Star Wars and Spencer W. Kimball

One of the more enduring "Mormon myths" is that the character design for the beloved Star Wars character, Yoda, was inspired by the Latter-day Saint prophet Spencer W. Kimball. This Q&A explores Yoda's origins and how Star Wars intersects with Church culture, organization, and teachings.

Above: a photo of the Yoda puppet, Stuart Freeborn, and Irvin Kershner. Below Left: Albert Einstein. Below Right: Spencer W. Kimball. — Yoda, Stuart Freeborn, Albert Einstein, and Spencer W. Kimball

Is Yoda modeled on Spencer W. Kimball?

No, probably not. Many people involved with the production of Star Wars have talked about the creation and design of Yoda,[BIO][1] but there is no record of anyone citing Spencer W. Kimball[BIO] as inspiration. The designers[2] of Yoda have referenced influences such as Albert Einstein[BIO][3] and the sculptor of the original Yoda model, Stuart Freeborn.[BIO][4]

Early Yoda concept art from artist Joe Johnston, depicting a thin, blue humanoid creature with a garden gnome-like head and beard. — An early Yoda concept art from artist Joe Johnston.

Where does this myth come from?

It's unclear. The earliest known published source for the Yoda-Kimball connection is from the November 1980 issue of the science fiction fanzine Telos where the author commented that a painting of "Prez Kimball" looked "very much like a pink and earless Yoda."[5] More recently, several publications have picked up on the myth.[6]

Why would people think that Spencer W. Kimball and Yoda are similar?

Some possible reasons include popularity in the early 1980s, short statures, wispy white hair, and similar sayings like "Do it" and "Do, or do not."[7]

Do Yoda and Star Wars teach the principles of the Gospel?

Sometimes (see the table below).

Table of Star Wars and Gospel similarities

Yoda/Star Wars Reference	Comparable Gospel Concept
Yoda: "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter"[8]	Doctrine and Covenants section 131 teaches that "there is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter."[9]
Yoda: “Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?"[10]	Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, "When the Lord measures an individual, He does not take a tape measure around the person’s head to determine his mental capacity, nor his chest to determine his manliness, but He measures the heart as an indicator of the person’s capacity and potential to bless others."[11]
Yoda: "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."[12]	Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that "People who are fearful . . . often feel helpless and resentful, even angry. Over time these feelings lead to mistrust, defiance, even rebellion."[13]
Yoda: “Truly wonderful the mind of a child is."[14]	Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church from 2008 – 2018, observed that "in our daily experiences with children, we discover they are most perceptive and often utter profound truths."[15]
Light Side / Dark Side[16]	The rhetoric of war between "good and evil" is well-established in scripture and modern Church teachings. For example, Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland shared the following: What is equally obvious is that the great conflict between good and evil, right and wrong, the moral and the immoral—conflict which the world’s great faiths and devoted religious believers have historically tried to address—is being intensified in our time and is affecting an ever-wider segment of our culture. And let there be no doubt that the outcome of this conflict truly matters, not only in eternity but in everyday life as well.[17]
The Force[18]	Latter-day Saint theology teaches of the Holy Ghost, an ever-present force for guidance, discernment, and strength. The Prophet Brigham Young shared a vision in which the late Joseph Smith stated, Tell the people. . . to keep the spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach them what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the Kingdom. … Tell the brethren that if they will follow the spirit of the Lord, they will go right.[19]
Force Ghosts[20]	Latter-day Saint doctrine contains teachings about the sentience and progress of the spirits of mankind after death. For example, President Brigham Young taught the following about the spirits of people after they die: Suppose, then, that a man is evil in his heart—wholly given up to wickedness, and in that condition dies, his spirit will enter into the spirit world intent upon evil. On the other hand, if we are striving with all the powers and faculties God has given us to improve upon our talents, to prepare ourselves to dwell in eternal life, and the grave receives our bodies while we are thus engaged, with what disposition will our spirits enter their next state? They will be still striving to do the things of God, only in a much greater degree—learning, increasing, growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.[21]

Are other elements of Star Wars such as the Jedi Council inspired by the Church organization?

No, probably not. Various sources of inspiration for Star Wars lore have been cited including the novel Dune,[22] Kurosawa films,[23] and a Nazi aesthetic (used for the Empire),[24] but the Latter-day Saint Church organization and doctrine have never been cited as influences by those who worked on the films.

Wasn't Gary Kurtz, a Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back producer, a Latter-day Saint?

