George Q. Cannon
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George Quayle Cannon (January 11, 1827–April 21, 1901) (commonly known as George Q. Cannon) was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served as counselors to four successive Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow. He was the church's chief political strategist, and was dubbed "the Mormon premier" and "the Mormon Richelieu" by the press.
George Q. Cannon was born in Liverpool to George Cannon and Ann Quayle Cannon on January 11, 1827. He was the eldest of six children. His father's sister, Leonara Cannon, had married John Taylor and was baptized in 1836. News reached the elder George Cannon and four years later, when now Apostle John Taylor came to Liverpool, the remaining family was baptized into the Church. George Q. Cannon was 13 at the time. His other siblings were Mary Alice Cannon (Lambert), Ann Cannon (Woodbury), Angus M. Cannon, David H. Cannon and Leonora Cannon (Gardner). In 1842, the Cannon family set sail for America to join with the church in Nauvoo, Illinois. On the voyage over the Atlantic Ocean, his mother died. The motherless family arrived safely in Nauvoo in the spring of 1843. George Sr. married Mary Edwards in 1844 and had another daughter, Elizabeth Cannon (Piggott).
In Nauvoo, George Q. Cannon's father sent him to live with his uncle and aunt, John Taylor and Leonara. He worked in the printing office of The Times and Seasons and the Nauvoo Neighbor for this uncle. During this time, John Taylor travelled with Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, and Willard Richards and others to Carthage Jail. There, Joseph and Hyrum were martyred, and John Taylor sustained serious wounds. He tended the printing affairs while John Taylor recovered. George Cannon's father died in 1845.
In 1846, Elder John Taylor travelled to England and back to organize the affairs of the church after the Prophet's death. George Q. Cannon travelled with the John Taylor family as they moved to Winter Quarters. When John Taylor returned, he went on with the family to the Salt Lake Valley, arriving in October of 1847.
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[edit] Church Service
1849 brought a mission call to George Q. Cannon. The 22 year old man was to travel to California and on to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). He served on this mission for four years. Joseph F. Smith, future president of the church, would follow George's footsteps and serve in Hawaii one year later.
Returning to Utah, Cannon was almost immediately called to assist Elder Parley P. Pratt in publishing a newspaper in California. Once again he set out to California. Meeting Elder Pratt, he was told that he would remain behind and was ordained president of the Oregon and California mission at the young age of 28. Elder Pratt returned to church headquarters. It was during this time that Cannon published the Hawaiian translation of the Book of Mormon. He served until he heard of the Utah War in 1857.
Returning to Utah to assist, Cannon was commissioned a Lieutenant General in the Nauvoo Legion. After the war, he was called to preside over the Eastern States Mission.
The murder of Elder Parley P. Pratt in 1857 left a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. That vacancy wasn't filled until President Brigham Young called George Q. Cannon to the apostleship. He was ordained apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on August 26, 1860 at the young age of 33. Upon his ordination, he was called to preside over the European Mission. But his mission presidency was short-lived. He was recalled to the U.S. to help in a bid for Utah's statehood. He worked in Washington, D.C. until 1862. His work completed for a time, he left once again for Europe to preside over the missionary work.
In 1873, Cannon was called as a counselor to President Brigham Young. He served as counselor to four successive presidents. He was First Counselor to Presidents John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff throughout their presidencies.
Cannon was also elected to represent Utah Territory in the U.S. Congress in 1873. He remained a congressional delegate until 1881, when his seat was contested by Allen G. Campbell. The rising controversy over plural marriage led to political problems. During his life, Cannon married five different women. Eventually, he was driven underground along with others in the church leadership who practiced plural marriage. The 1890 Manifesto issued by Wilford Woodruff brought the church out from persecution, and the church leadership and Cannon returned to public life.
Cannon served as First Counselor to President Lorenzo Snow. As the second-most senior apostle on the earth, he also became President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles upon President Snow's ordination.
Cannon died on April 21, 1901 in Monterey, California at 74 years of age. Had he lived only a few months longer, he would have been the next president of the church. Some of his children include Abraham H. Cannon, John Q. Cannon, and Sylvester Q. Cannon, all General Authorities in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Frank J. Cannon, Utah's first Senator.
[edit] Published works
- Cannon, George Q. (1878). Discourse: Delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday morning, October 8, 1877. W. Budge. ISBN B00088KE9Q.
- --- (1957). A history of the prophet Joseph Smith for young people. Deseret Book Company. ISBN B0007H18H0.
- --- (1986). Life of Joseph Smith: The Prophet. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-148-7.
- --- (1883). The life of Nephi: The son of Lehi. Contributor Co. ISBN B00087BLX0.
- --- (1882). My first mission. Juvenile instructor office. ISBN B00087OZEC.
- --- (1876). Robt. N. Baskin, contestant, v. George Q. Cannon, contestee: Brief and argument of Charles A. Eldredge, counsel of contestee. Gibson Brothers, printers. ISBN B0008A1QZ0.
- --- (1969). Writings from the Western standard. Paladin Press. ISBN B0006BZBL6.
- Newquist, Jerreld L. (Ed.) (1974). Gospel truth: discourses and writings of president George Q. Cannon (Vol. 1). Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-520-2.
- --- (1974). Gospel truth: discourses and writings of president George Q. Cannon (Vol. 2). Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-519-9.
- Turley, Richard E. Jr.; Cannon, Adrian; Landon, Michael (Eds.) (1999). The Journals of George Q. Cannon (Vol. 1). Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-57345-465-6.
[edit] Quotes
In reguard to Supreme Court upholding the 1862 Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act banning plural marriage in Reynolds v. United States, George Q. Cannon stated:
- "Our crime has been: We married women instead of seducing them; we reared children instead of destroying them; we desired to exclude from the land prostitution, bastardy and infanticide. If George Reynolds [the man who was convicted of committing bigamy] is to be punished, let the world know the facts . . . . Let it be published to the four corners of the earth that in this land of liberty, the most blessed and glorious upon which the sun shines, the law is swiftly invoked to punish religion, but justice goes limping and blindfolded in pursuit of crime."
[edit] References
- Choate, Jane McBride (Jan. 1987). George Q. Cannon. Friend. p. 14.
- Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages
- Official George Q. Cannon Family Website
[edit] External resources
| Members of the Cannon Political Family |  |
|---|---|
| George Q. Cannon • John Taylor • Angus Cannon • Martha Hughes Cannon
John Q. Cannon • William Whitaker Taylor • Frank Cannon • Annie Wells Cannon • George M. Cannon • Joseph J. Cannon • Edwin Q. Cannon • Cavendish Cannon Edwin B. Cannon • Howard Cannon • Donald Cannon • Joe Cannon • Chris Cannon |
| Preceded by Franklin D. Richards |
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles December 9, 1899–April 21, 1901 |
Succeeded by Joseph F. Smith |
| Preceded by Franklin D. Richards |
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles August 26, 1860–1873 |
Succeeded by Joseph F. Smith |
