What do you think?
Rate this book
Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball
The presidency of Spencer W. Kimball, from 1973 to 1985, spanned years of remarkable growth and dramatic developments in the Church. In that time, Church membership grew from 3.2 million to 5.9 million, the number of full-time missionaries serving grew from 17,000 to nearly 40,000 and temples in operation increased from 15 to 36. This book focuses exclusively on President Kimball's ministry as Church President, describing such landmark events as the revelation extending the priesthood to all worthy males, the publication of new editions of the LDS scriptures, and the reorganization of the quorum of the Seventy. The accompanying CD-ROM (created by BYU Studies) contains a wealth of additional information, including a longer version of the biography, photos not included in the book, some audio clips of President Kimball (including a sample before the surgery on his throat), as well as copies of other books written by or about President Kimball.
471 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2005
18 people are currently reading
452 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 27, 2009
This book reminded me of why I loved President Kimball so much. He truly had a gift of loving people unconditionally, and they felt it. Someone said that for the first time in her life she had a deeper understanding of how the Savior loved people by watching how President Kimball treated and loved people. There are countless stories of the things that he said and did that changed people's lives.
His ability to work was astounding, not only for a man in his 80's, but for a person of ANY age. His philosopy was that his life was like his shoes, meant to be worn out in service.
He was incredibly humble and ego free. He said that he wasn't afraid of dying, "but I am concerned that when I meet the Savior, he might say to me, 'Spencer, you could have done better.'"
After reading about his total dedication to the Lord this quote made me choke up: "Spencer once said, 'I still wonder what the Lord was thinking about, making a little country boy like me President of his Church, unless he know that I didn't have any sense and would just keep on working.' No short man ever had a longer stride."
God bless Spencer W. Kimball.
His ability to work was astounding, not only for a man in his 80's, but for a person of ANY age. His philosopy was that his life was like his shoes, meant to be worn out in service.
He was incredibly humble and ego free. He said that he wasn't afraid of dying, "but I am concerned that when I meet the Savior, he might say to me, 'Spencer, you could have done better.'"
After reading about his total dedication to the Lord this quote made me choke up: "Spencer once said, 'I still wonder what the Lord was thinking about, making a little country boy like me President of his Church, unless he know that I didn't have any sense and would just keep on working.' No short man ever had a longer stride."
God bless Spencer W. Kimball.
December 21, 2009
The first half of the book is a one or two star, the second half a four or five, so I compromised and gave it three stars.
The negatives about the book:
* Something about the tone bothered me, particularly in the first half.
* It seemed that the author went out of his way to include obscure events during the time period of President Kimball's presidency. The chapter on the ERA, for instance, spends half of the chapter on a woman who was outspoken against the Church and eventually excommunicated. It sounds like she was loud enough that she deserves a mention in the book, but half a chapter given to a woman who wasn't that consequential, never even spoke with President Kimball and never had anything to do with him (except that he upheld her excommunication)?
* Some of the things included in the book gave me pause. I think too much weight was given to things supposedly said in private conversations. For instance, there were several times the author said something like, "So-and-so's grandson reported that so-and-so said this." At one point, the author says that David O. McKay was "Said to have wanted and sought such a revelation . . ." but no reference at all is given as to who said such a thing about President McKay.
* I thought the book was nit-picky and overly critical at times. For instance, the author includes a long note in one of the first chapters that President Kimball's many journals were not as extensive after he became president, and that many times the entries were recorded by Arthur Haycock, his personal secretary. In a later chapter referencing President Kimball's counsel to the Church on journal-keeping, the author repeats the same criticism. It just seems petty to note such a thing twice as if to say President Kimball didn't keep his own counsel (I realize another reason the author gave it so much weight is that as a biographer trying to write about that specific time period, it was probably frustrating to him that the level of detail wasn't as great as Kimball's previous journals). Another instance is the story told of a quote given by Elder McConkie about the priesthood revelation where he says something like, "We all heard the same voice and felt the same witness." President Kimball is reported to have wanted it clarified so that people would not misunderstand and think that an actual voice was heard. Elder McConkie kept it as is. The story probably deserves to be in the biography, but then a few chapters later the same story is included again, this time with the added detail that "son Ed" (the author) was the one asked to have Elder McConkie change the words. Including the story twice just seems petty.