Possibly. Claims that Gary Kurtz[BIO] was a Latter-day Saint[25] probably come from a 1999 George Lucas[BIO] biography stating, "Kurtz was raised as a Mormon, and refused to fight in Vietnam from religious conviction."[26] However, some sources say he was a Quaker.[27]

But wasn't there some 1970s sci-fi show that was influenced by Latter-day Saint ideas?

Yes. Glen Larson,[BIO] the creator of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series, was a practicing Latter-day Saint.[28] The fictional series included references to Kolob,[29] a "Quorum of Twelve,"[30] and marriages that were "sealed" in a union "not only for now, but for all the eternities."[31]

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Footnotes

BIOYoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is a small green alien with large ears and sparse white hair. Yoda is a Jedi Master revered for his wisdom and power who had the opportunity to train many young jedi, including Luke Skywalker. Shortly after training Luke, he died of old age and became united with the Force. Yoda is sometimes regarded as similar in appearance to Spencer W. Kimball, another wise old man with large ears, though he was not based on the prophet.
BIOSpencer W. Kimball
Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Reared in Thatcher, Arizona, Kimball founded and ran a securities business as a young man and became involved in several Thatcher-area community organizations. He became an apostle in 1943, where he became a leading advocate for ministry to and work with indigenous Americans. As Church president, he became an advocate for the global expansion of the Church. In 1978, President Kimball received the revelation to lift the priesthood/temple restriction on peoples with African ancestry.
BIOAlbert Einstein
Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879 – April 18, 1955) was a theoretical physicist widely regarded as one of the world's greatest scientists. He is known for developing the theory of relativity and made important contributions to the study of quantum mechanics. He received a Nobel Prize in 1921 for his contributions to physics. Einstein was Jewish and lived in Germany and Switzerland before immigrating to the United States during World War II. His physical appearance was one source of inspiration for the character Yoda in Star Wars.
BIOStuart Freeborn
Stuart Freeborn (September 5, 1914 – February 5, 2013) was a make-up artist who worked on several notable movies, including the original Star Wars trilogy. He helped design Yoda, Chewbecca, Jabba the Hutt, and the Ewoks. Freeborn modeled Yoda partly off his own appearance, as well as the physical characteristics of Albert Einstein. In addition to his work on Star War, Freeborn did make-up for Oliver Twist (1948), 2001: A Space Odyssey, and films in the Superman franchise. Freeborn was not a Latter-day Saint.
BIOGary Kurtz
Gary Douglas Kurtz (July 27, 1940–September 23, 2018) was a film producer known for his work on the original Star Wars film and its sequel The Empire Strikes Back. Kurtz was described as a "Mormon" in a 1999 biography of George Lucas, however, he has also been described as a Quaker. Kurtz was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. His other notable film credits include American Graffiti and The Dark Crystal.
BIOGeorge Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. (May 14, 1944–living) is a filmmaker best known for his work on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. Lucas was born in Modesto, California and studied at the University of Southern California. He founded Lucasfilm and served as its chairman before selling it to Disney in 2012. Lucas was raised Methodist and has stated in interview that he has a strong interest in Buddhist principles alongside his Methodist upbringing.
BIOGlen Larson
Glen Albert Larson (1937-2014), was a Latter-day Saint that was born in Long Beach, California. Larson's band, the Four Preps, was signed on by Capitol Records in 1956. Larson married Carol Jean Gourley in 1961, and then later divorced in 1982. Larson later had two more marriages. He moved away from music to TV writing in 1966. He was the creator of the 1978 television series, Battlestar Galactica, which had several themes based on Latter-day Saint teachings such Kobol (Kolob.) Larson's noted television series included Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Quincy, M.E., B. J. and the Bear, The Fall Guy, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider.
[1]↩︎
For example, George Lucas, describing his process of creating Yoda, said:
I needed a physical body to be there to do things, and so I needed something, and I created Yoda . . . I never really figured out where he came from . . . he's a mystery character. He's a magical character. He has no background. He comes and he goes. He's the subversive, secret, mysterious stranger that enters the film and then exits at the end.
Frank Oz came up with Yoda's particular way of speaking. Oz said: "It was Larry and George who wrote it- and I said, hey, this is nice- they use it halfway, and I said, can I do it all the time? They said yeah."
