John W. Taylor
Born: 15 May 1858
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 15 May 1884
Resigned from the Quorum: April 1905
Excommunicated: 28 March 1911
Died: 10 October 1916
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 15 May 1884
Resigned from the Quorum: April 1905
Excommunicated: 28 March 1911
Died: 10 October 1916
Biographical Articles
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 1
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 3
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Juvenile Instructor, 1 October 1900, Lives of Our Leaders - The Apostles: John W. Taylor
My own research and opinion
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 3
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Juvenile Instructor, 1 October 1900, Lives of Our Leaders - The Apostles: John W. Taylor
My own research and opinion
Jenson, Andrew. "Taylor, John Whittaker." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 1. pg. 151-156.
TAYLOR, John Whittaker, a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles since 1884, is the son of Pres. John Taylor and Sophia Whittaker, and was born May 15, 1858, in Provo, Utah county, Utah. This was at the time when Johnston's army was approaching Utah with hostile intent; the Saints living in Salt Lake City prepared to burn their homes, and then moved southward to various places in Utah county. The late Pres. John Taylor and family were among the exiles who located temporarily in Provo, where they rented from Roger Farrar a house of small dimensions and unpretentious appearance. In this humble abode the subject of this sketch was born. Upon the settlement of the trouble which caused the exodus from the northern settlements, Pres. Taylor and his family returned to their home in the Fourteenth Ward, Salt Lake City. Here Brother John W. was reared until he attained his twenty-fifth year, when he married and removed to Cassia county, Idaho. In his boyhood days, as in later life, he was industrious in his habits, being richly endowed with bodily health and a strong, active mind. He worked some at farming, and spent considerable time laboring in his father's saw mill, which was near Kamas, towards the headwaters of the Provo river. His father being somewhat hampered financially, the children's opportunities for scholastic education were not so abundant as those afforded the sons and daughters of some other families; but with Pres. Taylor the education acquired in the schoolroom, though not deprecated in the least, was regarded only as a small part of the broader education to be gained in the practical walks of life. He taught his children with great emphasis that whatever they undertook to do they should seek to do well — that people, on examining a piece of work they admired, would first ask who did it, but would care little about knowing what length of time it required to complete it. He taught them to respect each other's rights; and instead of governing his family by personal direction, he instructed them in the principles of righteousness and placed them upon their own responsibility to act for themselves. The grand and noble truths he sought to implant within the hearts of his children were conspicuously exemplified in his own life; and withal he possessed a spirituality and a veneration for God and truth so great that few men in this world have equaled him in the possession of such qualities. The mother of John W., Sophia Whittaker Taylor, was of a highly spiritual nature. She was patient, industrious and God-fearing. Indeed she was the ideal type of a true Saint. No one of the numerous posterity of Pres. Taylor inherited more of his excellent characteristics or developed them in a stronger measure than did his son John W. In his early youth he displayed an understanding of principle usually found only in persons of more mature years. He attended Sunday Schools and meetings with great regularity, and with his bosom friend and neighbor, Matthias F. Cowley, studied the Scriptures and memorized scores of passages bearing upon the most important principles of the gospel. By the time he concluded his first mission in the Southern States he had memorized and arranged in systematic order some four hundred such passages, chiefly from the Old and New Testaments. At about the age of fourteen years he was ordained a Deacon, and magnified his calling by the faithful performance of the duties of that office. Two years later he became a Teacher in the Ward and worked faithfully in this capacity for a number of years. After receiving his blessings in the house of the Lord, and being ordained an Elder, he was chosen counselor, with Brother Matthias F. Cowley, to Pres. Edward W. Davis of the Elders' quorum. In this capacity he also collected donations for the building of the Salt Lake Temple at a time when contributions for that purpose was raised through the quorums of the Holy Priesthood. Brother Taylor was also an active worker in the Fourteenth Ward Sunday School. He had charge of the primary class, consisting of about one hundred pupils. His ability to entertain and at the same time to impress the children with good, sound doctrine was very marked. He possesses a vein of humor and a happy faculty for making appropriate comparisons which enabled him to attract and retain the attention of children. The late general assistant superintendent of Sunday Schools, Elder George Goddard, pronounced Brother Taylor the best primary teacher he knew of in the Church. A little incident which occurred one day in his Sunday School class will show his practical way of teaching, and at the same time illustrate his novel yet graceful and effective manner of correcting what he regarded as an erroneous idea. The Fourteenth Ward meeting house being near to the principal hotels of the city, tourists from the east and west would frequently visit the Sunday School held therein. Upon one occasion when a large number of these visitors came into Bro. Taylor's class-room he invited some of them to address the children. One religious gentleman exhorted the children to be very prayerful, and reminded them how nice a prayer was the simple rhyme, Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. This little verse he repeated to the children several times, and sought to impress the beauty of it upon their minds. When he concluded his remarks. Brother Taylor arose and questioned the pupils in substance about as follows: "How many of you say your prayers?" All hands went up. "When do you pray?" The answer came, "Night and morning." "To whom do you pray?" "To the Lord," was the ready response. "For what do you pray?" "We pray for what we want," again came the answer. "Very good," said the teacher, "these ladies and gentlemen are going on a visit to California: would you like them to have a good time and to return home alive and well?" "Yes, sir," was the hearty reply. "How will you help them to do that?" inquired the teacher. "By praying for them," once more came the children's explanation. "Will you say in your prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep?" etc., asked the teacher, leading the class to the point he wished to make, and gently reproving the visiting speaker, by the emphasis he placed upon the question. "No, sir," shouted the children in chorus. "Then what will you say in your prayer?" came the final question. "We'll ask the Lord to keep the train from jumping the track," was the sensible reply. The lesson thus taught would not be forgotten very soon either by the children or the visitors. At this period Bro. Taylor was only about nineteen years old, and, besides being a Sunday School teacher, was a worker in the Mutual Improvement Association, a Teacher in the Ward and a counselor in the Elders' quorum; and for daily employment he secured a position in the county recorder's office. He afterwards was employed for some time in the office of the "Deseret News." As a penman he was among the best in the country; and his ingenuity in mechanical pursuits was also of an exceptional order. In his boyhood days, while working at his father's sawmill, he received some remarkable dreams that were prophetic in their nature, and which have since been verified. These manifestations were living testimonies to him that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith was truly a Prophet of God. So vivid were these dreams that they are as clear on his memory to-day as when they were given. In 1876 he received a patriarchal blessing under the hands of Patriarch William McBride, in which his call to the public ministry was predicted, together with other most remarkable prophecies, several of which have already been fulfilled. In the fall of 1880 Elder Taylor was called upon a mission to the Southern States, and with Elder Matthias F. Cowley, the companion of his boyhood, was assigned by Pres. John Morgan to introduce the gospel into Terrell and Randolph counties, southwest Georgia, they being the first Elders in that part of the State. He labored in those two counties during the winter of 1880-81, baptized two individuals, and bore testimony to hundreds of people. In the spring the two Elders went north to Clayton, Campbell and Henry counties, where they labored a few months, and after the conference of the State, held in Harolson county, he labored with Elder William J. Packer in Polk and other counties, where, in a short time between thirty and forty people received the gospel through their administration. Elder Taylor was then sent to the State of Kentucky. Here he labored with Jacob G. Bigler with great success, baptizing about eighteen people. He was released in the spring of 1882. During this mission he enjoyed much power in preaching the gospel, and the spirit of prophecy rested upon him to a great extent. Many times when standing before a congregation