* I thought it was strange that Paul H. Dunn was quoted quite often in this book, sometimes in telling very engaging anecdotes about President Kimball, and once in reporting in great detail of what was said in the private meeting of the general authorities on the revelation of the priesthood. First, with all the many, many stories and experiences people have had with President Kimball, I found it interesting that Dunn's reflections were included instead of others, especially when Dunn is associated with embellished stories. Second, in a meeting with many, many people attending, why is it the author couldn't find another authority present to quote Kimball's words at the time? I have to assume that's because what was said was meant to be confidential and that Dunn was the only one who gave him the quote he wanted to use.
* Even the parts of the book about the author are written in third person, which makes for an awkward read. I couldn't help comparing it to Bruce R. McConkie's biography, also written by a son, where the first person narrative really adds to the story and genuineness of the book. Here, the occasional references to "letters written to son Ed" or "He told son Ed," made the book less personal.
And now to the many, many positives, especially in the second half of the book, which dealt more with President Kimball himself and not the time period or historical details of the Church during his presidency:
* The chapters on the revelation on the priesthood were absolutely wonderful, very detailed, and very interesting.
* I was so touched by the many stories of President Kimball's love for people and his kindness to others.
* I was inspired by President Kimball's work ethic, especially in the face of so much physical pain.
* I loved the many stories of area conferences, traveling throughout the world, the miracles of the gospel opening up to new ares, and more.
The negatives about the book:
* Something about the tone bothered me, particularly in the first half.
* It seemed that the author went out of his way to include obscure events during the time period of President Kimball's presidency. The chapter on the ERA, for instance, spends half of the chapter on a woman who was outspoken against the Church and eventually excommunicated. It sounds like she was loud enough that she deserves a mention in the book, but half a chapter given to a woman who wasn't that consequential, never even spoke with President Kimball and never had anything to do with him (except that he upheld her excommunication)?
* Some of the things included in the book gave me pause. I think too much weight was given to things supposedly said in private conversations. For instance, there were several times the author said something like, "So-and-so's grandson reported that so-and-so said this." At one point, the author says that David O. McKay was "Said to have wanted and sought such a revelation . . ." but no reference at all is given as to who said such a thing about President McKay.
* I thought the book was nit-picky and overly critical at times. For instance, the author includes a long note in one of the first chapters that President Kimball's many journals were not as extensive after he became president, and that many times the entries were recorded by Arthur Haycock, his personal secretary. In a later chapter referencing President Kimball's counsel to the Church on journal-keeping, the author repeats the same criticism. It just seems petty to note such a thing twice as if to say President Kimball didn't keep his own counsel (I realize another reason the author gave it so much weight is that as a biographer trying to write about that specific time period, it was probably frustrating to him that the level of detail wasn't as great as Kimball's previous journals). Another instance is the story told of a quote given by Elder McConkie about the priesthood revelation where he says something like, "We all heard the same voice and felt the same witness." President Kimball is reported to have wanted it clarified so that people would not misunderstand and think that an actual voice was heard. Elder McConkie kept it as is. The story probably deserves to be in the biography, but then a few chapters later the same story is included again, this time with the added detail that "son Ed" (the author) was the one asked to have Elder McConkie change the words. Including the story twice just seems petty.
* I thought it was strange that Paul H. Dunn was quoted quite often in this book, sometimes in telling very engaging anecdotes about President Kimball, and once in reporting in great detail of what was said in the private meeting of the general authorities on the revelation of the priesthood. First, with all the many, many stories and experiences people have had with President Kimball, I found it interesting that Dunn's reflections were included instead of others, especially when Dunn is associated with embellished stories. Second, in a meeting with many, many people attending, why is it the author couldn't find another authority present to quote Kimball's words at the time? I have to assume that's because what was said was meant to be confidential and that Dunn was the only one who gave him the quote he wanted to use.
