Aug 3, 1887

[Heber J. Grant]
... Prest Cannon stated that he was greatly surprised to think that members of our quorum had had feelings against him for nearly four years and had not said a word to him. He got quite warm while talking of the desire of brother Thatcher to have the authority of the twelve fully talked over before any action was taken on restoring bros. Cannon and Smith to the quorum. He stated that Prest John Taylor had chided him for his position regarding the Twelve more than for any other thing; said Prest. Taylor had said time and time again that an apostle had no right to going into an organized stake and changing any of the affairs of the stake. Prest Cannon stated that it had been a great trial to have to labor almost alone on account of the sickness of Prest Taylor and that he had desired very much to have brother Joseph F at home. Stated that hardly a day had passed for some weeks but what he had put on his Temple clothes and supplicated God for his aid in discharging the duties devolving upon him, said he knew God had been with him and that for four months he had virtually been the President of the Church. Prest Cannon made the remarks about God being with him and his virtually being the President of the Church for the past four months with considerable force, but they felt dead on me & I had no testimony of a man as to his own ability, and I was glad to have Prest Cannon explain some few minutes later that in speaking as he did he did not claim that the authority or prerogatives of the President were his during the past four months. I felt that Prest Cannon had been rebuked by the Spirit for claiming to have acted as the President of the Church and was glad to see that he was willing to explain.

... Daniel H. Wells gave it as his opinion that the Twelve Apostles had no right what ever to exercise the duties of the First Presidency, and that to do so was entirely out of place. He gave it to us as the mind and will of the Lord to us that we do not exercise these duties. Stated that it was the voice of God to us and that he cleared his skirts of this matter and that someday we would know that what he said was true. Brother Lorenzo Snow asked brother Wells the question whether in case of the death of the President of the Church the twelve apostles ever presided, say for ten minutes while they were organizing the Presidency again, answer, No. Bro Wells said the mantle of Joseph fell on Brigham and not on the twelve and that the counselors of the President should act until such time as they in connection with the Twelve Apostles decided upon a President for the Church....

Moses Thatcher said to brother Wells that while he would not care to question his standing that if he (Thatcher) were to assume any such a position as that taken by brother Wells that it would be the duty of our quorum to handle him for his fellowship. Prest. Woodruff suggested that we change the subject.

[Source: Typed sheets removed from bound letterbook journal but preserved with loose sheets that duplicated letterbook journal, in The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]