President's Office,
G.S.L. City, Sep 25, 1860.
Instructions to Elder George Q. Cannon, including additional instructions to Elders Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich.
Elder George Q. Cannon,
Dear Brother:-- You are appointed, authorized, and instructed to proceed to Liverpool, England, and take charge of all the financial affairs of the Liverpool, England, and take charge of all the financial affairs of the Liverpool Office, and also of the financial affairs of all missions doing business with that Office, so far as such business extends; and take charge of all the printing and binding, and edit the Millenial Star; and take out shipping papers, and take charge of and manage all affairs pertaining to emigration, not only from the British Isles, but from other places so far as the same comes within the purview of the Liverpool Office.
Keep a correct account, to a farthing, of all monies paid on tithing, as also of all monies consecrated or donated to the Church, instructing all the Branches, Conferences, and Elders to be very careful and particular in this matter.
All monies accrueing as above, as also all arising from printing the Book of Mormon, Book of Doctrine and Covenants, Hymn Book, Journal of Discourses, Millenial Star, and all other printing done by or for the church, and the "head money" and all profits arising from the emigration, whether by shipping them or otherwise, must be accounted for, held, and deemed as Church funds, and must be disbursed only in accordance with instructions from this Office.
You will use your best care and judgement to avoid printing more "Stars", or books and publications of any kind, than will meet with a ready sale and prompt payment, without unduly urging or in any way oppressing anyone, that we may have no more odious "book debts," nor rooms lumbered with unavailable so called property.
Learn the amount paid for printing the "Star", Journal of Discourses, &c., and see whether it will not be more profitable to buy type, paper, &c., and do our own printing, at least in all particulars except press work, and perhaps in that; and if you find the saving sufficient to warrant it, make the necessary arrangements for doing all or part of our printing and binding, as may be most profitable, which we wish done in the neatest and best style.
As was expected when the reins were slackened, perhaps there has been a falling off in paying tithing and making deposits for emigrating, but it is now time that the Saints, for their own sakes and the sake of the great work in which they are engaged, should again turn their attention to this matter, for which reason we wish you, as also, Elder Lyman and Rich and all other Elders concerned, to again, in a fatherly and instructive manner, call their attention to paying their tithing and making deposits for their emigration, as promptly and liberally as their circumstances will reasonably permit.
The Elders should not be lovers of money, the Apostles will therefore urge upon all engaged in the ministry the propriety and requirement that they sustain themselves independent of the tithing and other Church funds; this the Elders sent from here can easily do, for it is now arranged to fit them out from here directly for their fields of labor, to raise funds here to pay their expenses on their return, and to provide for their families during their absence, so far as their families may be unable to provide for themselves. You will also instruct the Elders not to expend money in going to theatres, exhibitions, and the like, but to strive to wisely use the means they may be blest with, and devote all funds not needed for their own economical wants, to gathering the poor and otherwise promoting the cause in which we are engaged.
At the close of each season's emigration will be a favorable time to begin to make out the annual report from the Liverpool Office, which can be made up to the 1st of the first succeeding month most convenient for the other duties and business of the Office. In the meantime we shall expect monthly statements, or thereabouts, of the estimated amount of available funds on hand at date, which can be given with sufficient accuracy for the purposes required, without taking account of stock, or being to any particular extra labor or trouble. We wish you to open an account with the Journal of Discourses, which is now Church property, that we may be accurately informed in relation to the profits, if any, arising from that publication.
As already mentioned, we wish you to take charge of the financial affairs of the European Mission, and Elders Amasa Lyman, Charles C. Rich, and yourself, three of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to counsel together in making appointments in relation to Conferences, directing the Elders in their labors in the ministry, and in building up the kingdom of God among all nations.
We feel assured that his arrangement, if carried out in the Spirit which suggests it, as we trust it will be, will tend materially to lessen the burden of your several labors, and free your minds to be more efficiently useful in your respective spheres. Elders Lyman and Rich will also, being released from office confinement and its financial cares, be enabled to travel to and fro to visit conferences as the Spirit may dictate.
Do not make the non-payment of tithing a matter of fellowship, and use all diligence to prevent the poor's being oppressed and to hasten the emigration of the Saints, studying especially to so counsel and advise the poor in the use of their time and small receipts that they may expedite their own emigration to the best of their several abilities.
These instructions of necessity supersede the instructions given to Elders Lyman and Rich, April 30, 1860, so far as those instructions devolved any duties and responsibilities upon them in regard to the financial and business affairs of the Mission, to wit:-- the printing, binding, shipping, emigration, tithing, donations and consecrations to the Church, and editing the Millenial Star.
Probably you and the others of the Twelve there will have to use some tithing money, and perhaps now and then an Elder may need a little assistance, but the amount so disbursed must be only what is really necessary, and it should be used with strict economy, ever keeping in view gathering the poor.
The Elders appointed to the European Mission will be under the direction of those of the Twelve who are laboring there, independent, whenever requisite, of the designation that may be specified in the bodies or on the backs of their certificates.
That you may be abundantly blest in all your efforts to do good, magnify your calling, honor our God, and be greatly instrumental in spreading Gis work upon the earth is the prayer of,
Your Brethren in the Gospel
Brigham Young
Heber C. Kimball
Daniel H Wells