* Even the parts of the book about the author are written in third person, which makes for an awkward read. I couldn't help comparing it to Bruce R. McConkie's biography, also written by a son, where the first person narrative really adds to the story and genuineness of the book. Here, the occasional references to "letters written to son Ed" or "He told son Ed," made the book less personal.
And now to the many, many positives, especially in the second half of the book, which dealt more with President Kimball himself and not the time period or historical details of the Church during his presidency:
* The chapters on the revelation on the priesthood were absolutely wonderful, very detailed, and very interesting.
* I was so touched by the many stories of President Kimball's love for people and his kindness to others.
* I was inspired by President Kimball's work ethic, especially in the face of so much physical pain.
* I loved the many stories of area conferences, traveling throughout the world, the miracles of the gospel opening up to new ares, and more.
April 21, 2022
Incredibly faith promoting biography. I didn’t know much about Spencer W. Kimball before reading this. I felt inspired to do what the title suggests, that is: lengthen my stride. Truly a Christlike man, who loved people and have his all. If people want to know what a modern day prophet looks like, this is a good jumping off point. In particular, I really loved reading about how the revelation on the Priesthood given. Amazing book.
September 3, 2020
I enjoyed learning more about the prophet of my childhood. There is a lot of interesting history during this time period.
November 6, 2010
Recommended by my dear friend Lon Tibbitts, I was fully engrossed in this book. For those of you who are not Mormons, this is a story of the term this man had as President of our Church. His administration is famous for lifting the ban on ordaining blacks to the Priesthood (or authority to conduct official church ecclesiastical business and perform certain rites).
The author (the son of President Kimball), did not shy away from some of the tension and controversy of President Kimball's administration. I appreciated the candor. Clearly, the son is a fan of his father, so it's certainly not an expose.
Quick update on my view of biographies ... No good biography was ever written by a staunch critic of a person (they focus on what they don't like). Nor was a good biography ever written by an purely objective, disinterested party. Have you read a Congressional report? They read sort of like that ... bereft of passion or insight or any effort to truly appreciate someone's life. SOME (but not all) biographies, written by people with an interest and passion for someone's life, and with some kind of admiration for their subject, are excellent. Some are not ... they are pure distortion and propaganda. But many are excellent. So ... I'll take my chances with someone with a passion, interest, and type of admiration for their subject.I mean, even the biography of a bad guy ... if written by someone who is sympathetic to the influence and forces around a person who went south, is better than reading the venom from those who despise them. Venom omits and distorts. Neutrality ignores and narrowly focuses. Admiration/sympathy may over reach or exaggerate ... but it's easier to discern truth from this, than the other two possibilities.
Okay ... so, it' a good biography. More candid that you might expect from a son. And very honest in terms of how certain decision are made in the Church. Some members have this vision of a weekly meeting in the temple where Jesus gives the team an action list, a few helpful tips, then disappears. I don't know ... but I don't think it works that way. I think leaders of the church have to struggle through their own life experience, tradition, and frame of reference. Inspiration is there to guide and confirm ... but choices are typed neatly on 3x5 cards for leaders to work off of.
Terrific story of how the whole Priesthood issues was dealt with and solved. Was this Church wrong to ever deny blacks the priesthood? Maybe. But Kimball's journey to get an answer on that issue, one way or another, is inspiring and renewed my faith.
The author (the son of President Kimball), did not shy away from some of the tension and controversy of President Kimball's administration. I appreciated the candor. Clearly, the son is a fan of his father, so it's certainly not an expose.
Quick update on my view of biographies ... No good biography was ever written by a staunch critic of a person (they focus on what they don't like). Nor was a good biography ever written by an purely objective, disinterested party. Have you read a Congressional report? They read sort of like that ... bereft of passion or insight or any effort to truly appreciate someone's life. SOME (but not all) biographies, written by people with an interest and passion for someone's life, and with some kind of admiration for their subject, are excellent. Some are not ... they are pure distortion and propaganda. But many are excellent. So ... I'll take my chances with someone with a passion, interest, and type of admiration for their subject.I mean, even the biography of a bad guy ... if written by someone who is sympathetic to the influence and forces around a person who went south, is better than reading the venom from those who despise them. Venom omits and distorts. Neutrality ignores and narrowly focuses. Admiration/sympathy may over reach or exaggerate ... but it's easier to discern truth from this, than the other two possibilities.
