Heber and Vilate Kimball Home

In their home, Heber and Vilate Kimball demonstrated the faith required to follow the Prophet Joseph Smith. Heber and Vilate acted upon revelation and worked together to build the kingdom of God, even when it required significant sacrifices for both them and their family.

The Kimball’s home was completed on November 12, 1845, after about six months of construction. This large brick home replaced a log home the family had been living in since 1841. However, the Kimballs did not get to enjoy their new home for long. Only three months later, in February 1846, they left Nauvoo with many other Saints who departed for the west.

Heber C. Kimball was a member of the restored Church’s original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, ordained in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1835 by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Kimball was a stalwart member of the Church and follower of the prophet. His wife, Vilate, was likewise a devoted Latter-day Saint who stayed strong despite trials. She joined the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo a week after its organization and was one of the first women to perform ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple. When Heber was away from home serving as a missionary for the Church, Vilate took care of their family.

Read about a sacrifice Heber and Vilate made when he left for a mission to England in Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 34.

What to Expect

The Heber and Vilate Kimball Home is part of the Homes of the Apostles tour, which begins at the Orson and Marinda Hyde Home and concludes at the Wilford and Phebe Woodruff Home. This home is a three-room guided tour that includes the formal parlor, study, and dining room. The upper floors are currently closed to the public.

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