Missionary is Descendant of Two Latter-Day Prophets

Elder Heber George, a missionary serving in the Philippines Antipolo Mission, follows in the footsteps of the prophets—literally. A native of Seattle, Washington in the United States, Elder George has two modern prophets as ancestors.

On his mother’s side, Elder George is the great-great-grandson of Spencer W. Kimball, the twelfth president of the Church. His mother’s grandfather was married to Olive Beth Kimball, the only daughter of President Kimball.

On his father’s side, Elder George is descended from the family of the Prophet Joseph Smith, specifically Samuel Harrison Smith, the younger brother of the Prophet and regarded as the first missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“I’m thankful for my ancestors’ decision to make sacred covenants with our Father in Heaven and become part of the Savior’s true Church,” Elder George shares. “I know that without them, I would not have been raised in a loving, Christ-centered home with two amazing parents who taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The association doesn’t stop there. Elder George’s first name was given by his parents to honor another prominent ancestor, Heber C. Kimball, who served as a counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency.

In the George household, there are cherished memories about their ancestors that help strengthen the faith of family members. Elder George relates one beautiful story his grandfather told them:

“One man told my Grandpa about being in a stake conference when he was twelve years old, and he became nervous when Elder Kimball [then an Apostle] asked all of the twelveyear-old boys to come to the front. Elder Kimball lined them all up and gave each one of them a crisp, new one-dollar bill. He told them that that was the start of their missionary fund. The man never forgot that experience and he said that it helped give focus to his life.”

Elder George comes from a family of missionaries. His father and mother both served missions, along with an older sister and brother. “When I opened my call, I read ‘Philippines Antipolo Mission’ and I was so excited,” Elder George recalls. “It’s such a blessing to be here in this country with these amazing people and the beautiful language.”

Elder George’s ancestors also have spiritually intimate connections to the Philippines. A great granduncle in the Smith line, Elder Joseph Fielding Smith (who also later on became Church president), dedicated the Philippines for the preaching of the gospel in 1955, at Clark Air Base in Pampanga.

On the other hand, his great-greatgrandfather President Kimball became the first Church president to visit the Philippines when he presided over a nationwide conference of the Church at the Araneta Coliseum in 1975.

For Elder George, serving as a missionary just like his grand ancestor Samuel Harrison Smith is one great way to live up to his unique legacy. “I know the Philippines plays an important role in the gathering of Israel,” he testifies, “and I am so grateful to be a part of it.”