Okay ... so, it' a good biography. More candid that you might expect from a son. And very honest in terms of how certain decision are made in the Church. Some members have this vision of a weekly meeting in the temple where Jesus gives the team an action list, a few helpful tips, then disappears. I don't know ... but I don't think it works that way. I think leaders of the church have to struggle through their own life experience, tradition, and frame of reference. Inspiration is there to guide and confirm ... but choices are typed neatly on 3x5 cards for leaders to work off of.
Terrific story of how the whole Priesthood issues was dealt with and solved. Was this Church wrong to ever deny blacks the priesthood? Maybe. But Kimball's journey to get an answer on that issue, one way or another, is inspiring and renewed my faith.
July 3, 2018
I've finally found an LDS biography on the same level as David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. What an amazing book! The details of all the changes in the LDS church in a twelve year period made recent changes in the church seem rather mundane.
I was only 7 years old when President Kimball passed away, but this biography has given me the greatest appreciation for him and all the wonderful things he accomplished. I greatly appreciated the way in which Ed Kimball (the author) made his father so relatable and human in a way I've observed in only one or two other biographies of LDS general authorities. This book is a pleasure to read.
I was only 7 years old when President Kimball passed away, but this biography has given me the greatest appreciation for him and all the wonderful things he accomplished. I greatly appreciated the way in which Ed Kimball (the author) made his father so relatable and human in a way I've observed in only one or two other biographies of LDS general authorities. This book is a pleasure to read.
July 12, 2010
Edward Kimball's biography of his father is probably my favorite biography of all time. This book chronicles the administration of President Kimball and is equally readable and compelling. I picked it up with the intention of scanning it before teaching my institute lesson on President Kimball. Four days later, I've read every word--including the footnotes! And, I'm exhausted from reading about the man Brad Wilcox characterizes as the Church's "Energizer Bunny." What a great man! I'm grateful to remember his administration so well and to have had some personal contact with him.
April 9, 2020
The new high watermark for biographies printed by Deseret Book. What a marvelously transparent work.
June 27, 2023
This is a really excellent and fascinating biography of President Spencer W. Kimball, written by his son Edward Kimball. It is a sequel to the first biography he wrote that was published in 1977 while President Kimball was still alive and President of the Church. This biography exclusively covers the years of Spencer W. Kimball's Presidency, and it does so in great detail and is really interesting and in some places very inspiring. You really get a feel for who President Kimball was and how he lived and what mattered most to him. It also had some very funny moments as well. I read this book quite quickly over a few days and at times had a hard time putting it down.
Like the first biography, this one is quite candid. The author acknowledges some of President Kimball's weaknesses and struggles, and notes what might be labelled as quirks or personality flaws, but he doesn't focus overmuch on them nor blow them out of the proportion. In this biography President Kimball comes across as BOTH a real human being and also an amazing Prophet of God. I love how it beautifully blends those two things together. It made me love, admire, and respect President Kimball even more to see him in that light. His very humannness actually makes the things he accomplished as an apostle and prophet even more impressive in my eyes. I also found it really interesting getting some insight into the kinds of things that the First Presidency does, how their meetings and decision making processes work, and so forth. As a normal everyday member of the church you normally don't learn much about that kind of thing except in very general terms so it was fascinating to me get a bit of a "peek behind the curtain" so to speak, and learn a bit more what it is like to be a general authority and to have those heavy responsibilities on your shoulders.
