1898: January

1898: January

The decade-long animosity between the Twelve and George Q. Cannon comes to a head as Quorum President Lorenzo Snow opens the discussion of the Twelve's grievances with the First Presidency.

Brigham Young Jr. suggests President Cannon is responsible for the Church's terrible financial condition.

The Twelve agree John Q. and Frank J. Cannon should be released as soon as the First Presidency is dissolved.

President Cannon reports Council meeting to Frank. Joseph F. Smith expresses concern for Frank's feelings.

	January 4–5, 1898
Merrill: Cannon the virtual head Brigham Young Jr.: Cannon must go	At a quarterly conference of apostles on 4–5 January, John Henry Smith accused Cannon of being the real power in the First Presidency, and Marriner W. Merrill said Cannon "is virtually at the head of the Church today." Brigham Young, Jr., suggested that it was the Twelve's duty to remove Cannon as counselor before Woodruff's death. Nothing came of this proposal.	Mormon Hierarchy Extensions, 49. Quinn: Heber J. Grant journal sheets, 4–5 Jan. 1898; John Henry Smithary diary, 4 Jan. 1898 in White, Church, State, and Politics, 387, where the discussion is referred to without detail.
	January 4, 1898	Heber J. Grant diary.
John Henry Smith: President Cannon is gifted, diplomat, blunt, straight-forward	[Council meeting, John Henry Smith:] As [President Woodruff's] First Counselor we have one of the most gifted of men, perhaps no man among us who is as gifted as he is. He is a writer, a diplomat, and an author. The other counselor is a plain blunt man and is lacking in cunning and the ability to shape things to suit his opinions.
President Cannon is leading, not President Woodruff President Woodruff would not have borrowed for Ogden Power, Saltair, Bulliion Beck President Cannon desperate, plunging	I feel that there is one man in the presidency and he is not the man at the lead who is at present dominating the affairs of the church. If left to himself the question is would President Woodruff have consented to have borrowed a million and a half for the Ogden Power Plant. Would he of his own accord have borrowed the money with which to build Saltair, and would he have spent several hundred thousand dollars in a mine in Nevada. We all know that he would not have done these things. I fear that the great burdens which are now on President Cannon are such that he has become desperate and he is plunging, so to speak.
	January 4, 1898	John Henry Smith diary (Church, State, and Politics), 387.
Council discusses positions of First Presidency and Twelve	At 10 a.m. Lorenzo Snow, F. D. Richards, Brigham Young, Myself, Geo. Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, and Abraham O. Woodruff met in the Apostles' room of the Temple. We spent the day talking over the Relative positions of the first Presidency and Twelve Apostles on all great questions in the Church. All spoke and gave their views.
	January 4, 1898	Brigham Young Jr. diary.
Complaints of the Twelve	[Quorum meeting at 10 a.m.] President Snow called upon Brother Woodruff followed by Bro Taylor. Then Pres. Snow spoke on condition of First Presidency, followed by Bro. Teasdale (who was in favor of our minding our own business), John Henry Smith, Brigham Young & Franklin D. Richards. We all had complaints to make.
Brigham Young Jr.: Appoint a new trustee-in-trust so President Cannon won't be humiliated Drop John Q. and Frank J. as soon as First Presidency is dissolved	I wanted a trustee in trust appointed to relieve President Woodruff and for the First Presidency to correct all mistakes, especially President Cannon, so that he would not be humiliated when the first quorum was dissolved. John Q. Cannon and Frank C[annon]. would be relieved as soon as the Twelve arranged matters.
	January 4, 1898	Brigham Young Jr. diary.
Twelve satisfied with Presidents Woodruff and Smith President Cannon wrong in finances	[Morning meeting of the Twelve: Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D. Richards, Brigham Young, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Owen Woodruff present.] We are all thoroughly convinced that Presidents Woodruff and Smith are all right but president Cannon is wrong in many things in financial business.
Brigham Young Jr.: Let Saints pay debt Stay in touch with the people	I proposed that we trust the people with the labor of helping the church out of its indebtedness. We must keep in touch with the people. … we seem to be agreed.
President Snow to present concerns to the First Presidency Twelve should be informed	Met at 3 p.m. It was agreed that President Snow lay our feelings before the presidency and we feel that Pres. Snow and 1 or 2 others of the quorum should be in perfect harmony and knowledge of financial affairs.
	January 6, 1898	Brigham Young Jr. diary.
Snow, Richards, Young address the First Presidency Young: President Cannon takes too much authority Should not have named Frank J. as church agent President Cannon responsible for financial strain	[Temple meeting, 10:20 a.m.] President Snow asked to present the views of the Council to the presidency. They came at 11:30. Pres S. spoke very gently and to the point. Bro Franklin D. Richards followed in the same strain. I followed and charged Bro Cannon of taking on himself too much of presidential authority and keeping a man who did not live as a Latter-day Saint but drank and played billiards as the chief head of the church official organ; and that if the presidency had submitted the question of appointing Frank J. Cannon as the church agent to borrow money in the east to the Twelve he would not have been sustained; and that many people believe that President C. is the responsible person for all of our present financial difficulties.	Snow, Richards, and Young were the three senior apostles.