Yoda went through some physical revisions as well. Early concept art for The Empire Strikes Back depicted Yoda as a bearded, gnome-like creature.
[2]↩︎
People credited with the creation of Yoda include:
- George Lucas (creative direction)
- Lawrence Kasdan (script)
- Joe Johnston (concept art)
- Stuart Freeborn (character sculpt)
- Irvin Kershner (direction)
- Frank Oz (performance)
- IMDB lists the full cast and crew for The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
[3]↩︎
In the June 9, 1980 edition of People a feature on Yoda noted that Stuart Freeborn "modeled Yoda’s worldly-wise eyes after Albert Einstein’s."
Stuart Freeborn's BBC and Guardian obituaries both mention Albert Einstein as an influence.
Stuart Freeborn himself described the Einstein influence in the 2004 documentary Empire of Dreams: "Now I've got to make him look intelligent. I got this photograph of Einstein and put the Einstein wrinkles in all around."
[4]↩︎
In Stuart Freeborn's obiturary, The Empire Strikes Back director Irvin Kershner wrote that Freeborn "quite literally put himself into Yoda, as the Jedi master's inquisitive and mischievous elfin features had more than a passing resemblance to Freeborn himself." Freeborn's BBC obituary also notes the similarities.
Stuart Freeborn himself said that elements of Yoda were a self portrait in the 2004 documentary Empire of Dreams. Said he, "I looked in the mirror and I thought, 'Well, something perhaps a little bit amusing about my face.' So I modeled something of myself."
[5]↩︎
In an article published in Telos #3 there was a reference to a "large portrait of the current prophet hung on the wall (Prez Kimball, looking very much like a pink and earless Yoda)."
The Empire Strikes Back, the first Star Wars film to feature Yoda, was released in May 1980.
- Teresa Nielsen Hayden in Telos #3 notes that a portrait on the wall is "Prez Kimball, looking very much like a pink and earless Yoda."
- A New York Times article describes Star Wars' May 1980 limited release strategy to drive ticket sales.
[6]↩︎
In a 2015 op-ed for the Washington Post, Matthew Bowman recalled the "rumor" that Yoda was modeled after Kimball.
A 2009 list of Mormon folklore for the Salt Lake Tribune included the Yoda/Kimball connection.
In an article originally published in 2006, LDS Living referred to it as "that old legend."
In 2006, By Common Consent, a blog that writes about Latter-day Saint topics, stated that "people frequently insist" that Yoda was based on Spencer W. Kimball.
In 2020, Spencer W. Kimball's great-grandson, also named Spencer Kimball, referenced the myth on Twitter, saying, "Many have speculated that yoda was inspired by Spencer W. Kimball."
[7]↩︎
Spencer W. Kimball was President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from December 1973 until his death in November 1985. Yoda was first featured in The Empire Strikes Back, released in May 1980.
Comparisons of Spencer W. Kimball draw from both appearance and mannerisms. For instance, Matthew Bowman's Washington Post op-ed states:
Like Yoda, Kimball was short, with large ears, thin white hair, and a slightly squashed, wrinkly face. Both had a knack for gnomic, oracular axioms. Kimball was famous for urging Mormons not simply to believe in their faith, but to “do it,” and even to “do it now,” advice Yoda inverted into “Do, or do not."
LDS Living's comparison stated that Yoda and President Kimball were "passably similar in appearance and mannerism."
Kimball's grandson stated the speculation was "based on the short stature, old man wisdom, raspy voice, and large ears."
[8]↩︎
Yoda teaches this material ascensionism to Luke Skywalker at 1:10:25 in The Empire Strikes Back.
- In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda teaches "luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."
[9]↩︎
Joseph Smith received the revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 131 between May 16–17, 1843. Verses 7–8 read:
There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter.
- Joseph teaches that all spirit is matter.
[10]↩︎
Yoda gives this lesson on not judging by appearances at 1:09:56 in The Empire Strikes Back.
- In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda teaches that size matters not.
[11]↩︎
Marvin J. Ashton made this statement in his 1988 October General Conference talk.
Also, the Hebrew Bible records the Lord saying to Samuel that "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
- The Lord explains to Samuel that "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
- Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that the Lord measures a person's heart, rather than any physical characteristic.
[12]↩︎
At 1:30:40 in The Phantom Menace, Yoda teaches that "fear is the path to the Dark Side."
- Yoda teaches that "fear is the path to the Dark Side."
[13]↩︎