This is among my favorite biographies of an apostle or president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I have ever read. The parts recounting the story and process of how the 1978 revelation on the priesthood was received was truly fascinating and inspiring reading. I loved how wide of source base the author drew on to illustrate such a multifaceted portrait of this remarkable man of God. I loved hearing the stories of small interpersonal interactions people had with President Kimball and his courtesy, love, kindness, his jokes, and so forth. I thought that really said a lot about the kind of person he truly was and is. It was also humbling reading about how awful his suffering and his numerous health/medical problems truly were during the final years of his life, and how hard it was on him, his wife, his other family members, President Hinckley and other church leaders etc and how there were moments President Kimball just plain wanted to die and have his pain be at an end, but he kept going and endured to the end. A really inspiring example.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in church history or with interest in reading the biography of a really amazing and Christlike man.
Like the first biography, this one is quite candid. The author acknowledges some of President Kimball's weaknesses and struggles, and notes what might be labelled as quirks or personality flaws, but he doesn't focus overmuch on them nor blow them out of the proportion. In this biography President Kimball comes across as BOTH a real human being and also an amazing Prophet of God. I love how it beautifully blends those two things together. It made me love, admire, and respect President Kimball even more to see him in that light. His very humannness actually makes the things he accomplished as an apostle and prophet even more impressive in my eyes. I also found it really interesting getting some insight into the kinds of things that the First Presidency does, how their meetings and decision making processes work, and so forth. As a normal everyday member of the church you normally don't learn much about that kind of thing except in very general terms so it was fascinating to me get a bit of a "peek behind the curtain" so to speak, and learn a bit more what it is like to be a general authority and to have those heavy responsibilities on your shoulders.
This is among my favorite biographies of an apostle or president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I have ever read. The parts recounting the story and process of how the 1978 revelation on the priesthood was received was truly fascinating and inspiring reading. I loved how wide of source base the author drew on to illustrate such a multifaceted portrait of this remarkable man of God. I loved hearing the stories of small interpersonal interactions people had with President Kimball and his courtesy, love, kindness, his jokes, and so forth. I thought that really said a lot about the kind of person he truly was and is. It was also humbling reading about how awful his suffering and his numerous health/medical problems truly were during the final years of his life, and how hard it was on him, his wife, his other family members, President Hinckley and other church leaders etc and how there were moments President Kimball just plain wanted to die and have his pain be at an end, but he kept going and endured to the end. A really inspiring example.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in church history or with interest in reading the biography of a really amazing and Christlike man.
June 24, 2019
This book is a sequel to the 1977 biography of Spencer W. Kimball, Spencer W. Kimball, written by Edward L. Kimball and Andrew F. Kimball, Jr., and is authored solely by Edward L. Kimball. Given that Spencer W. Kimball, the twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, served as the president from 1973 through 1985, the book focuses on the event that occurred after the events detailed in the first biography, including the events surrounding the revelation that allowed all worthy male members of the church to be ordained to the priesthood and receive temple ordinances.
I liked this book better than I liked the previous biography probably because the previous biography focused so much more on President Kimball's insecurities and feelings of inadequecy that its mood was often sad and depressing to me. Perhaps because the events described in this book occurred well into President Kimball's prophetic term, he was more sure of himself and less inclined to self-doubt.
This book at times was fantastic. The section on the revelation of the priesthood was very engaging and well written. I, however, am not a fan of the presentation of biographies in a non-linear subject matter organization because it often rips decisions and events from the entire context in which they occurred. However, I believe the author was effective in his telling of these events in that fashion.
Overall, I thought this book was very well done.
I liked this book better than I liked the previous biography probably because the previous biography focused so much more on President Kimball's insecurities and feelings of inadequecy that its mood was often sad and depressing to me. Perhaps because the events described in this book occurred well into President Kimball's prophetic term, he was more sure of himself and less inclined to self-doubt.
This book at times was fantastic. The section on the revelation of the priesthood was very engaging and well written. I, however, am not a fan of the presentation of biographies in a non-linear subject matter organization because it often rips decisions and events from the entire context in which they occurred. However, I believe the author was effective in his telling of these events in that fashion.
Overall, I thought this book was very well done.