of people, his countenance was resplendent with the light and inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Many people were impressed with the divinity of the message which he bore, and some honest-in- heart remarked, "Surely you must be inspired, or you could not speak as you do!" In missionary labor Bro. Taylor in a happy manner always adapted himself to the circumstances of the people with whom he labored. He would help them plow the corn, work in the cotton or tobacco fields, and while side by side with the farm laborers he was equal or superior to them in speed and endurance; while thus working in the field he would preach the gospel to those about him. He had great faith in administering to the sick, and many were healed under his administration. The spirit of prophecy is enjoyed to a marked extent by Elder Taylor. The following occurrences will serve to bear out his statement: When he read the inaugural address of President James A. Garfield, a spirit of inspiration came upon him and he remarked, "Something will happen to that man!" On learning of the assassination of the President, some months later. Elder Taylor's missionary companion, to whom the prophetic utterance was made, recalled the prediction While laboring with Elder Bigler, the two approached a house one evening and applied for entertainment Filled with the gift of inspiration Brother Taylor, in his characteristic manner, said, "We have a message for you from heaven; and If you will entertain us, it shall be made known to you by dreams this very night that we are the true servants of the Lord." They were invited in and their wants provided for. That night the father of the household as well as some of the children had dreams that were satisfying to them that the Elders they were entertaining were servants of the Lord. The mother also had a dream or vision which was most assuring to her mind that these men were sent of God. In this dream a heavenly messenger appeared to her. She had been for some time in a quandary about which of (he religions she was acquainted with was the right one So she inquired of this messenger concerning the matter. Thereupon there passed before her all the preachers she was acquainted with or had ever seen in the neighborhood. Then the messenger asked if she was satisfied with either of them. She replied that she was not. She was next carried away in a vision to a steep cliff the top of which she was trying to reach. One of the sectarian preachers whom she had before met appeared above her and offered her something to grasp and thereby draw herself up to the summit of the rock. What he held out to her proved to be nothing but a straw, and it snapped in two the moment she caught hold of it. He next offered a stick, but this too proved to be useless as it was rotten. Presently Elder Taylor appeared on the top of the cliff. He offered his hand to help her up, and she at once gained the desired footing upon the rock. Still she was not entirely satisfied as to who had the truth. Another scene then presented itself to view. An open field spread out before her in which appeared all the preachers she previously saw in vision. In a moment they all vanished from her sight and directly before her there stood the two "Mormon" Elders who had received shelter under her roof. Upon being asked again by the messenger if she was satisfied, she replied that she was. This family was afterwards baptized into the Church. Some time later Elder Taylor, on leaving the house, one very clear, bright morning, said to a little girl, belonging to this same family, whom he saw in the front yard, "My little girl, a storm is coming here today." The child told her parents what the Elder had said, and they in their honest confidence in the word of Bro. Taylor, without waiting for further indications of a storm, housed themselves up and waited for its approach. Sure enough in the afternoon the howling tornado came and did considerable damage. But the family who believed in a living Prophet prepared for the predicted event and escaped all harm. While laboring in Rochester, Butler county, Kentucky, March 19, 1882, on this same mission, he wrote a letter to Elder Matthias F. Cowley, who at the time was also laboring as a missionary in St. Louis, Missouri. In this letter he made this prediction: "I believe I speak by the spirit of prophecy when I say, if you are faithful you will yet become one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ in all the world, and by the power of God and the eternal Priesthood will become great in wisdom and knowledge. Amen." No one but the two Elders knew of this prophecy until after its fulfillment, fifteen years later, when Elder Cowley was chosen and ordained an Apostle. Another incident in his career will serve to show his inspirational nature: While addressing a public meeting on the principles of the gospel, during his labors in the Colorado mission, he became impressed that a certain lady who was present would accept the gospel. At the close of. the meeting he inquired of her what she thought of the doctrines she had heard. The lady expressed herself as being pleased, and willing to hear more about the faith of the Latter-day Saints. An appointment was therefore made for Elder Taylor to visit her and her husband. The result was that the lady soon afterwards joined the Church. Upon his return from the Southern States, Elder Taylor was called as a counselor to Elder Joseph H. Felt, president of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations of the Salt Lake Stake. In this position he labored with his characteristic energy and vim. In the spring of 1884 he was chosen to fill a vacancy In the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, being ordained an Apostle on April 9th, of that year, by his father, who was then President of the Church. Years previous to his ordination to this office it had been predicted that he would receive this calling. The prediction was made by a sister who spoke in tongues in a fast meeting in the Fourteenth Ward, Salt Lake City. After his call to the Apostleship much of his time has been devoted to the ministry, and he has fulfilled many important calls of a public character which have been made upon him by those in authority. Once he went to Washington, D. C, in company with others and presented to President G rover Cleveland an appeal from the Saints for their rights. In 1884 he went on a mission to Mexico, and had the privilege while there of meeting President Diaz. On his return from this mission he served a term in the Utah legislature. Another mission given him was to preach to the people of the Uintah Stake. Here he performed a good work, bringing a large number of people there into the Church, and awakening to renewed spiritual life many Church members who had become cold and indifferent. He has had considerable business transactions with the government officials of Canada, by whom he is held in high esteem. In 1887 he had an interview with the then Canadian premier. Sir John A. McDonald, and to whom he had the privilege of bearing testimony to the truth of the gospel. His labors in the interest of the colonies of the Latter-day Saints in Canada have been persistent and fruitful. By his practical preaching and inspired prophesying he has greatly encouraged the Saints in that newly-settled country, and has endeared himself to them by the interest he has taken in their spiritual as well as temporal welfare. In 1896 he was called to open a mission of the Church in the adjoining State of Colorado. Elders Herbert A. White, William C. Clive, J. H. Boshard, Horace S. Ensign and Fred. C. Graham were assigned as missionaries to the same field, to assist him in the work. In the latter part of December, 1896, he proceeded to Denver, some of his fellow-missionaries having gone there a few days before. Here the brethren at once began active labors, traveling without purse or scrip. Their efforts were attended with success, and within six months some forty-four persons were baptized. The work there has continued to grow and spread, and over three hundred people have been brought into the fold in this State alone. The mission now embraces Colorado,. Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona. Elder Taylor is still president of the mission. His call to this work and the success that would attend the labors of the Elders there were foretold through the gift of tongues before any move was made to open up the work in that part of the country. In many respects Apostle Taylor is quite unlike the generality of mankind, as he possesses a combination of traits that is somewhat uncommon. And while these traits are what might be regarded as peculiarities, they are nevertheless evidences of moral strength and independence of spirit, as well as originality of thought and action. He is pre-eminently spiritual-minded, as will be readily perceived from what has been related in the foregoing; and his talents, while not of a showy kind, are such as to fit him admirably for the public ministry. As a missionary he is highly successful. He has baptized over two hundred and fifty new converts to the gospel, most of whom accepted the truth through his personal ministration. Having a wide acquaintance with the Scriptures, and being sound in doctrine, as well as apt in illustration by means of anecdote and incident, he is always able to hold the attention of his hearers, whether in private conversation or >n public speaking. What is more important, his preaching evinces great freedom of the Spirit. At times he speaks with much power and his words carry conviction to the hearts of those who listen. Again, particularly when speaking upon every-day duties, his remarks are replete with wise counsel and suggestion, accompanied often with quaint humor.—Edwin F. Parry.
