125 years ago today - Jan 7, 1898

There was considerable talk in relation to the dedicated stock of the Bullion, Beck & Champion Mining Company, and it was plainly stated that it was my duty to turn over that dedicated stock into the hands of President [Wilford] Woodruff as trustee in trust. Had this dedicated stock, transferred to me by President [John] Taylor, remained intact, I should never have thought of holding it in my hands any longer than to get it out of debt; but when everyone withdrew their stock and my dedicated stock only was left, I did not feel that I was guilty of the least impropriety in retaining control of it myself. I have made a provision in my will concerning it. I have kept up to the present time a strict account of it, and hope to be able to make a full accounting at the proper time to my brethren of all that I have done with this. I have not felt, however, up to the present that it was either advisable or necessary that I should transfer it out of my own hands. ... I then proceeded to read the document which President Taylor, John Beck and myself had signed, by which this stock was given to President Taylor. ... President John Taylor, in the document signed by him twenty-three days before his demise confers 'upon the said George Q. Cannon all the rights, powers and authority held, had or enjoyed by him, the said John Taylor, individually or otherwise, by virtue of the written instrument aforesaid in and to said shares.' President Taylor mentioned the purchase of the Temple Block in Jackson county, that was designated an set apart by the Prophet Joseph as a site for a temple of God, as something that I was authorized to do with that fund. ... These extracts show conclusively that I have not exceeded any of the powers entrusted to me, in my management of my own dedicated stock. I have not used in any form one dollar of anybody else's dedicate stock or its proceeds. ... I have been thus particular in alluding to these different matters, because they were mentioned almost in the form of charges against me. They appear on the official minutes of our meeting. I have not, in any remarks that I have made, explained them sufficiently to clear them up. It is with the view that the truth in history may be vindicated and my action be clearly explained that I write these explanations.

[George Q. Cannon, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]

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