Signature Books: Important Mormon Diary Published

Salt Lake City In December 1892, the 33-year-old Mormon apostle Abraham H. Cannon recorded in his diary: At my Quorum meeting on Thursday the brethren were told that our success in the Church [law]suits was in a great measure due to the fact that we have a partner of Justice [Stephen J.] Field of the Supreme Court of the United States in our employ, who is to receive a percentage of the money if the suits go in our favor, and the property is returned to us.

Read the full announcement.

About the editor, Edward Lyman.

Upcoming lecture by Dr. Lyman:

Benchmark Books (Tel: 801-486-3111)
3269 S. Main Street, Salt Lake City
Thursday, 6:00 p.m.
December 1, 2010

Amazon.com link:

Candid Insights of a Mormon Apostle: The Diaries of Abrahan H. Cannon 1889-1895 [Hardcover]

I hope someone is planning to record Dr. Lyman’s presentation and put it online. 🙂

H/T: exmormon.reddit.com

P.S.: Excerpts from the last talk given by Abraham H. Cannon, before his death a few months later, at the Utah Stake Conference, April 19, 1896:

I am free to admit that we have been a people of perhaps too strong prejudices …

Mormonism, it is said, is a burnt out volcano, so far as spirituality is concerned; its strength is gone; it is assuming a materialistic position, and fails to exercise the spiritual influence over the people that a religious organization ought to do …

We do not have all the power that we ought to have. God knows we do not. We do not have the faith which we ought to exercise in the gifts of the Gospel and in the principles of our religion. But with all our weaknesses, with all our lack in this respect, we still stand at the head–God be praised!–of every organization upon the face of the earth; not through any merit of our own; not that I would boast of such blessings, only that my boasting shall be in praise of God for His goodness in giving us such choice blessings and in making us partakers of this glorious Gospel–a privilege that He has extended equally to every other man and woman who lives upon the face of the earth, and has not confined to these few people now gathered in these mountains. Is there any greater evidence of the divinity of this work than the very argument that is brought against it, that we have so perfect a Church organization? With its President, (who is the mouthpiece of God), with his counselors, and the various organizations of the Priesthood as they exist, this Church is so perfect that it commands the admiration of the world, who see that it is superior even to that old and long established church, the Roman Catholic.

P.P.S.: This post is dedicated to America’s #1 Mitt Romney cheerleading squad duo.

P.P.P.S.: Seeing Dr. Lyman’s name reminded me of this exchange between B.H. Roberts and Mormon apostle Richard Lyman:

Studies of the Book of Mormon, by B.H. Roberts, p. 251:

At his [B.H. Roberts] request Pres. Grant called a meeting of the Twelve Apostles and Bro. Roberts presented the matter, told them frankly that he was stumped and ask[ed] for their aide [sic] in the explanation. In answer, they merely one by one stood up and bore testimony to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. George Albert Smith in tears testified that his faith in the Book had not been shaken by the question…. No answer was available. Bro[.] Roberts could not criticize them for not being able to answer it or to assist him, but said that in a church which claimed continuous revelation, a crisis had arisen where revelation was necessary. After the meeting he wrote Pres. Grant expressing his disappointment at the failure… It was mentioned at the meeting by Bro. Roberts that there were other Book of Mormon problems that needed special attention.

Richard Lyman spoke up and ask[ed] if they were things that would help our prestige and when Bro. Roberts answered no, he said then why discuss them.“

Emphasis mine.

P.P.P.P.S.: By the way, if you do pick up the Cannon diary from Amazon, I’d suggest ordering Damon Linker’s The Religious Test at the same time.