TAYLOR, John Whittaker, a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles since 1884, is the son of Pres. John Taylor and Sophia Whittaker, and was born May 15, 1858, in Provo, Utah county, Utah. This was at the time when Johnston's army was approaching Utah with hostile intent; the Saints living in Salt Lake City prepared to burn their homes, and then moved southward to various places in Utah county. The late Pres. John Taylor and family were among the exiles who located temporarily in Provo, where they rented from Roger Farrar a house of small dimensions and unpretentious appearance. In this humble abode the subject of this sketch was born. Upon the settlement of the trouble which caused the exodus from the northern settlements, Pres. Taylor and his family returned to their home in the Fourteenth Ward, Salt Lake City. Here Brother John W. was reared until he attained his twenty-fifth year, when he married and removed to Cassia county, Idaho. In his boyhood days, as in later life, he was industrious in his habits, being richly endowed with bodily health and a strong, active mind. He worked some at farming, and spent considerable time laboring in his father's saw mill, which was near Kamas, towards the headwaters of the Provo river. His father being somewhat hampered financially, the children's opportunities for scholastic education were not so abundant as those afforded the sons and daughters of some other families; but with Pres. Taylor the education acquired in the schoolroom, though not deprecated in the least, was regarded only as a small part of the broader education to be gained in the practical walks of life. He taught his children with great emphasis that whatever they undertook to do they should seek to do well — that people, on examining a piece of work they admired, would first ask who did it, but would care little about knowing what length of time it required to complete it. He taught them to respect each other's rights; and instead of governing his family by personal direction, he instructed them in the principles of righteousness and placed them upon their own responsibility to act for themselves. The grand and noble truths he sought to implant within the hearts of his children were conspicuously exemplified in his own life; and withal he possessed a spirituality and a veneration for God and truth so great that few men in this world have equaled him in the possession of such qualities. The mother of John W., Sophia Whittaker Taylor, was of a highly spiritual nature. She was patient, industrious and God-fearing. Indeed she was the ideal type of a true Saint. No one of the numerous posterity of Pres. Taylor inherited more of his excellent characteristics or developed them in a stronger measure than did his son John W. In his early youth he displayed an understanding of principle usually found only in persons of more mature years. He attended Sunday Schools and meetings with great regularity, and with his bosom friend and neighbor, Matthias F. Cowley, studied the Scriptures and memorized scores of passages bearing upon the most important principles of the gospel. By the time he concluded his first mission in the Southern States he had memorized and arranged in systematic order some four hundred such passages, chiefly from the Old and New Testaments. At about the age of fourteen years he was ordained a Deacon, and magnified his calling by the faithful performance of the duties of that office. Two years later he became a Teacher in the Ward and worked faithfully in this capacity for a number of years. After receiving his blessings in the house of the Lord, and being ordained an Elder, he was chosen counselor, with Brother Matthias F. Cowley, to Pres. Edward W. Davis of the Elders' quorum. In this capacity he also collected donations for the building of the Salt Lake Temple at a time when contributions for that purpose was raised through the quorums of the Holy Priesthood. Brother Taylor was also an active worker in the Fourteenth Ward Sunday School. He had charge of the primary class, consisting of about one hundred pupils. His ability to entertain and at the same time to impress the children with good, sound doctrine was very marked. He possesses a vein of humor and a happy faculty for making appropriate comparisons which enabled him to attract and retain the attention of children. The late general assistant superintendent of Sunday Schools, Elder George Goddard, pronounced Brother Taylor the best primary teacher he knew of in the Church. A little incident which occurred one day in his Sunday School class will show his practical way of teaching, and at the same time illustrate his novel yet graceful and effective manner of correcting what he regarded as an erroneous idea. The Fourteenth Ward meeting house being near to the principal hotels of the city, tourists from the east and west would frequently visit the Sunday School held therein. Upon one occasion when a large number of these visitors came into Bro. Taylor's class-room he invited some of them to address the children. One religious gentleman exhorted the children to be very prayerful, and reminded them how nice a prayer was the simple rhyme, Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. This little verse he repeated to the children several times, and sought to impress the beauty of it upon their minds. When he concluded his remarks. Brother Taylor arose and questioned the pupils in substance about as follows: "How many of you say your prayers?" All hands went up. "When do you pray?" The answer came, "Night and morning." "To whom do you pray?" "To the Lord," was the ready response. "For what do you pray?" "We pray for what we want," again came the answer. "Very good," said the teacher, "these ladies and gentlemen are going on a visit to California: would you like them to have a good time and to return home alive and well?" "Yes, sir," was the hearty reply. "How will you help them to do that?" inquired the teacher. "By praying for them," once more came the children's explanation. "Will you say in your prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep?" etc., asked the teacher, leading the class to the point he wished to make, and gently reproving the visiting speaker, by the emphasis he placed upon the question. "No, sir," shouted the children in chorus. "Then what will you say in your prayer?" came the final question. "We'll ask the Lord to keep the train from jumping the track," was the sensible reply. The lesson thus taught would not be forgotten very soon either by the children or the visitors. At this period Bro. Taylor was only about nineteen years old, and, besides being a Sunday School teacher, was a worker in the Mutual Improvement Association, a Teacher in the Ward and a counselor in the Elders' quorum; and for daily employment he secured a position in the county recorder's office. He afterwards was employed for some time in the office of the "Deseret News." As a penman he was among the best in the country; and his ingenuity in mechanical pursuits was also of an exceptional order. In his boyhood days, while working at his father's sawmill, he received some remarkable dreams that were prophetic in their nature, and which have since been verified. These manifestations were living testimonies to him that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith was truly a Prophet of God. So vivid were these dreams that they are as clear on his memory to-day as when they were given. In 1876 he received a patriarchal blessing under the hands of Patriarch William McBride, in which his call to the public ministry was predicted, together with other most remarkable prophecies, several of which have already been fulfilled. In the fall of 1880 Elder Taylor was called upon a mission to the Southern States, and with Elder Matthias F. Cowley, the companion of his boyhood, was assigned by Pres. John Morgan to introduce the gospel into Terrell and Randolph counties, southwest Georgia, they being the first Elders in that part of the State. He labored in those two counties during the winter of 1880-81, baptized two individuals, and bore testimony to hundreds of people. In the spring the two Elders went north to Clayton, Campbell and Henry counties, where they labored a few months, and after the conference of the State, held in Harolson county, he labored with Elder William J. Packer in Polk and other counties, where, in a short time between thirty and forty people received the gospel through their administration. Elder Taylor was then sent to the State of Kentucky. Here he labored with Jacob G. Bigler with great success, baptizing about eighteen people. He was released in the spring of 1882. During this mission he enjoyed much power in preaching the gospel, and the spirit of prophecy rested upon him to a great extent. Many times when standing before a congregation of people, his countenance was resplendent with the light and inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Many people were impressed with the divinity of the message which he bore, and some honest-in- heart remarked, "Surely you must be inspired, or you could not speak as you do!" In missionary labor Bro. Taylor in a happy manner always adapted himself to the circumstances of the people with whom he labored. He would help them plow the corn, work in the cotton or tobacco