January 4, 2026
Ed Kimball, Spencer's son, fully acknowledged out of the gate that it would be impossible for him to write (volume II) of the biography of his prophet/father, fully free of any bias. That said, a few lines later in the introduction, I think he wonderfully summarizes, as objectively as possible, the throughline of both of his superb Kimball biographies, "That the anecdotes almost all illustrate good character comes not by conscious selection (ie, a son's cherry-picking) but because Spencer (his father) was, on all the evidence, a truly good man." I couldn't agree more. Ed's father (who he and his family so graciously shared with a quickly expanding and globalizing church) was a beautiful blend of both generosity and orthodoxy. No one was more committed to the traditions of the church than President Kimball, and yet no one was more able to humbly and openly confront the areas that most needed changing (priesthood/temple restrictions, etc.). Pound for pound (and inch for inch), he is one of the greatest leaders of my lifetime. Once again, Ed nails it: "No short man ever had a longer stride." Damn straight. I really miss President Kimball and am so grateful for his example that continues to loom large in my life.
March 16, 2018
Even though I was still a child when President Kimball passed away, I can still vividly recall my feelings of affection for him and my sorrow at his passing. This was an interesting account of his years as president of the LDS church, made especially personal by the recollections and insights of the author, his son. I loved reading about how incredibly loving President Kimball was - and to everyone! I was especially interested to read about the 1978 revelation which made the priesthood accessible to all worthy males in the Church.
I do hope the Kindle version gets updated somehow, because it was a bit jumbled and not formatted well to the format. Footnotes were mixed in with the refular text and not separated even by having a different font size or style. It made reading a little tricky. I was impressed, however, with the quality of the photographs, since I could enlarge them without losing auality or getting pixelated.
I do hope the Kindle version gets updated somehow, because it was a bit jumbled and not formatted well to the format. Footnotes were mixed in with the refular text and not separated even by having a different font size or style. It made reading a little tricky. I was impressed, however, with the quality of the photographs, since I could enlarge them without losing auality or getting pixelated.
September 14, 2019
Sections of this book were beyond a 5 star rating, but enough of the book was not; thus the four star rating. That said, President Kimball's life biography from 1977 is a 5 star read.
In reading about the process leading to the announcement allowing all worthy males to receive the priesthood, I learned more about revelation and priesthood keys than anything else I had ever read or heard before.
Finally, I don't believe I am aware of any other individual who emulated the life of the Savior quite like President Kimball did. To read about his life and his presidency, I have come to understand Christ-like living and charity much better.
In reading about the process leading to the announcement allowing all worthy males to receive the priesthood, I learned more about revelation and priesthood keys than anything else I had ever read or heard before.
Finally, I don't believe I am aware of any other individual who emulated the life of the Savior quite like President Kimball did. To read about his life and his presidency, I have come to understand Christ-like living and charity much better.
April 12, 2018
I love behind-the-scenes books. This book didn’t disappoint with a special view of what it was like for Spencer W Kimball as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was amazing to read about his rigorous work and travel schedule, his love for people he met, and how the church changed and grew during his administration. I also enjoyed reading about the revelation on the Priesthood. I wasn’t alive during that time and have heard various versions of what it was like, but this was really fascinating. Great read.
December 11, 2022
I loved hearing more about President Kimball from his son. My favorite chapters were about the revelation on the priesthood. I also loved the section on family history and temple work. What a wonderful prophet. I enjoyed learning about his time as president of the church.
June 17, 2017
Loved it -- highly recommend
December 3, 2020
I fell in love with President Kimball. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a strong testimony of the Gospel. The book is well written and covers his life from beginning to end. I read it twice.
November 11, 2021
Great compliment to David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism.
December 26, 2023
Very well done faith-promoting book. This is full of rich stories and insights into Kimball’s life and is wonderfully readable.
May 17, 2008
An excellent biography of President Spencer W. Kimball. Written by his son, Edward Kimball, the book provides a thorough overview of President Kimball's presidency. There is a lot of good info about the big issues from that era (no pun intended...ERA...get it?) We also get to see the day to day life of the prophet, as he travels the world and struggles with various health issues.
