The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-07-14
HIGH CHURCH OFFICE
MAY Be ABOLISHED
Complications Concerning Pres
idency of Twelve Apostles.
WHY PLACE Is VACANT
NO SELECTION POSSIBLE FOR
SOME TIME.

Will there ever again be q president
of the quorum of twelve apOstlesc
Men who stand high in official circles
of the Batter-day Saints church are
beginning to ask the question. Usually
they come to the conclusion that as
there has been no successor to the late
Franklin D. Richards chosen, there will
be none. The quorum is today without
a president, although Apostle Brigham
Young has been acting in that capacity
since the death of President Richards.
As the situation was explained by a
church official yesterday, George Q.
cannon. was the senior member of the
apostles quorum at the time of the
death of President Richards, but being
! first counselor to President Snow, he
could not consistently be elected to the
other office, nor could the church con-
sistently elect any one else president
or the quorum so long as President
Cannon was the senior apostle.
President Cannon died and il was
then expected that a successor to Pres
ident Richards would be announced.
Such was not the case. II developed
that President Joseph F. Smith be
came, through the decision of the
church authorities in a technicality, the
senior apostle over Brigham Young.
President Smith being a member OF the
! first presidency, the situation remains
unchanged He cannot be made presi-
dent of the twelve, it is argued, nor
can Brigham Young. who stands next
in line while President Smith is the
senior apostle
Solution Of Question.
In the event that President Smith
! succeeds President Snow as head Of the
church. the question would be solved.
Apostle Young would be the senior
apostle, Smith ceasing TO be upon as
cending to the presidency, and could be
elected president Of the twelve. Under
no other condition. ii is believed, would
an election of a president of the quo
rum be possible. The selection of ApOS-
tie Young for one of the first presi-
! dency would postpone the election Of
president of the twelve until Young
succeeded to the presidency of the
church, when Apostle Lyman would be-
come senior apostle.
The argument is advanced that there
IS really no need of q president of the
twelve apostles, as their meetings are
invariably held with the first presiden-
cy, and the president of the church or
/ one of his cOUnselors always preSides.
1t is a fact that President Richards.
during his life, did not preside at the
meetings of the apostles. nor has the
president of the twelve any special du-
ties to perform in that Office. 1t is the
general belief among church men that
the position viii not be filed, now that
three or four conferences have elapsed
without a single mention of the sub
jeet, but that the senior acting mem
Der Of the quorum viii be looked on
and respected as the senior member,
and that will be his only title.
At the coming October conference, 1t
is expected that the first presidency
viii be recognized by the selection Of
a successor to the late George @. Can
non Without doubt, Joseph F Smith
viii be made first counselor. The name
most frequently linked with the Office
of second counselor is that of Reed
SmOOt, but, Of course, it is as yet en-
tirely problematical as to who will be
chosen.
Snow in New Jersey.
New York. July ia dispatch to the