fields, and while side by side with the farm laborers he was equal or superior to them in speed and endurance; while thus working in the field he would preach the gospel to those about him. He had great faith in administering to the sick, and many were healed under his administration. The spirit of prophecy is enjoyed to a marked extent by Elder Taylor. The following occurrences will serve to bear out his statement: When he read the inaugural address of President James A. Garfield, a spirit of inspiration came upon him and he remarked, "Something will happen to that man!" On learning of the assassination of the President, some months later. Elder Taylor's missionary companion, to whom the prophetic utterance was made, recalled the prediction While laboring with Elder Bigler, the two approached a house one evening and applied for entertainment Filled with the gift of inspiration Brother Taylor, in his characteristic manner, said, "We have a message for you from heaven; and If you will entertain us, it shall be made known to you by dreams this very night that we are the true servants of the Lord." They were invited in and their wants provided for. That night the father of the household as well as some of the children had dreams that were satisfying to them that the Elders they were entertaining were servants of the Lord. The mother also had a dream or vision which was most assuring to her mind that these men were sent of God. In this dream a heavenly messenger appeared to her. She had been for some time in a quandary about which of (he religions she was acquainted with was the right one So she inquired of this messenger concerning the matter. Thereupon there passed before her all the preachers she was acquainted with or had ever seen in the neighborhood. Then the messenger asked if she was satisfied with either of them. She replied that she was not. She was next carried away in a vision to a steep cliff the top of which she was trying to reach. One of the sectarian preachers whom she had before met appeared above her and offered her something to grasp and thereby draw herself up to the summit of the rock. What he held out to her proved to be nothing but a straw, and it snapped in two the moment she caught hold of it. He next offered a stick, but this too proved to be useless as it was rotten. Presently Elder Taylor appeared on the top of the cliff. He offered his hand to help her up, and she at once gained the desired footing upon the rock. Still she was not entirely satisfied as to who had the truth. Another scene then presented itself to view. An open field spread out before her in which appeared all the preachers she previously saw in vision. In a moment they all vanished from her sight and directly before her there stood the two "Mormon" Elders who had received shelter under her roof. Upon being asked again by the messenger if she was satisfied, she replied that she was. This family was afterwards baptized into the Church. Some time later Elder Taylor, on leaving the house, one very clear, bright morning, said to a little girl, belonging to this same family, whom he saw in the front yard, "My little girl, a storm is coming here today." The child told her parents what the Elder had said, and they in their honest confidence in the word of Bro. Taylor, without waiting for further indications of a storm, housed themselves up and waited for its approach. Sure enough in the afternoon the howling tornado came and did considerable damage. But the family who believed in a living Prophet prepared for the predicted event and escaped all harm. While laboring in Rochester, Butler county, Kentucky, March 19, 1882, on this same mission, he wrote a letter to Elder Matthias F. Cowley, who at the time was also laboring as a missionary in St. Louis, Missouri. In this letter he made this prediction: "I believe I speak by the spirit of prophecy when I say, if you are faithful you will yet become one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ in all the world, and by the power of God and the eternal Priesthood will become great in wisdom and knowledge. Amen." No one but the two Elders knew of this prophecy until after its fulfillment, fifteen years later, when Elder Cowley was chosen and ordained an Apostle. Another incident in his career will serve to show his inspirational nature: While addressing a public meeting on the principles of the gospel, during his labors in the Colorado mission, he became impressed that a certain lady who was present would accept the gospel. At the close of. the meeting he inquired of her what she thought of the doctrines she had heard. The lady expressed herself as being pleased, and willing to hear more about the faith of the Latter-day Saints. An appointment was therefore made for Elder Taylor to visit her and her husband. The result was that the lady soon afterwards joined the Church. Upon his return from the Southern States, Elder Taylor was called as a counselor to Elder Joseph H. Felt, president of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations of the Salt Lake Stake. In this position he labored with his characteristic energy and vim. In the spring of 1884 he was chosen to fill a vacancy In the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, being ordained an Apostle on April 9th, of that year, by his father, who was then President of the Church. Years previous to his ordination to this office it had been predicted that he would receive this calling. The prediction was made by a sister who spoke in tongues in a fast meeting in the Fourteenth Ward, Salt Lake City. After his call to the Apostleship much of his time has been devoted to the ministry, and he has fulfilled many important calls of a public character which have been made upon him by those in authority. Once he went to Washington, D. C, in company with others and presented to President G rover Cleveland an appeal from the Saints for their rights. In 1884 he went on a mission to Mexico, and had the privilege while there of meeting President Diaz. On his return from this mission he served a term in the Utah legislature. Another mission given him was to preach to the people of the Uintah Stake. Here he performed a good work, bringing a large number of people there into the Church, and awakening to renewed spiritual life many Church members who had become cold and indifferent. He has had considerable business transactions with the government officials of Canada, by whom he is held in high esteem. In 1887 he had an interview with the then Canadian premier. Sir John A. McDonald, and to whom he had the privilege of bearing testimony to the truth of the gospel. His labors in the interest of the colonies of the Latter-day Saints in Canada have been persistent and fruitful. By his practical preaching and inspired prophesying he has greatly encouraged the Saints in that newly-settled country, and has endeared himself to them by the interest he has taken in their spiritual as well as temporal welfare. In 1896 he was called to open a mission of the Church in the adjoining State of Colorado. Elders Herbert A. White, William C. Clive, J. H. Boshard, Horace S. Ensign and Fred. C. Graham were assigned as missionaries to the same field, to assist him in the work. In the latter part of December, 1896, he proceeded to Denver, some of his fellow-missionaries having gone there a few days before. Here the brethren at once began active labors, traveling without purse or scrip. Their efforts were attended with success, and within six months some forty-four persons were baptized. The work there has continued to grow and spread, and over three hundred people have been brought into the fold in this State alone. The mission now embraces Colorado,. Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona. Elder Taylor is still president of the mission. His call to this work and the success that would attend the labors of the Elders there were foretold through the gift of tongues before any move was made to open up the work in that part of the country. In many respects Apostle Taylor is quite unlike the generality of mankind, as he possesses a combination of traits that is somewhat uncommon. And while these traits are what might be regarded as peculiarities, they are nevertheless evidences of moral strength and independence of spirit, as well as originality of thought and action. He is pre-eminently spiritual-minded, as will be readily perceived from what has been related in the foregoing; and his talents, while not of a showy kind, are such as to fit him admirably for the public ministry. As a missionary he is highly successful. He has baptized over two hundred and fifty new converts to the gospel, most of whom accepted the truth through his personal ministration. Having a wide acquaintance with the Scriptures, and being sound in doctrine, as well as apt in illustration by means of anecdote and incident, he is always able to hold the attention of his hearers, whether in private conversation or >n public speaking. What is more important, his preaching evinces great freedom of the Spirit. At times he speaks with much power and his words carry conviction to the hearts of those who listen. Again, particularly when speaking upon every-day duties, his remarks are replete with wise counsel and suggestion, accompanied often with quaint humor.—Edwin F. Parry.
