Edward Lawrence Kimball (September 23, 1930 – November 21, 2016) was an American scholar, lawyer, and historian who was a law professor at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

(BYU). Kimball was the son of Spencer W. Kimball, a

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

(LDS Church), and his wife, Camilla Eyring Kimball, and wrote notable biographies of his father.

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...

historians have described these as "well crafted" biographies.

Early life and education

Kimball was born in Arizona on September 23, 1930, and he suffered from

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

as a child. He served as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

for the LDS Church in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. He received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in history and a law degree from the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

. Kimball then went on to earn two further law degrees from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

Career

As a lawyer, Kimball specialized in evidence law. He also authored a biography of Frank J. Remington and wrote on criminal cases in appellate courts. Kimball served in several positions in the LDS Church, including

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

. Prior to joining the faculty of BYU, Kimball was a law professor and chairman of the Curriculum Committee at the

University of Wisconsin Law School The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional graduate law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the school was founded in 1868. The University of Wisconsin Law School is guided by a "law in ...

. Kimball started his career as a law professor at the

University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. UM reported 10,962 undergraduate and graduate students in the fa ...

, where he taught from 1956 to 1962. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin from 1962 to 1973. He was one of the founding faculty at BYU Law School from 1973 until 1995, when he was granted emeritus status. Kimball was the inaugural holder of the Ernest L. Wilkinson Chair in the BYU law school.

Writings

Kimball's biography of his father has been listed among "60 Significant Mormon Biographies". ''Lengthen Your Stride'', his history of his father's church presidency, has also been widely recognized. Kimball wrote an article on Henry Eyring and

Harvey Fletcher Harvey Fletcher (September 11, 1884 – July 23, 1981) was an American physicist. Known as the "father of stereophonic sound", he is credited with the invention of the 2-A audiometer and an early electronic hearing aid. He was an investigator i ...

published in '' Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought''. Kimball served as the editor of his father's book ''Faith Precedes the Miracle''. Kimball was also the compiler and editor of the widely cited work, ''The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball'' (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982). Kimball has published an in-depth study on the 1978 Revelation on Priesthood received by his father. He has also written an article on the history of LDS Church

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

admissions standards.

Personal life

Kimball married the Evelyn Bee Madsen in 1954. They had seven children. Kimball died in Provo, Utah, on November 21, 2016, at the age of 86.

Publications

* ''Spencer W. Kimball, The Twelfth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' (with Andrew E. Kimball, Jr.), Bookcraft, 1977. * ''Camilla: A Biography of Camilla Eyring Kimball''. With Carolina Eyring Miner. Deseret Book, 1980. * Ed., ''The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball. Bookcraft, 1982. * ''The Story of Spencer W. Kimball, A Short Man, A Long Stride''. with A. E. Kimball, Jr. Bookcraft, 1985. * ''Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball''. Deseret Book, 2005. * ''Andrew Kimball: Father of a Prophet''. Deseret Book, 2011.

External links

* * * Edward L. Kimball
"Spencer Kimball and Recharging the Battery"
''

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

'', December 1993, p. 22
''Meridian Magazine'' bio of Kimball

Interview on Mormon Stories
BYU Magazine review of ''Lengthen Your Stride''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimball, Edward L. 1930 births 2016 deaths 20th-century Mormon missionaries American Latter Day Saint writers American legal scholars American Mormon missionaries in the Netherlands Brigham Young University faculty Romney family University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni University of Utah alumni University of Montana faculty University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty People from Thatcher, Arizona American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Latter Day Saints from Arizona Latter Day Saints from Pennsylvania Latter Day Saints from Wisconsin Latter Day Saints from Utah