go through.
I really liked learning more about him but was really looking forward to hearing some of his conference addresses. I was also hoping for more stories and examples of his colorful language.
Overall, a great book and something that helps me understand what an apostle of God has to go through.
August 23, 2023
I did not know a lot about J. Golden Kimball, so it was really interesting to read this biography about him. I laughed several times, as he was a pretty blunt person. He was widely loved by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, and was seen as a very one-of-a-kind person. I have had this on my TBR list for quite awhile, and am glad that I finally got around to reading it.
August 13, 2025
Absolutely loved learning about this figure in our church history. It was interesting to learn about the missionaries killed by the KKK while he was serving in the Southern states.
His family life was far from imperfect and that's beautiful and refreshing.
I didn't expect to laugh as much as I did.
His family life was far from imperfect and that's beautiful and refreshing.
I didn't expect to laugh as much as I did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2018
I listened to the audio cd. The reader was engaging and I learned quite a bit that I hadn't known before. I enjoyed listening to this book. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to learn about J. Golden Kimball's history and a few anecdotes from his life.
November 21, 2017
I loved learning more about J. Golden Kimball and I learned a lot from this book, however I didn’t completely like the writing style. It seemed to skim lightly over topics and the attempts at humor by the author weren’t my favorite.
February 1, 2018
Love the stories about the "colorful" J. Golden, and they do make you giggle, but also like seeing a bit more of the man...imperfect, struggling, and still able to love his God, his family, and his Mormon people.
September 10, 2019
One of the most entertaining biographies. The quips that he came up are legend.
"Cheer up the worst is yet to come."
It is too hot here. "If I were the Devil and owned st. George and hell, I would live in hell and rent st. George." LoL.
"Cheer up the worst is yet to come."
It is too hot here. "If I were the Devil and owned st. George and hell, I would live in hell and rent st. George." LoL.
January 22, 2022
Hilarious. Poignant. This is a well told story of not only what Uncle Golden was supposed to have said but who he was which explains why he was such a beloved character. Loved it! Well worth the read.
March 4, 2023
Book
Great book. Highly recommend it to all. It gives a deeper insight to J. Golden kimball. I feel like prior to reading the book he was one of my favorite general authorities to stories about and this book reinforce that. It was a quick read. Very witty.
Great book. Highly recommend it to all. It gives a deeper insight to J. Golden kimball. I feel like prior to reading the book he was one of my favorite general authorities to stories about and this book reinforce that. It was a quick read. Very witty.
May 31, 2017
I enjoyed reading about J. Golden Kimball and learning more about him, though in some ways, the book felt kind of brief and rushed.
June 8, 2017
I didn't know a lot about J. Golden, only about his language. I thought this book was a good look into the man behind the colorful language!
July 3, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Golden and honestly wish their was someone like him in the church today. This bio was entertaining, but certainly would not pass as an academic tome.
September 19, 2017
An excellent insight into the life of one of my favorite people in Church history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews