Letter to Heber Jeddy Grant, 28 March 1887

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Letter to Heber Jeddy Grant, 28 March 1887
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    Copy' Holiness to the Lord, St. George Temple. P. O. Box 531. St. George, Utah, 28 March 1887. Elder Heber J. Grant, Dear Brother, You asked me a question the last time we met which I was not prepared to an- swer at the time it was given. I have given the subject some thought and reflection, and I now feel prepared to answer the question, ac- cording to my views. You asked me if I knew any reason, in case of the ...
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    President of the Church dies, who then is the Presiding Authority of the Church? It is the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, or- dained and organized by the Revelations of God. And none else. Then, while these Twelve Apostles preside over the Church, who is the President of the Church? It is the President of the Twelve Apostles. And he is virtually as much the President of the Church, while pre- siding over Twelve men, as he is when or- ganized as the Presidency of the Church, and presiding over two men. And this principle has ...
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    of the Presidency? Because he was the President of the Twelve Apostles, and he was virtually as much the President of the Church while Presiding over Twelve men, as over two men. When President Young died, who was the Presiding Authority over the Church? The Twelve Apostles, and none else. And who was the President of the Church? John Taylor. Why? Because he was the President of the Twelve Apostles. And when the Twelve Apostles came to organize a First Presidency again, which of the Twelve Apostles was moved upon to claim ...
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    Taylor was the President of the Twelve Apostles, and he had virtually been the President of the Church since the death of Brigham Young. (Now if Brother Cannon has become converted from this theory, or any one of the Twelve, they certainly must have some very strong reasons for it.) Now Brother Grant, I have given you one of the reasons why I consider the President of the Twelve should become the President of the Church, in case of the death of ...
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    been a dissenting voice with the Twelve A- postles. And I certainly do not believe, should President Taylor die to-day, that Brother George Q Cannon, nor any other man, could use argument enough, to convert a major- ity of the Twelve Apostles to depart from the beaten track laid out, and followed by the inspiration of Almighty God, for the last fifty seven years, by the Apostles, as re- corded in the history of the Church. As far as I am concerned, it would require not only a much stronger argument than I ...
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    for fear I might be taken away with the Keys of the Kingdom of God upon me, before I seal them upon the heads of other men; but I thank God I have lived to see the day when I have had power to give the Twelve Apostles their Endowments. And I have now sealed upon your heads all the Keys of the King- dom of God, and the Powers of the Holy Priesthood which God has sealed upon me. And now I roll off the labor and work of the Church and Kingdom of God ...
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    Apostles, have had experience and light enough to shun any path pointed out to gratify the private interest of any man, or set of men, against the interest of the Church and Kingdom of God on the earth. I once knew, not only Twelve men, but twice Twelve leading men, who undertook to appoint a Prophet and President to lead the Church, before the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but they aposta- tized and went to perdition. And it would be a very dangerous precedent for us to set, to depart ...
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    it so happened, in those instances, that the President of the Twelve Apostles was appointed, but it did not follow that that principle would be carried out hereafter. And the ar- gument was used that Elder Woodruff pro- phesied at a Conference at Ogden, that Joseph F. Smith would become President of the Church, and we would have to deviate from the usual course, in order to have that fulfilled. And it was said, that prophecy was recorded. Now if Elder Woodruff delivered such a prophecy, and that by inspiration of ...
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    And no man knew that Brigham Young would ever be an Apostle, unless God revealed it to the Prophet. And still, after sixteen years of revolution and change Brigham Young was President of the Church, without turning to the right or left, from the path marked out by the Revelations of God. And that pro- phecy is also recorded; and there was not one chance in ten for that prophecy to be fulfilled, that there is for Joseph F. Smith to be president, in the regular channel of the oOrder ...
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    Cannon has brought this subject up, and made it a matter of conversation several times since the appointment of President John Taylor to the Presidency; or that he should depart from the principle he so strongly ad- vocated in the appointment of President Taylor. I see no reason why we should be so anx- ious to fix up bridges to cross over, that we may never see in this life. It is a bridge, I never expect to cross, for I never expect to outlive the President of the Church ...