Dieter F. Uchdorf gave this statement as part of his April 2017 General Conference Talk.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught in General Conference that "People who are fearful . . . often feel helpless and resentful, even angry. Over time these feelings lead to mistrust, defiance, even rebellion."
[14]↩︎
At 37:37 in Attack of the Clones, Yoda states that "truly wonderful the mind of a child is."
- Yoda teaches that "truly wonderful the mind of a child is."
[15]↩︎
Thomas S. Monson gave this statement in his October 1991 General Conference talk.
Also, Jesus taught his disciples, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
- The Gospel of Matthew reports Jesus saying, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
- Thomas S. Monson observed in a General Conference talk that "in our daily experiences with children, we discover they are most perceptive and often utter profound truths."
[16]↩︎
The Star Wars Book, published in 2020, discusses the light and dark side of the Force and the two main groups who align with either side:
The Jedi and the Sith . . . perceive the Force to have two parts: the light and the dark sides of the Force. The Jedi seek the will of the Force and are devoted to the light side, choosing to use their gifts selflessly. They are galactic peacekeepers, using the Force for knowledge and defense, never attack. . . . The Sith worship the dark side, and do not seek the will of the Force. The Sith want power and control, harnessing its power for evil. Anger, fear, and aggression are the tools a dark side user wields, with great suffering as the result.
- Pablo Hidalgo et al. in The Star Wars Book describes the differences between the "light side" and the "dark side" of the Force.
[17]↩︎
Jeffrey R. Holland gave this statement as part of his August 16, 2016 BYU Devotional.
- In a BYU devotional, Jeffrey R. Holland discussed the centrality of the conflict between good and evil to our time and religion.
[18]↩︎
Star Wars: A Visual Encyclopedia defines the force as "an invisible energy that flows through all living things. Those that are sensitive to it can harness its power to perform incredible feats."
- Officially endorsed Star Wars encyclopedia describes the basic nature of "the force."
[19]↩︎
In February of 1847, Brigham Young wrote of a dream in which Joseph Smith appeared to him and told him to "tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord."
In Star Wars, characters who are sensitive to the Force can perceive thoughts, emotions, and events; past, present and future, without limit to distance.
[20]↩︎
The Star Wars Book describes "force ghosts" and their powers:
Some Jedi have the ability to retain their consciousness in the Force after death and interact with the physical world. While Qui-Gon Jinn can only manifest a disembodied voice, Luke Skywalker and Yoda are able to use the Force to interact with the physical galaxy after their deaths.
- Pablo Hidalgo et al. in The Star Wars Book describes "force ghosts" and their powers.
[21]↩︎
Brigham Young shared this thought in a sermon offered at the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City on October 8, 1859.
In Star Wars, those who are strong in the Force can sometimes influence the world of the living after death, often through voice but also through appearing in the physical world as a "force ghost."
- Brigham explains that whether we are given to good or evil in life, we will enter the spirit world with that same disposition.
- Pablo Hidalgo et al. in The Star Wars Book describes "force ghosts" and their powers.
[22]↩︎
A 2015 Screen Rant Article described similarities between Star Wars and Dune.
- Screen Rant article discusses some of the similarties between Star Wars and Dune.
[23]↩︎
A 2015 Slate article went in-depth on many Star Wars influences, sources, and analogues, including war films, Kurosawa films, westerns, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and other inspirations.
A 2016 BBC article discussed the influence that Kurosawa's film The Hidden Fortress had on both George Lucas and Star Wars.
- Slate article describes various influences, sources, and analogues for Star Wars, including war films, Kurosawa films, westerns, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and other inspirations.
- BBC article discusses the influence that Kurosawa's film The Hidden Fortress had on George Lucas and Star Wars.
[24]↩︎
History.com cited the historical events and iconography of the Third Reich as inspiration for the look and feel of the Star Wars Empire.
- History.com article notes some historical inspirations for Star Wars, especially Nazi Germany.
[25]↩︎
LDS Living, Famous Mormons, and Mormonwiki have repeated the claim that Gary Kurtz grew up as a Latter-day Saint. However, the claims in these articles are unsourced.
[26]↩︎
In 1999, John Baxter published a biography of George Lucas called Mythmaker, The Life and Work of George Lucas. In it, Baxter described Gary Kurtz as being "raised as a Mormon, and refused to fight in Vietnam from religious conviction."
- In his biography of George Lucas, John Baxter describes George Lucas's friend and producer, Gary Kurtz, as being raised Mormon.
