[Heber J. Grant] I asked the apostles in the meeting yesterday to each send me two names of persons that they would like to become members of the Council of the Twelve. Nearly all of them handed in names last evening and the others gave me names this morning. J. Reuben Clark, Hugh B. Brown, Hugh Cannon, A. A. Hinckley, Winslow Farr Smith, Joseph F. Merrill and Adam Bennion were named. Nine of the apostles and my counselor, Brother Nibley, gave me names. Brother Clark received three votes and Brother Hugh J. Cannon two. The other brethren mentioned received only one vote each. Any one of these brethren I personally would feel all right to sustain as an apostle to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Brother Orson F. Whitney. There were some splendid men mentioned as second choice that I could also sustain to fill the vacancy. ...
Referring again to the names submitted by the brethren: Brother Hugh Brown was mentioned twice for second choice, and Brother Clark was mentioned twice as second choice. Therefore, Brother Clark had five votes, and the next highest man was Brother Brown with three but only one for first place. ... Unless I get the impression otherwise I am unqualifiedly in favor of Brother Clark. Before getting out of bed this morning I was going over the names of fifteen or twenty men, and he stood out prominently as first choice in my judgment. Brother Nibley's first choice was Reuben Clark and second, Joseph F. Merrill. On more than one occasion when I have almost made up my mind in favor of some individual my counselor, Brother Ivins, has named some one who pleased me better. He is out of the city today and before coming to a final decision to make a nomination I want to hear from him and also George Albert Smith and Melvin J. Ballard, who are out of the city. In my mind, J. Reuben Clark is one of the outstanding men in the church, intellectually. He is ambassador from the United States to Mexico at the present time.
[Source: The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
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