George Q. Cannon

George Q. Cannon, was born in Liverpool, England, in 1827. His family learned of the gospel through his aunt Leonora Cannon, who had immigrated to Canada and had there met and married John Taylor. The Cannons were baptized in 1840, and they immigrated to Nauvoo in 1842. George’s mother died and was buried at sea; a few months later his father died and George moved in with the Taylor’s. He left Nauvoo in 1846 with the main body of pioneers and, after a season at Winter Quarters, traveled on to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

In Nauvoo, George had learned the printing and editing business. As a young man he translated the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian. He edited the Millennial Star, the Juvenile Instructor, and the Deseret News, and was author of several books and tracts and many newspaper and magazine articles. In 1866 he established George Q. Cannon and Sons Co., the parent company of today’s Deseret Book Company.

George Q. Cannon became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve in October 1859. He was named assistant counselor to Brigham Young in 1874 and subsequently served as first counselor in the First Presidency under Presidents John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow. He died in Monterey, California, in April 1901.