President Cannon offended Young the scape goat	President Cannon resented what I said. Tried to pin me down to day and date. Many things were said that were better unsaid, but I was the scape goat and President Woodruff notified to be at the office at 10:30 tomorrow morning.
Twelve support Young	Afterwards I talked with the Twelve and every man stood by me and it was the voice of the quorum that I stand firm in what I had already said.
	January 6, 1898	John Henry Smith diary (Church, State, and Politics), 387.
Snow: What should Twelve know about finances? Apostles speak plainly Young: President Cannon caused debt	All of the Apostles but F. M. Lyman, Anthon H. Lund, and M. F. Cowley met at the Temple at 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m. all of the First Presidency came in. President Lorenzo Snow asked the Presidency as to the duties of the Apostles in Connection with the Presidency in the financial affairs of the Church. All of the Apostles present spoke very plain and Elder Brigham Young made a very sweeping statement in which he said President Geo. Q. Cannon was the cause of the great indebtedness of the Church.
Presidency agree Twelve should be informed	All three of the Presidency said it was their view that the two Quorums should be united in the consideration of the more weighty problems that affect the whole Church.
Cannon offended by Young and Grant	Prest. Geo. Q. Cannon felt very much hurt over the remarks of Elders Brigham Young and Heber J. Grant.
	January 7, 1898	Brigham Young Jr. diary.
Council meeting Cannon: John Taylor gave me control of Bullion Beck and Champion dedicated stock	Met Presidency in temple at 12 noon. Considerable talk was had and President Cannon read a document purporting to have been written under President John Taylor's dictation which gave C. complete control over all the Bullion and Beck dedicated stock which he afterwards gave up to claimants, and now claims that he is responsible to God alone for the management of his dedicated Bullion and Beck stock.	George Q. Cannon 1898 Diary
Twelve surprised. Young: I thought stock was to be held by Church president	This was all news to the council for brother C. had carried the idea that his stock was still dedicated as we understood it. I was shocked to hear brother C. make the statement, I am the sole custodian of the dedicated stock. I understood President Taylor [said] that this stock would be held independently by his successor in office to which it would be duly transferred at proper time.
Sacrament	All was forgiven by us all and we partook of the sacrament I think worthily before God.
	January 7, 1898	John Henry Smith diary (Church, State, and Politics), 388.
Council	All of the first Presidency and all of the Apostles but F. M. Lyman, A. H. Lund, and M. F. Cowley met at 12 noon in the Apostles' room in the Temple.
Richards: Forgive each other Smith: Presidency and Twelve act together	After some explanations of yesterday[‘s] sayings, Prest. Franklin D. Richards moved we forgive each other for Harsh words spoken and that we partake of the sacrament. President Joseph F. Smith seconded the motion and said it now being about to be determined by joint vote of the joint Councils of the presidency and Twelve that they shall act together upon all questions of great moment to the Church, he felt to ad his hearty endorsement of this action.
Sacrament	The vote was unanimous. We partook of the Sacrament together.
Snow: Lord approves	After the Presidency withdrew, President Lorenzo Snow said, brethren the Lord approves of our action and in the future the Quorums will understand each other better.
	January 17, 1898	George Q. Cannon 1898 Diary
George Q. Cannon diary	George Q. Cannon's diary entry for this date (according to B. H. Roberts' excerpts), indicate that:
First Presidency supports Frank Frank has obtained financing from Joseph Banigan	Brigham Young, Jr. has told him of Frank J. Cannon's drinking. Frank has secured an infusion of capital from eastern financier Joseph Banigan. George Q. told Frank of the Council's discussion last week. First Presidency sent Frank a telegram of support and encouragement.
	January 31, 1898
John W. Taylor preaches plurality, but cannot add more	[St. Joseph Stake conference (Arizona); on the previous day Christopher Layton had been released and Andrew Kimball sustained as stake president, set apart by Joseph F. Smith.] Elder John W. Taylor made a ringing address on our duties to our families and on the sacredness of the doctrine of the Eternity of the Marriage Covenant, including the Plurality of Wives. He told the brethren to do all their full duty to their wives but that man could not take any more wives in the plural order. I followed him and bore Testimony but said he had given pretty strong emphasis in the language he used.	Church, State, and Politics, 190–191.
Seal couples in a Arizona	I sealed nineteen couples after the afternoon meeting.	1898 Digest 1898: February Notebooks Home