[27]↩︎
As reported in The New Yorker, Carrie Fisher offhand referred to Gary Kurtz as a Quaker.
Gary Kurtz was drafted into the Marines during the Vietnam War. He was a cameraman and stated in an interview with IGN that he never carried a weapon while in the country because he was a "conscientious objector." While it is possible that he objected to the Vietnam War specifically (he did attend film school at USC before his war service), it is also possible that his objection to war came from Quaker pacifist teachings. Kurtz never stated his reason for his objections.
Baxter's biography of George Lucas states Kurtz was raised Mormon, and did not fight in Vietnam out of religious conviction. Pacifism is not necessarily a tenet of Mormonism, but it is of Quakers.
There is no record of Kurtz himself discussing his religious commitments.
[28]↩︎
Glen Larson's Deseret News obituary detailled his Latter-day Saint faith including influences that faith had on Battlestar Galactica.
- Jim Bennett's obituary for Glen Larson describes Battlestar Galactica as not Glen Larson's most successful series but his most personal.
[29]↩︎
In Battlestar Galactica S01:E03 (Lost Planet of the Gods Pt. 2) at 5:14 the character Adama references the planet Kobol. Kobol is an anagram of Kolob.
- The Battlestar Galactica character Adama references a planet named Kobol, an anagram of Kolob.
[30]↩︎
Battlestar Galactica's S01:E01 opens with a meeting of the Quorum or Council of Twelve, which is a governing body featuring one representative from each of the Twelve Colonies of Man.
- The first episode of Battlestar Galactica opens with a meeting of the "Quorum of Twelve."
[31]↩︎
In Battlestar Galactica S01:E03 (Lost Planet of the Gods Pt. 2) at 16:45 Adama performs a marriage ceremony for Apollo and Serina with these words:
The words I’m about to speak are the most powerful in all the universe. They seal a union between this man and this woman which is not only for now, but for all the eternities. Apollo, Serina, under the eyes of God, bound by the symbol of the faiths of the Lord of Kobol, I declare you sealed.
- In Battlestar Galactica, the characters Apollo and Serina are married in a ceremony called the sealing "which is not only for now, but for all the eternities."
[32]↩︎
A 2015 Washington Post article made the following claims based on data from Google Trends:
People in Utah are about 25 percent more likely to Google "Star Wars" than their nearest competitors in fandom, Californians. And they are more than twice as likely to Google the topic as people in Oregon and Mississippi, the two least Star Wars-crazy states.
- Google Trends data shows Utah residents the most interested in Star Wars in the week leading up to 2015's The Force Awakens.
[33]↩︎
In addition to the two theaters in the top ten, five more Utah theaters opened The Force Awakens in the top 100 by box office nationally.
- Larry D. Curtis for 2KUTV reports that two Utah theaters opened Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the top ten nationally.
[34]↩︎
The Tabernacle Choir's website includes a short write up and video link to their performance of John Williams's "Duel of the Fates," which the choir performed for their 2020 EP When You Believe: A Night at the Movies.
- The Tabernacle Choir's website includes a short write up and video link to their performance of John Williams's "Duel of the Fates."
[35]↩︎
In his April 2016 General Priesthood Session address, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf referenced the Star Wars character Chewbacca:
Every family has moments of awkwardness. Like. . . when your dad arranges a family portrait with everyone dressed like characters in his favorite movie. And you get the Chewbacca costume.
In his April 2017 Saturday Afternoon Session address, Elder Gary B. Sabin stated:
In reality, it is much easier to be 'all in' than partially in. When we are partially in or not in at all, there is, in the Star Wars vernacular, 'a disturbance in the force.' We are out of sync with God’s will and therefore out of sync with the nature of happiness.
- Gary B. Sabin uses "Star Wars venacular, 'a disturbance in the force,'" to describe being out of sync with God's will.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf mentions Chewbacca in his April 2016 General Conference talk.
[36]↩︎
At a BYU devotional in 2017, Elder Allan F. Packer, a General Authority Seventy, cited Luke Skywalker as an example of an individual whose "trials or tribulations. . . were important in developing the character and skills needed to achieve his ultimate destiny."
At another BYU devotional in 2022,Elder Clark G. Gilbert also used Star Wars as an example of a story where, despite difficulties, people achieve their destinies and good triumphs over evil.
- Allan F. Packer, a General Authority Seventy, references Luke Skywalker in a BYU Devotional.
- Clark G. Gilbert, a General Authority Seventy, in a BYU Devotional, references Star Wars as a movie in which the good guys win in the end.