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Alice Kimball Smith was born September 6, 1858 of “goodly parents” in a home where love and peace radiated from her parents to the children and gospel teachings were a way of life. Her father, President Heber C. Kimball, was one of Israel’s greatest prophets and seers. Her mother, Ann Alice Gheen, was a Quaker girl, daughter of William A. and Ester Ann Gheen of the staid and secluded county of Chester in Pennsylvania.

The Gheen family joined the Church in 1840 and came to Nauvoo where they settled and were prosperous. They became intimate friends with the family of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and all the early members of the Church.

An Alice Gheen, Alice’s mother, was very ill at one time with what was call ague and was blessed and healed under the hands of Elder Heber C. Kimball, who later married her, the ceremony being performed by Brigham Young, who was then President of the Council of the Twelve.

Alice was the fourth child of this marriage and the eldest daughter. She was not very strong, but was alert and brilliant of mind and had great spiritual gifts. She was a twin to her brother Andrew.

Alice was baptized into the Church when she was eight years old by her brother, David P. Kimball, in the old City Creek. It has been said that at that time she had kept close to her father, hiding behind him, in anticipation of what she was about to do. But her father caught her and affectionately kissed her and whispered a blessing to her as he sat her gently down at the water’s edge.

Alice’s childhood was full of sweet memories of her father and mother, brothers and sisters all joining in home parties, gathering in the Social Hall, sleigh rides, candy pulls, and the carpet-rag-bees. She was nine years old when her beloved father died. It was said that Alice grew up a tender and devoted child. She inherited a strain of Kimball humor which helped her over many times of grief and sorrow. She never coveted wealth, station, or the social successes that attract the ungodly and snare the foolish.

Her mother died when Alice was 21 years of age, during a time of Alice’s first tragic marriage, which ended in divorce. much could be said of this chapter in her life, but in the interests of time and space the following brief account comes from her lips: “My first marriage was not a happy one. I married a man whom I considered worthy to go to the temple, even though at times before my marriage I had feelings of apprehension. My husband was a son of a great pioneer and I had hopes for an eternal marriage, which were soon dashed when he began to drink heavily and stay out nights. I did not know of his problem before I married him, but after marriage he would sometimes go for weeks at a time without drawing a sober breath.

“My mother was ill at the time and we were living in a part of her house. I kept most of my unhappiness and worry from her. When my first child, Allie, was born, I prayed to die. I didn’t want to live any longer and I was very sick for a long time. My husband’s father was very loving to me and tried to straighten his son up by warning him that he would not have me nor his child in eternity if he continued on the way he was going. My father-in-law counseled me to get a divorce if my husband did not change his ways.

“My mother died when Allie was two years old and I thanked God from the depths of my soul that I had not burdened her with my sorrow. When she knew she was dying, she said to me, ‘Alice, when sorrow and trouble comes, go to Joseph F. Smith and do what he tells you to do and it will be all right.’ She also said, ‘You have been a joy to me all the days of your life.’

“After the twins were born, my husband tried to do better. He was so proud of the boys and I had hope that he would make it. Then he had a bad accident and to ease the pain they gave him whiskey and the end came soon. He went from degradation to degradation and I soon had to follow the advice of President John Taylor to sever every connection with him. President Taylor gave me a Church divorce.

“Later, when I was alone with my three children, two of them just babies, without father or mother to helop me, President Joseph F. Smith came to see me and when he asked for me and the children, I felt as safe in giving myself to him as I ever did in my mother’s arms. My three children and I were sealed to him for time and all eternity. My confidence in him was perfect. It didn’t take me very long to fall in love with him, for he was kind and true, and the greatest desire of my heart was and has been that we would love me and that I would know how to win the love and confidence of his family.”

Alice married President Smith when he was second counselor to President John Taylor. She herself held many important positions in the auxiliaries of the Church and was called to the general board of the YLMIA in 1896 where she served for thirty years, most of the time as treasurer, and she traveled extensively through the stakes and missions in the interest of that organization.

She was an author of many doctrinal, historical, and poetical articles which were published through the years in the Young Women’s Journal and the Improvement Era. Her advice to the young folks is among the choice literature of the MIA. Her “Musings and Reminiscences of Heber C. Kimball” is a real contribution to the history of that great and unique character and pioneer.

Alice said many times that she sincerely believed in progression and sometimes felt irritated with people who did not try constantly to improve their minds and their lives. She tells of a trip to Hawaii with her husband, President Smith. He had said jokingly that he would give her $100 if she would give a sermon in the Hawaiian language. So, before leaving, she had her son Coulson, who had performed a mission in the Islands, coach her in learning a talk in Hawaiian. She memorized the talk and during a conference in Hawaii she asked “Papa” when he wanted her to give the speech. He was very surprised but pleased when she gave it. He gave her the $100 and she felt very rich with such a large amount.

Alice Smith was a delegate of the YLMIA to the International Council of Women at Rome, Italy in 1914 and traveled over much of the country which became the battlefields of the World War soon to erupt. She was released from the general board in 1927 because of neuritis, which kept her confined for the next years until her death. However, notwithstanding the severe pain, she was active and mentally alert. She won several first prized for her exquisite crochet work at the State Fair and made beautiful and perfect pieces for nearly all of her posterity, which are treasured with affection and reverence.

Alice Kimball Smith was brave, pure, and beautiful in her life. She had the charm of spirituality. She loved music, poetry and all things good and beautiful and spoke fluently under the influence of the Spirit.

She was and is indeed an “elect” lady, loved by her husband, children, and all her posterity. Best of all, she was and is loved of the Lord as a true daughter in Zion.