Mormon History, Dec 25, 1847

[Minutes, Quorum of Twelve] Present of the Council-Young, Kimball, Richards, Pratt Woodruff, Smith, Lyman, Jos[eph]h. Young, T[homas]. B[ullock].
B. Y.[:] I want the Council filled ri[gh]t. strait up-[I]t is necessary to fill all the Quo[rum] ri[gh]t. strait after any death-[I]t will devolve on bro Hyde-[N]o man has done better-[H]e is a splendid man. W[illard] R[ichards]. spoke of P[hinehas]. H. Young-
J. Y.[:] When the Devil gets a man out of the Ch[urch]-he is always digging at him & spoke of Willard Snow as a good man.
B, Y.[:] When Erastus Snow goes, he is right [and] can t be beat.
H. C. K.[: B]ro P[hinehas]. Young is straitening himself up-[I]f he will la[y] ri[gh]t. hold few will go ahead of him-I have no feelings or prejudice ag[ain]st him-
O. P.[:] Is it our priv[ilege] to take any man we see fit altho[ugh] they occupy responsible stations[?]-
B. Y.[:] Yes.
O. P.[: T]here is bro Jos[eph] Young. [H]e is a lovely man & cou[l]d. fill a place in the Quo[rum] of 12 well-
J. Y.[:] I thank you for your warm, flattering compliment.
W. R.[:] I will suggest one more who bids fair to make a useful man[:] F[ranklin]. D. Richards-
G. A. S.[:] He s a boy, but he is as bold as I am-
B. Y.[:] He is a man of good judgment-
G. A. S.[:] There is J[edediah]. M. Grant, a good chap.
O. P.[:] C[harles]. C. Rich is a good man.
A. L.[: A]s to bro P[hinehas s], ability, I have not any doubts, [but] to be frank, I co[ul]d. not nominate him with the same confidence as o[the]r. men.
H. C. K.[:] This is a present & future thing-I [k]no[w] Phinehas abilities if he takes the ri[gh]t. shute-[I]f he is put in a place where there is responsibility he will rise.
G. A. S.[:] I wo[ul]d. like to see bro. Luke try it again.
O. P.[:] If Luke sho[ul]d. ever get that office again, he wo[ul]d. be very apt to alter his course-& do right-
H. C. K.[:] Its either go ahead, or go to hell, men are failable creatures-
A. L.[:] It wo[ul]d. be a hard work to select out, there are many Jewels of men-
H. C. K.[:] Theres Geo[rge] Wallace, a smart, intelligent man to go ahead.
B. Y.[:] I wish the 12 were all here-so as to make their selection-
G. A. S.[:] C[harles]. Rich & E[rastus]. Snow were schooled by Jos[ep]h-[and] were members of 50 at 1st organ[ization].
O. P.[: B]ro Erastus has had long experience in the Ch[urch].
A. L.[:] I wo[ul]d. sooner have Willard-
B. Y.[:] Willard says "it s so" & looks it right down a man.
H. C. K.[:] I wo[ul]d. like bro Joseph with us-if we co[ul]d. take him-Willard /Snow/ is superior to Erastus-it s in him-Willard is a B. Y.[:] I want you to name your names, for we ma[y] not get tog[ethe]r. ag[ai]n. after this.
O. P.[:] There is a good many capable of acting in the office, the diff[erence]. is to draw out the right ones-
G. A. S.[:] F[ranklin]. D. Richards is right in the Vineyard-
A. L.[:] He is as good a man as any we have named-
J. S.[:] I look upon that office to be one of great honor, & all who fill it-[A]t this advanced period of our history there are men of age, stability, & experience almost from the early history of the Ch[urch]-[S]ome ma[y] look at them hav[in]g. 1st claim-that s my view-C. C. Rich is one of the earliest veterans of this Ch[urch].-Willard Snow is one of the 1st ones-I sho[ul]d. be glad to see Phinehas ahead of me in this Quo[rum]-[H]e says the L[or]d. has shewn him that he is to be a member of this Quo[rum]-but is always bluft off by my bro[the]rs.-[P]lace me in a place where there is responsibility-[and] see what he will do-
