George Q. Cannon's Divine Revelation regarding his Priesthood Call
Published October 12, 2026 at 6:33 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
George Q. Cannon recounts that when he was a boy, he did not seek power or place in the Priesthood. He specifically besought God to deliver him from the burden of the Priesthood if he could be saved without it. In response, the Lord revealed to him what he would have to pass through, and he continued to beseech the Lord to not put him in that position if he could attain salvation otherwise.
In Their Own Words
“I have not sought office. I have not sought for place in the Priesthood or in any other capacity. When I was a little boy the only desire I had was that I might be worthy to be an Elder. Beyond that I have never sought place or power. On the contrary, I have shrunk from it, and I have besought God to deliver me from it if I could be saved without it. The Lord revealed to me what I would have to pass through, and I besought Him not to put me in this place if I could get my salvation without it. But the Lord has seen fit to place me where I am, and I have felt that it was my duty to accept the position and to magnify it to the best of my ability.”
— George Q. Cannon, Millennial Star 59:40
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 7 October 1897 (Vol. 59, No. 40). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1897-10-07_59_40 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Full first-person account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 59, No. 40, 7 October 1897 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1897-10-07_59_40
Filed under
Related Miracles
More accounts involving George Q. Cannon, plus similar miracle types and stories from the 1830s.
Miracle of the Week
One remarkable, documented account in your inbox every Monday, drawn from the full archive.