[George Q. Cannon]
The day has been a most interesting one. Prest. Taylor occupied the remainder of the forenoon and in the afternoon an affidavit of Bro. Thomas Grover by Bro. Arthur Stayner in which he swore to the fact that in 1843 – nearly a year before the Prophet Joseph's martyrdom – Hyrum Smith the Patriarch read to the High Council by request of the Prophet the revelation which is now published in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants [D&C 132], & that upon a vote being called respecting its acceptance, nine of the Council voted to receive it, and three did not. The three were: W^m Marks, Austin Coles, and Lorin Soby. Of the nine High Councillors who were then present, Bro. Grover and Bro Chas. C. Rich, are the sole survivors. After the reading of the affidavit Bro. Grover bore a testimony to the statements made in the affidavit. Prest. Taylor then followed with a statement of the manner in which the revelation had been communicated to him. The Prophet Joseph had called President Young, H. C. Kimball, N. K. Whitney, Orson Hyde, and himself into his office in the part of the building known as Joseph's Store in Nauvoo, and there communicated to them that God had revealed to him the doctrine of celestial marriage and reasoned at some length respecting it. They all received it though to use his words, "it was a bitter pill." He did not obey it quickly, and he afterwards met the Prophet as he was riding out of Nauvoo and the Prophet was riding in on the road passing through the old grave yard, when the Prophet stopped him and told him that these things must be obeyed or the keys would be turned
Prest. Taylor was followed by Bro. Joseph B. Noble who testified to the conference that Joseph communicated to him this doctrine and told him that God had revealed it to him in Kirkland while engaged in the translation of the Bible, but had informed him that the time had not yet come for it to be put into practice, but that an angel of the Lord had commanded him to now enter upon its practice, and to those brethren in whom he could confide he communicated the doctrine, and that at Joseph's request he married his wife's sister Louisa Beman [Beaman] to him he repeating (in a whisper) the ceremony of marriage as Joseph gave it to him. He spoke also about the irreproachable and pure character of his wife's sister.
[The Journal of George Q. Cannon, Church Historian's Press, https://churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon]
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