Jenson, Andrew. "Taylor, John Whittaker." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 3. pg. 789-790.
TAYLOR, John Whittaker. ( Continued from Vol. 1:151.) As a younger member of the Council of Twelve Apostles John W. Taylor traveled extensively in the different Stakes of Zion (after presiding for several years over the Colorado Mission), attending Stake conferences and assisting in organizing and re-organizing Stakes and Wards. But as a difference of opinion arose between him and the First Presidency of the Church and the members of his own quorum in regard to the manifesto issued by President Wilford Woodruff concerning plural marriages, Bro. Taylor resigned from his position as one of the Twelve Apostles in April, 1906. After that he retired to private life and spent the remainder of his days attending to necessary labors in providing for his large family. Bro. Taylor died at his home in Forest Dale, Salt Lake county, Utah, Oct. 10, 1916. In an obituary published in the "Deseret Evening News" on the day of his demise the following occurs: "Early in life John W. Taylor developed a marked spirituality and was the recipient of many manifestations of the power of God. His testimonies of the gospel and of the missions of the Savior and the Prophet Joseph Smith were deeply grounded in his soul, and to them he remained firm and unshaken to the end. * * * His inspired discourses will never be forgotten. He will be remembered as one filled with the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; his teachings and testimonies were a source of renewed diligence and encouragement to the Latter-day Saints. He was filled with the spirit of prophecy, and many of his utterances have realized a striking fulfillment. In a temporal capacity he took great interest in the colonization of the unsettled parts of the country, and he was especially interested in the development of the settlements in Canada. The Saints there never weary of telling how much support he gave them by word and deed and how remarkably his predictions concerning the future of that country have been fulfilled. The Taylor Stake of Zion in southern Alberta was named in his honor. He was also highly respected by the non-Mormon business men of Canada and in this country. He also presided over the Colorado Mission with marked ability, and by those who knew him in the mission field he is esteemed as one of the best of missionaries ever known in the Church. His happy disposition, coupled with a vein of humor, and his remarks filled with holy inspiration in public and private, won for him the confidence and respect of all around him. He got out of harmony with the Church and as a result the Council of the Twelve excommunicated him from the Church; but he never became bitter toward the Church. Like his illustrious father, he was a man of deep and strong convictions, 'The Kingdom of God or nothing,' was his motto. He loved righteousness and hated iniquity. His life was clean and pure, his language chaste and elevating. His family and friends who stood by his bedside during his last illness will never forget his beautiful teachings and exhortations, upholding the doctrines of the gospel, the authority of the holy priesthood, exhorting all to keep the commandments of God. He was blessed with a numerous family, all of whom survive him except three of his children. They all have an honorable standing in the Church with good moral characters. They are true, loving and loyal to each other and filled with love, confidence and respect for their honored husband and father."
TAYLOR, John Whittaker. ( Continued from Vol. 1:151.) As a younger member of the Council of Twelve Apostles John W. Taylor traveled extensively in the different Stakes of Zion (after presiding for several years over the Colorado Mission), attending Stake conferences and assisting in organizing and re-organizing Stakes and Wards. But as a difference of opinion arose between him and the First Presidency of the Church and the members of his own quorum in regard to the manifesto issued by President Wilford Woodruff concerning plural marriages, Bro. Taylor resigned from his position as one of the Twelve Apostles in April, 1906. After that he retired to private life and spent the remainder of his days attending to necessary labors in providing for his large family. Bro. Taylor died at his home in Forest Dale, Salt Lake county, Utah, Oct. 10, 1916. In an obituary published in the "Deseret Evening News" on the day of his demise the following occurs: "Early in life John W. Taylor developed a marked spirituality and was the recipient of many manifestations of the power of God. His testimonies of the gospel and of the missions of the Savior and the Prophet Joseph Smith were deeply grounded in his soul, and to them he remained firm and unshaken to the end. * * * His inspired discourses will never be forgotten. He will be remembered as one filled with the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; his teachings and testimonies were a source of renewed diligence and encouragement to the Latter-day Saints. He was filled with the spirit of prophecy, and many of his utterances have realized a striking fulfillment. In a temporal capacity he took great interest in the colonization of the unsettled parts of the country, and he was especially interested in the development of the settlements in Canada. The Saints there never weary of telling how much support he gave them by word and deed and how remarkably his predictions concerning the future of that country have been fulfilled. The Taylor Stake of Zion in southern Alberta was named in his honor. He was also highly respected by the non-Mormon business men of Canada and in this country. He also presided over the Colorado Mission with marked ability, and by those who knew him in the mission field he is esteemed as one of the best of missionaries ever known in the Church. His happy disposition, coupled with a vein of humor, and his remarks filled with holy inspiration in public and private, won for him the confidence and respect of all around him. He got out of harmony with the Church and as a result the Council of the Twelve excommunicated him from the Church; but he never became bitter toward the Church. Like his illustrious father, he was a man of deep and strong convictions, 'The Kingdom of God or nothing,' was his motto. He loved righteousness and hated iniquity. His life was clean and pure, his language chaste and elevating. His family and friends who stood by his bedside during his last illness will never forget his beautiful teachings and exhortations, upholding the doctrines of the gospel, the authority of the holy priesthood, exhorting all to keep the commandments of God. He was blessed with a numerous family, all of whom survive him except three of his children. They all have an honorable standing in the Church with good moral characters. They are true, loving and loyal to each other and filled with love, confidence and respect for their honored husband and father."
Jenson, Andrew. "Taylor, John W." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 4. pg. 325.
TAYLOR, John W., president of the Colorado Mission from 1896 to 1901. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 151.)
TAYLOR, John W., president of the Colorado Mission from 1896 to 1901. (See Bio. Ency., Vol. 1, p. 151.)
Jenson, Andrew. "Lives of Our Leaders - The Apostles: John W. Taylor." Juvenile Instructor. 1 October 1900. pg. 632-638.