The book is very informative in its coverage of the revelation on Blacks and the Priesthood (specifically, now they could have it), and helps us better understand the process by which the change came about.
Also covered in detail are the final years of President Kimball's life, when his declining health confined him to his apartment and limited his abilities to perform his duties. It is an interesting portrait of a man burdened by his desire to serve, and his frustrations with his inability to meet his
But the most interesting aspect of this biography is the accompanying CD-ROM. In addition to several talks by President Kimball and the entire text of Ed Kimball's previous bio (that covered the time period from Spencer Kimball's birth to his call as Prophet), the CD-ROM features the "author's version" of the book. This alternate version is an earlier draft, before the book was edited down to its more manageable size. The document is color coded to show which parts were changed. Many of the changes were done for brevity or to cut extraneous information, but other changes were made to soften portions of the book that were considered too critical of other General Authorities, or possibly put the Church in a bad light. Very informative.
The book is very informative in its coverage of the revelation on Blacks and the Priesthood (specifically, now they could have it), and helps us better understand the process by which the change came about.
Also covered in detail are the final years of President Kimball's life, when his declining health confined him to his apartment and limited his abilities to perform his duties. It is an interesting portrait of a man burdened by his desire to serve, and his frustrations with his inability to meet his
But the most interesting aspect of this biography is the accompanying CD-ROM. In addition to several talks by President Kimball and the entire text of Ed Kimball's previous bio (that covered the time period from Spencer Kimball's birth to his call as Prophet), the CD-ROM features the "author's version" of the book. This alternate version is an earlier draft, before the book was edited down to its more manageable size. The document is color coded to show which parts were changed. Many of the changes were done for brevity or to cut extraneous information, but other changes were made to soften portions of the book that were considered too critical of other General Authorities, or possibly put the Church in a bad light. Very informative.
August 3, 2016
I ended up reading this entire book in one day last week when I needed to be resting, and I will certainly give it credit for being readable and interesting. In the past I will confess to having a bit of a negative attitude towards President Kimball based on some of his writings and public statements. However, after reading this biography that manages to be both honest and sympathetic, I can now say that I really understand why so many people liked him so much (even if I don't like a few of the things he said). As I mentioned last month, I've started to really take an interest in twentieth-century Church history, and I think this book is vital reading for anyone interested in that topic. And for anyone interested in learning more about a complex man who really was great in so many ways. I also really like the decision that Deseret Book made to include a CD-Rom with additional materials, including all the footnotes from the book as well as other documentation with further information about many of the things mentioned in it. The book as it is published is very readable, but then you can spend more time really exploring some of the issues it raises in greater detail. I've enjoyed reading both this book and the book about President McKay and they have only confirmed my belief that it we really must not forget the past, even if it only happened thirty years ago.
February 25, 2011
I've read many biographies and found the "engagement factor" of the book to be above average. Not as good as Prince’s McKay book, but still really good.
Positives: Balanced candor - a fair mix of inspirational stories mingled with some of the tensions and struggles associated with normal human existence (and leadership). The section on the priesthood revelation was fantastic, and this is the must read section of the book. I've read lots on that subject and found it insightful and faith promoting.
Negatives: Why is Paul H. Dunn quoted so much in the book? It makes it look like Ed had a small group of people to draw from for quotable stories. And LDS folks know he was quietly released for his story exaggerating. There were also some anecdotal “he said she said” type stories, which I wonder how accurate they really are.
Positives: Balanced candor - a fair mix of inspirational stories mingled with some of the tensions and struggles associated with normal human existence (and leadership). The section on the priesthood revelation was fantastic, and this is the must read section of the book. I've read lots on that subject and found it insightful and faith promoting.
Negatives: Why is Paul H. Dunn quoted so much in the book? It makes it look like Ed had a small group of people to draw from for quotable stories. And LDS folks know he was quietly released for his story exaggerating. There were also some anecdotal “he said she said” type stories, which I wonder how accurate they really are.
April 14, 2013
There are three must read books on Mormonism and the 20th century. The first is Thomas Alexander's "Mormonism In Transition," the second is Greg Prince's "David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism," the third is Edward Kimball's "Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W Kimball."