H C K[:] I let all that is past dropt-[W]hen I [k]no[w] persons for 20 y[ea]rs I [k]no[w] them, & if they are placed in a position where they are forced to act they will make almighty men-
Phinehas has a Sp[irit]-so has Willard-[T]hey will far surpass Erastus-
O. P.[: S]o far as Phinehas has foundat[io]n., it s in him if he ll bring it out.
J. Y.[: B]ro P[hinehas]. & I were bap[tize]d. within a week-& bro Brigham.
H. C. K.[: W]e were all baptized in the same month-
J. Y.[:] How bro P[hinehas]. can have a desire to go into this Quo[rum]. is a perfect astonishing to me-I had a desire once, but it did not last 2 hours-I pined as I tho[ugh]t. I co[ul]d. not and go a preach. I have not the least desire to leave-I am happy-[I]f the Lord says come into the Twelve, I come, but I wont court your favor, Gent[lemen].
H. C. K.[:] I bel[ieve] bro Jos[ep]h. can do more good where he is than if in the 12-
J. Y.[:] I never was to be one of the 12-for bro Josh /H C K/ Prophesied I was to be Pres[iden]t. of the 70 in time & all Eternity-
A. L.[:] I am glad to see the feelings that exist bet[wee]n. the 70 & bro Joseph.
B. Y.[:] I bel[ieve] if I had been an Elder to this day I sho[ul]d. have been satisfied-
Ezra T. Benson came in [at] " to 7-
Josh. Young[:] I have had my heart beat /ri[gh]t/ into my mouth, when I have got up bef[ore]. the 12-
B. Y.[:] Dont you suppose you [k]no[w] as much of the P[riesthood]. as we do[?]
J. Y.[:] No Sir-
B. Y.[:] When Eleazer Miller put his hands on my head & ord[aine]d. me an Elder, I tho[ugh]t. well, you must [k]no[w] more than I do, for I [k]no[w] nothing-but I did think then that he was a Simpleton.
O. P.[:] 17 y[ea]rs ago in Fat[her]. Whitmer s Chamber bro Jos[ep]h. got a rev[elatio]n. thro the Urim & Thummin that I sho[ul]d. be one of the 12-
G. A. S.[: I] told bro Benson what we had been conversing ab[ou]t.-[S]ome have suggested P. H. Y.-C. C. Rich, L. Johnson, Wd. & E. Snow, F D R., & J. M. Grant.
B. Y. Thats about it-
G. A. S.[:] If bro Luke wo[ul]d. walk up to the trough I sho[ul]d. be glad to see him ag[ai]n. in the 12-if I must judge of a man by what he has been.
J. Y.[:] I do admire the wisdom & patriotism manifested in the councils about choosing officers-I go in for Sailors rights-[T]hey go in for humble men-[I] don t want to see men usurp auth[orit]y.
B. Y.[: N]o man has that power but myself-
J. Y.[:] A man that has a magnanimous Sp[irit], I see it sticking out-
B. Y.[: T]here is another thing. [S]hall bro Appleby return home[?]-[A]not[he]r. thing, shall a man be sent to New Orleans[?]-[B]ro Woodruff, do you want bro Dominicus Carter to go East[?]-
O. P.[:] I want to sa[y] ano[the]r thing ab[ou]t. O. E. Bates-[H]e is willing to go to England-over the mountains, or stay here-[H]e has always been faithful since he came in the Ch[urch].
B. Y.[:] I am not willing to see a man who has 5000 wants to spend all here, instead of assisting o[the]rs. over the mountains-
J. Y.[:] Joseph objected to Dominicus Carter-I bel[ieve] bro Hyrum was bott at [the] bottom of it-
B. Y.[: B]ro Appleby can do more for the cause to go back.
G. A. S.[:] I move bro Appleby [to] go back-O Pratt Sec[onde]d. Clear vote.
B. Y. Spoke of the Seventies.

[source: Minutes, Quorum of Twelve]

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