LIVES OF OUR LEADERS—THE APOSTLES. JOHN W. TAYLOR. AT the time when Johnston's army was approaching Utah with hostile intent, the Saints living in Salt Lake City prepared to burn their homes, and then moved southward to various places in Utah County. The late President John Taylor and family were among the exiles. They located temporarily in Provo, where they rented from Roger Farrar a house of small dimensions and unpretentious appearance. In this humble abode the subject of this sketch was born on the 15th of May, 1858. Upon the settlement of the trouble which caused the exodus from the northern settlements, President Taylor and his family returned to their home in the Fourteenth ward, Salt Lake City. Here Brother John W. was reared in the paternal home until he attained his twenty-fifth year, when he married and removed to Cassia County, Idaho. In his boyhood days, as in later life, he was industrious in his habits, being richly endowed with bodily health and a strong, active mind. He worked some at farming, and spent considerable time laboring in his father's saw mill, which was near Kamas, towards the headwaters of the Provo River. His father being somewhat hampered financially, the children's opportunities for scholastic education were not so abundant as those afforded the sons and daughters of some other families; but with President Taylor the education acquired in the schoolroom, though not depreciated in the least, was regarded only as a small part of the broader education to be gained in the practical walks of life. He taught his children with great emphasis that whatever they undertook to do they should seek to do well—that people, on examining a piece of work they admired would first ask who did it, but would care little about knowing what length of time it required to complete it. He taught them to respect each other's rights; and instead of governing his family by personal direction, he instructed them upon the principles of righteousness and placed them upon their own responsibility to act for themselves. The grand and noble principles he sought to implant within the hearts of his children were conspicuously exemplified in his own life; and withal he possessed a spirituality and a veneration for God and truth so great that few men in this world have equaled him in the possession of such qualities. The mother of John W., Sophia Whittaker Taylor, was of a highly spiritual nature. She was patient, industrious and God-fearing. Indeed she was the ideal type of a true Saint. No one of the numerous posterity of President Taylor inherited more of his excellent characteristics or developed them in a stronger measure than did his son John W. In his early youth he displayed an understanding of principle usually found only in persons of more mature years. He attended Sunday Schools and meetings with great regularity, and with his bosom friend and neighbor, Matthias F. Cowley, studied the Scriptures and memorized scores of passages bearing upon the most important principles of the Gospel. By the time he concluded his first mission in the Southern States he had memorized and arranged in systematic order some four hundred such passages, chiefly from the Old and New Testaments. At about the age of fourteen years he was ordained a Deacon, and magnified his calling by the faithful performance of the duties of that office. Two years later he became a Teacher in the ward and worked faithfully in this capacity for a number of years. After receiving his blessings in the house of the Lord, and being ordained an Elder, he was chosen counselor, with Brother Matthias F. Cowley, to President Edward W. Davis of the Elders' quorum of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion. In this capacity he also collected donations for the building of th3 Salt Lake Temple at a time when contributions for that purpose were raised through the quorums of the Holy Priesthood. Brother Taylor was also an active worker in the Fourteenth ward Sunday School. He had charge of the primary class, consisting of about one hundred pupils. His ability to entertain and at the same time to impress the children with good, sound doctrine was very marked. He possesses a vein of humor and a happy faculty for making appropriate comparisons which enable him to attract and retain the attention of children. The late general assistant superintendent of Sunday Schools, Elder George Goddard, pronounced Brother Taylor the best primary teacher he knew of in the Church. A little incident which occurred one day in his Sunday School class will show his practical way of teaching, and at the same time illustrate his novel yet graceful and effective manner of correcting what he regarded as an erroneous idea. The Fourteenth Ward meetinghouse being near to the principal hotels of the city, tourists from the east and west would frequently visit the Sunday School of that ward. Upon one occasion when a large number of these visitors came into Brother Taylor's class-room he invited some of them to address the children. One religious gentleman exhorted the children to be very prayerful, and reminded them how nice a prayer was the simple rhyme, Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. This little verse he repeated to the children several times, and sought to impress the beauty of it upon their minds. When he concluded his remarks Brother Taylor arose and questioned the pupils in substance about as follows: “How many of you say your prayers?” All hands went up. “When do you pray?” The answer came, “Night and morning.” “To whom do you pray?” “To the Lord,” was the ready response. “For what do you pray?” “We pray for what we want,” again came the answer. “Very good,” said the teacher, “these ladies and gentlemen are going on a visit to California: would you like them to have a good time and to return home alive and well?” “Yes, sir,” was the hearty reply. “How will you help them to do that?” inquired the teacher. “By praying for them,” once more came the children's explanation. “Will you say in your prayer, Now I lay me down to sleep? etc., asked the teacher, leading the class to the point he wished to make, and gently reproving the visiting speaker, by the emphasis he placed upon the question. “No, sir," shouted the children in chorus. “Then what will you say in your prayer?” came the final question. “We'll ask the Lord to keep the train from jumping the track,” was the sensible reply. The lesson thus taught would not be forgotten very soon either by the children or the visitors. At this period Brother Taylor was only about nineteen years old, and was besides being a Sunday School teacher, a worker in the Mutual Improvement Association, a Teacher in the ward and a counselor in the Elders' quorum; and for daily employment he secured a position in the county recorder's office. He afterwards was employed for some time in the office of the Deseret News. As a penman he was among the best in the country; and his ingenuity in mechanical pursuits was also of an exceptional order. In his boyhood days, while working at his father's saw-mill, he received some remarkable dreams that were prophetic in their nature, and which have since been verified. These manifestations were living testimonies to him that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith was truly a prophet of God. So vivid were these dreams that they are as clear on his memory today as when they were given. In 1876 he received a patriarchal blessing under the hands of Patriarch William McBride, in which his call to the public ministry was predicted, together with other most remarkable prophecies, several of which have already been fulfilled. In the fall of 1880 Elder Taylor was called upon a mission to the Southern States, and with Elder Matthias F. Cowley, the companion of his boyhood, was assigned by President John Morgan to introduce the Gospel into Terrell and Randolph counties, southwest Georgia, they being the first Elders in that part of the State. He labored in those two counties during the winter of 1880-81, baptized two individuals, and bore testimony to hundreds of people. In the spring the two Elders went north to Clayton, Campbell and Henry counties, where they labored a few months, and after the conference of the State, held in Harolson County, he labored with Elder William J. Packer in Polk and other counties, where, in a short time between thirty and forty people received the Gospel through their administration. Elder Taylor was then sent to the State of Kentucky. Here he labored with Jacob G. Bigler with great success, baptizing about eighteen people. He was released in the spring of 1882. During this mission he enjoyed much power in preaching the Gospel, and the spirit of prophecy rested upon him to a great extent. Many times when standing before a congregation of people his countenance was resplendent with the light and inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Many people were impressed with the divinity of the message which he bore, and some honest-in-heart remarked, “Surely you must be inspired or you could not speak as you do!” In missionary labor Brother Taylor in a happy manner always adapted himself to the circumstances of the people with whom he labored. He would help them plow the corn, work in the cotton or tobacco fields, and while side by side with the farm laborers he was equal or superior to them in speed and endurance; while thus working in the field he would preach the Gospel to those about him. He had great faith in administering to the sick, and many were healed under his administration. The spirit of prophecy is enjoyed to a marked extent by Elder Taylor. The following occurrences will serve to bear out this statement: When he read the inaugural address of President James A. Garfield a spirit of inspiration came upon him and he remarked, “Something will happen to that man!” On learning of the assassination of the Presi dent, some months later, Elder Taylor's missionary companion, to whom the prophetic utterance was made, recalled the prediction. While laboring with Elder Bigler, the two approached a house one evening and applied for entertainment. Filled with the gift of inspiration Brother Taylor, in his characteristic manner, said, “We have a message for you from heaven; and if you will entertain us, it shall be made known to you by dreams this very night that we are the true servants of the Lord.” They were invited in and their wants provided for. That night the father of the household as well as some of the children had dreams that were satisfying to them that the Elders they were entertaining were servants of the Lord. The mother also had a dream or vision which was most assuring to her mind that these men were sent of God. In this dream a heavenly messenger appeared to her. She had been for some time in a quandary about what religion of those she was acquainted with was the right one. So she inquired of this messenger concerning the matter. Thereupon there passed before her all the preachers of the neighborhood with whom she was acquainted or had ever seen. Then the messenger asked if she was satisfied with either of them. She replied she was not. She was next carried away in vision to a steep cliff the top of which she was trying to reach. One of the sectarian preachers whom she had before met appeared above her and offered something for her to grasp and thereby draw herself up to the summit of the rock. What he held out to her proved to be nothing but a straw, and it snapped in two the moment she caught hold of it. He next offered a stick, but this too proved to be useless as it was rotten. Presently Elder Taylor appeared on the top of the cliff. He offered his hand to help her up, and she at once gained the desired footing upon the rock. Still she was not entirely satisfied as to who had the truth. Another scene then presented itself to view. An open field spread out before her in which appeared all the preachers she previously saw in vision. In a moment they all vanished from her sight and directly before her there stood the two Mormon Elders who had received shelter under her roof. Upon being asked again by the messenger if she was satisfied she replied that she was. The family was afterwards baptized into the Church. Sometime later Elder Taylor, on leaving the house, one very clear, bright morning, said to a little girl belonging to this same family whom he saw in the front yard, “My little girl a storm is coming here today." The child told her parents what the Elder had said, and they in their honest confidence in the word of Brother Taylor, without waiting for further indications of a storm, housed themselves up and waited for its approach. Sure enough in the afternoon the howling tornado came and did considerable damage. But the family who believed in a living prophet prepared for the predicted event and escaped all harm. On the 19th of March, 1882, while laboring in Rochester, Butler County, .Kentucky, on this same mission, he wrote a letter to Elder Matthias P. Cowley, who at the time was also laboring as a missionary in St. Louis, Missouri. In this letter he made this prediction: “I believe I speak by the spirit of prophecy when I say, if you are faithful you will yet become one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ in all the world, and by the power of God and the eternal Priesthood will become great in wisdom and knowledge. Amen.” No one but the two Elders knew of this prophecy until after its fulfillment, fifteen years later, when Elder Cowley was chosen and ordained an Apostle. Another incident in his career will serve to show his inspirational nature: While addressing a public meeting on the principles of the Gospel, during his labors in the Colorado mission, he became impressed that a certain lady who was present would accept the Gospel. At the close of the meeting he inquired of her what she thought of the doctrines she had heard. The lady expressed herself as being pleased, and willing to hear more about the faith of the Latter-day Saints. An appointment was therefore made for Elder Taylor to visit her and her husband. The result was the lady soon afterwards joined the Church. Upon his return from the Southern States, Elder Taylor was called as a counselor to Elder Joseph H. Felt, president of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations of the Salt Lake Stake. In this position he labored with his characteristic energy and vim. In the spring of 1884 he was chosen to fill a vacancy in the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, being ordained an Apostle on April 9 of that year by his father, who was then President of the Church. Years previous to his ordination to this office it had been predicted that he would receive this calling. The prediction was made by a sister who spoke in tongues in a fast meeting in the Fourteenth ward, Salt Lake City. Since his call to the Apostleship much of his time has been devoted to the ministry, and he has fulfilled many important calls of a public character which have been made upon him by those in authority. Once he went to Washington, D. C, in company with others and presented to President Grover Cleveland an appeal from the Saints for their rights. In 1884 he went on a mission to Mexico, and had the privilege while there of meeting President Diaz. On his return from this mission he served a term in the Utah legislature. Another mission given him was to preach to the people of the Uintah Stake. Here he performed a good work, bringing a large number of people there into the Church, and awakening to renewed spiritual life many Church members who had become cold and indifferent. He has had considerable business transactions with the government officials of Canada, by whom he is held in high esteem. In 1887 he had an interview with the then Canadian premier, Sir John A. Mc- Donald, and to whom he had the privilege of bearing testimony to the truth of the Gospel. His labors in the interest of the colonies of the Latter-day Saints in Canada have been persistent and fruitful. By his practical preaching and inspired prophesying he has greatly encouraged the Saints in that newly settled country, and has endeared himself to them by the interest he has taken in their spiritual as well as temporal welfare. In 1896 he was called to open a mission of the Church in the adjoining State of Colorado. Elders Herbert A. White, William C. Clive, J. H. Boshard, H. S. Ensign and F. C. Graham were assigned as missionaries to the same field, to assist him in the work. In the latter part of December, 1896, he proceeded to Denver, some of his fellow-missionaries having gone there a few days before. Here the brethren at once began active labors, traveling without purse or scrip. Their efforts were attended with success, and within six months some forty-four persons were baptized. The work there has continued to grow and spread, and now two branches of the Church are established in the mission, one in Denver and the other in Pueblo ; and over three hundred people have been brought into the fold in this State alone. The mission now embraces Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona. Elder Taylor is still president of the mission. His call to this work and the success that would attend the labors of the Elders there were foretold through the gift of tongues before any move was made to open up the work in that part of the country. In many respects Apostle Taylor is quite unlike the generality of mankind, as he possesses a combination of traits that is somewhat uncommon. And while these traits are what might be regarded as peculiarities, they are nevertheless evidences of moral strength and independence of spirit, as well as originality of thought and action. He is pre-eminently spiritual-minded, as will be readily perceived from what has been related in the foregoing; and his talents, while not of a showy kind, are such as to fit him admirably for the public ministry. As a missionary he is highly successful. He has baptized over two hundred and fifty new converts to the Gospel, most of whom accepted the truth through his personal ministration. Having a wide acquaintance with scriptures and being sound in the doctrine, as well as apt in illustration by means of anecdote and incident, he is always able to hold the attention of his hearers, whether in private conversation or in public speaking. What is more important, his preaching evinces great freedom of the Spirit. At times he speaks with much power and his words carry conviction to the hearts of those who listen. Again, particularly when speaking upon everyday duties, his remarks are replete with wise counsel and suggestion, accompanied often with quaint humor. Edwin F. Parry. |
APOSTLE JOHN W. TAYLOR.
|
John W. Taylor
“David also received many wives... and in
nothing did they sin save in those things which
they received not of me.” -D&C 132:38
nothing did they sin save in those things which
they received not of me.” -D&C 132:38
Ordained: 9 April 1884 at age 25 by John Taylor
Resigned from the Quorum: 28 October 1905
Excommunicated: 29 March 1911
Biography
John Whittaker Taylor was born 15 May 1858 in Provo, Utah to later President of the Church John Taylor and Sophia Whittaker. The family had moved temporarily into exile at that time during the Utah War. They returned to their Salt Lake City home following the settlement of the trouble.
