Charles William Kingston (1884-1975)

Charles William Kingston

Birth

26 Jun 1884

Utah, USA

Death

29 Nov 1975 (aged 91)

Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA

Burial

Bountiful Memorial Park

Bountiful, Davis County, Utah, USA Show Map

Memorial ID

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Eldest son of:
CHARLES KINGSTON (father)
(Nov 09 1856/ Jul 20 1944)

MARY PRISCILLA LERWILL TUCKER (mother)
(Jan 03 1862/ Nov 19 1939)

Parents married: May 17 1883 in SLC, UT.

With a prominent LDS influence in southwestern Wyoming; Charles was Baptized into the LDS faith at the age of eight. His grandfather & Bishop Turner of Morgan, UT performed the baptism in the Weber river.

On May 17th, 1906, Charles married Vesta Minerva Stowell in the Logan, Utah LDS Temple. Shortly after he began an LDS mission in the Eastern States from 1906-1908. Then he moved to a farm in Idaho Falls, ID, where he was employed by the Oregon Short Line Railroad.

Charles however made frequent trips to SLC, UT so he could go through the Salt Lake Temple. During his frequent trips to SLC, UT he met Charles Zitting, an LDS member who was living plural marriage. Zitting was living plural marriage and still a member of the LDS church. Zitting introduced Charles to John W. Woolley, who had performed Zitting's plural marriages.

In 1928, Charles was barred from entering the Salt Lake Temple when temple president George F. Richards learned that Kingston did not agree with the LDS Church's 1890 & 1904 renunciations of plural marriage. Initially his wife Vesta was not convinced of Charles' beliefs but in time came to agree with her husband.

The LDS disciplinary council wanted to give Charles six months to reconsider his position, but, Charles insisted the council make an immediate decision. Seven days later Charles tells of a dream/ vision he had of God the Father & Jesus Christ, which reassured him that he had made the right decision. Charles was excommunicated from the LDS church on March 04, 1929.

In 1931, Charles & Jesse Burke Stone published "Laman Manassah Victorious" making the case for plural marriage. Charles' son Elden Kingston along with his family founded the Davis County Cooperative Society (DCCS) based on the teachings of Cooperation and United Order. They established it as a place where those who believed in plural marriage would not be persecuted for their beliefs. Charles joined the DCCS in 1935 a short time after it was founded.

Charles also married Lavenda Newman and Merlyn Taylor Walton who was a widow.

Charles passed away on November 29, 1975 at the age of 91 in Salt Lake City, UT.