Written by his son, Edward Kimball, Spencer W Kimball's presidency is brought to life and is told in startling detail. This history is particularly interesting because it focuses solely on Kimball's presidency and nothing else. However, for publication this was cut down by half, so it is important to read the accompanying CD-ROM unless you can get your hands on one of the limited edition printings of the "working manuscript." If you read this, you will love it, it is fantastic.
Written by his son, Edward Kimball, Spencer W Kimball's presidency is brought to life and is told in startling detail. This history is particularly interesting because it focuses solely on Kimball's presidency and nothing else. However, for publication this was cut down by half, so it is important to read the accompanying CD-ROM unless you can get your hands on one of the limited edition printings of the "working manuscript." If you read this, you will love it, it is fantastic.
September 16, 2013
It's amazing to think how much the church grew and how much changed during Pres. Kimball's presidency. It had to have been a very exciting time to live. I loved reading about all the things we take for granted now that were instituted while he was prophet. I learned a lot about the organization of the church and am amazed at how they were able to expand it as church membership expanded across the world. But most importantly, I enjoyed reading about his example as a humble and selfless leader, one who was for the people, despite his own physical ailments and reservations about his own worthiness. I'm sad that I didn't get to live during the presidency of Spencer W. Kimball, but I'm grateful for the chance to read about it.
February 27, 2008
This just did not have the right "feel" to it as I was reading it. Author seems to have gone out of his way to include too many unnecessary details regarding past misdeeds of others. This is the only biography of a Latter-day Prophet/Apostle that I've seen to include a specific notation in the front of the book dissaccociating it with the LDS Church. After having read it I can see why the Church probably insisted on this notation. For a much better read, stick to the biography of Pres. Kimball's early history of Apostolic years and leave this one alone.
March 29, 2009
This book suffers from being largely comprised of anecdotes, but it is still worth reading. The three chapters giving and inside look at how the 1978 priesthood ban was removed make this book worth reading on their own. Spencer W. Kimball was an amazing man so it is fun to spend some time with him in this book. This book is sometimes compared to the recent biography on David O McKay. It is not as good, but still worth reading and is good to read together as it adds history from the years following McKay.
July 21, 2015
One of the best biographies I have read, of an LDS Church leader or anyone else. The author has done a wonderful job of recording the life of an admirable, humble man who did so much as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The chapters on the priesthood revelation were like a engrossing thriller, although I knew how things would turn out. I lived through the years that the author described and had so much respect and love for President Kimball, and this book increased them many fold. And it was good to see the human side of this great man. A superbly done book.
July 6, 2010
My aunt Helen gave me this book for my birthday right after it came out and I am just now finishing it. What a great book. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first but it was still very good.
For someone who doesn't remember how things were in the 70's and most of the early 80's is was very cool to read how things were in the church back then.
President Kimball was an amazing man and Prophet.
For someone who doesn't remember how things were in the 70's and most of the early 80's is was very cool to read how things were in the church back then.
President Kimball was an amazing man and Prophet.
December 30, 2009
Had YOU ever heard of "President Spencer W. Kimball"? Maybe one of those losers around the time of Polk and Pierce?
Nope, turns out he is a leader of the Mormon bigamists! Why doesn't he call himself "King Kimball" instead? It makes just as much sense.
He wants us to "lengthen our stride"; seems to me we ought to "widen our stance," as that perverted senator in Minnesota did in his urinal.
Nope, turns out he is a leader of the Mormon bigamists! Why doesn't he call himself "King Kimball" instead? It makes just as much sense.
He wants us to "lengthen our stride"; seems to me we ought to "widen our stance," as that perverted senator in Minnesota did in his urinal.
May 4, 2010
An awesome book. Full of anecdotes, background stories, historical and spiritual tidbits alike related to Pres. Kimball and the key points of his administration. The chapters on the 1978 revelation are incredible, as are the personal accounts of his personal and poignant visits with the members. This was one of the best Church books I've read in a while. I really enjoyed it and for multiple reasons.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews