Sarah Granger Kimball
| Sarah Melissa Granger Kimball | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 29, 1818 Phelps, New York. |
| Died | December 1, 1898 (aged 78) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery |
| Known for | Women's Rights Advocate Relief Society Leader |
| Spouse(s) | Hiram Kimball (1806–1863) |
| Children | 6 |
| Parent(s) | Oliver Granger and Lydia Dibble |
Sarah Melissa Granger Kimball (December 29, 1818 – December 1, 1898) was a 19th-century Mormon advocate for women's rights and early leader in the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Kimball's involvement in the Church led to the establishment of the women's Relief Society as well as participation in the national suffrage movement.
Sarah Granger was a daughter of Oliver Granger and his wife Lydia Dibble. She was born in Phelps, New York to a prominent Puritan family. In 1830, Sarah's father acquired a Book of Mormon, and received a vision of the ancient prophet Moroni testifying of the book's truth. Her family soon joined the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Three years after their conversion, the family moved to Kirtland, Ohio with other members of the church. There, a teenage Sarah attended Joseph Smith's School of the Prophets, which focused on religious and secular education. Sarah and her family then moved to Commerce, Illinois, which would become Nauvoo.
In Nauvoo, Sarah met Hiram S. Kimball, a non-Mormon merchant. The couple married in 1840 and welcomed their first child in 1841. Together, the couple would have six children, including three adopted children. At the time of their first son's birth, members of the church were working on construction of the Nauvoo Temple. Sarah desired to contribute to the construction efforts, but felt uncomfortable donating as Hiram was not a member of the church. After discussing a contribution, Hiram donated a plot of land north of the temple property. Hiram was later baptized in 1843.
The initial meeting in preparation for the organization of the Relief Society was held in the Kimball home. A dozen Mormon sisters gathered in hopes of "forming a 'Ladies Society' for future service projects".Eliza R. Snow assisted in creating formal guidelines for the organizations and preparing them for Joseph Smith's approval. On March 17, 1842, the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo was organized under Joseph Smith and the priesthood. By 1844, the Nauvoo Relief Society had 1,341 members.
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