The Juvenile Instructor said this of his childhood:
In his boyhood days, as in later life, he was industrious in his habits, being richly endowed with bodily health and a strong, active mind. He worked some at farming, and spent considerable time laboring in his father’s saw mill, which was near Kamas, towards the headwaters of the Provo River. (Parry 1900, 633)
John didn’t have too many opportunities for education, his father being somewhat financially restricted, but he enjoyed the alternative education that he received at home, attempting to do well whatever he undertook.
John W. Taylor had the gift of prophecy, which manifested itself throughout his life. It was partly due to this remarkable gift that he received his own personal testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.
In his boyhood days, while working at his father’s saw-mill, he received some remarkable dreams that were prophetic in their nature, and which have since been verified. These manifestations were living testimonies to him that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith was truly a prophet of God. (Parry 1900, 635)
He was ordained a deacon at age 14, a teacher at 16 and after serving faithfully in these capacities, he received his blessings in the Temple and was ordained an Elder. At which time, he was called as counselor in the Elders’ Quorum, along with his dear friend, Matthias Cowley. As part of his duties, he collected donations for the building of the Salt Lake Temple.
He related the following in regard to collecting funds:
When a teacher in the 14th Ward, Matthias Cowley and I adopted a plan of having small books wherein we entered the names of all donors with the amount given to the temple, poor or defense fund. We got the people to promise as little or as much as they felt able to give regularly, and then we called upon them once each month. The result was that many who had done nothing commenced to do a little, and thus they became interested, and finally they got into the habit of attending meetings. From a condition of debt the Ward succeeded in getting funds on hand. (Lyman 2010, 7 October 1890)
He also served as a Sunday School teacher in the primary. He taught with humor and entertainment while still keeping the doctrine pure. He had around 100 pupils and was remembered as one of the best primary teachers in the church.
As a young man, he was employed in the county recorder’s office and afterwards in the office of the Deseret News. He was known for his ingenuity in mechanical pursuits and his beautiful penmanship.
In regard to his character, The Juvenile Instructor related:
No one of the numerous posterity of President Taylor inherited more of his excellent characteristics or developed them in a stronger measure than did his son John W. In his early youth he displayed an understanding of principle usually found only in persons of more mature years. He attended Sunday Schools and meetings with great regularity, and with his bosom friend and neighbor, Matthias F. Cowley, studied the Scriptures and memorized scores of passages bearing upon the most important principles of the Gospel. By the time he concluded his first mission in the Southern States he had memorized and arranged in systematic order some four hundred such passages, chiefly from the Old and New Testaments. (Parry 1900, 633-634)
In 1876, at age 18, he received his patriarchal blessing which also prophesied of his call to the ministry.
In the fall of 1880, Elder Taylor was called on a mission to the Southern States, along with his friend, Matthias Cowley. The two of them served together at the beginning of their missions and opened a large area where missionaries had never been before. He also served with two other companions in different areas and saw great success, baptizing over 50 people in the course of his mission. His manner of teaching was such that he first worked alongside the people and spoke to them about the gospel while working. He was released in the spring of 1882.
Elder John W. Taylor had a gift for administering to the sick and the gift of prophecy was once more made manifest on his mission. One such example was related as follows:
While laboring with Elder Bigler, the two approached a house one evening and applied for entertainment. Filled with the gift of inspiration Brother Taylor, in his characteristic manner, said, “We have a message for you from heaven; and if you will entertain us, it shall be made known to you by dreams this very night that we are the true servants of the Lord.”
They were invited in and their wants provided for. That night the father of the household as well as some of the children had dreams that were satisfying to them that the Elders they were entertaining were servants of the Lord. (Parry 1900, 636)
He also wrote a letter to his friend, Matthias F. Cowley, while they were both still serving on their missions, where he said, “I believe I speak by the spirit of prophecy when I say, if you are faithful you will yet become one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ in all the world, and by the power of God and the eternal Priesthood will become great in wisdom and knowledge.” (Parry 1900, 636) This prophecy came to pass a few years later.
He also related the following incident with opposition on his mission in a general conference address:
On one occasion, in the Southern States, he was notified to leave the State in five days, and was prohibited from preaching any more therein. He asked the men who waited on him what he had done, and the answer was: “You have disturbed our family and our religious conditions.” He said that was no more than Jesus and His Apostles had done in their day through their preaching; and after bearing testimony to his would-be intimidators, he asked them to tell those who sent them that on the following day he would preach to them, and if they believed he would baptize them. … He preached there and baptized one man the same day, and prophesied at the water’s edge that the man (Father Turner) would be a father to the people yet to be converted in that place. Soon afterwards Brother Turner was President of a Branch of eighteen members. (Taylor, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 1885, 690)
Shortly following his mission, John W. Taylor married his first wife, May Leona Rich, and relocated to Cassia County, Idaho. His first calling following his mission was to serve in the stake Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association.
Then, in the spring of 1884, he was chosen to fill a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and was ordained 9 April 1884 at age 25 by his father.
Later that year, he went to Mexico to meet with President Diaz and to strengthen the mission there. On his return, he served a term in the Utah legislature, although he later admitted that he had little personal interest in politics.
Along with John T. Caine, Utah's delegate to congress and John Q. Cannon, son of George Q. Cannon, Elder John W. Taylor went to Washington in May of 1885 to meet with President Grover Cleveland and present to him a statement of grievances and protest regarding the enforcing of the Edmunds' Act. The president's response was disappointingly noncommittal. He stated that he had nothing to do with the passing of the act himself and that he would see to it that it was impartially administered as far as he was able. He also said that he wished the Latter-day Saints could just “be like the rest of us.” (Roberts n.d.)
In July 1887, Elder Taylor’s father, President John Taylor, died of congestive heart failure. Around this time, Elder Taylor married his second and third plural wives, Nellie Eva Todd and Jannette Maria Woolley. He was also called to preach to the people of the Uintah Stake where he enjoyed much success.
He traveled several times to the Saints in Canada and met with the Canadian premier, Sir John A. McDonald, to bear testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel.
Elder Taylor found his faith tried when President Woodruff announced the Manifesto renouncing plural marriage in 1890. This doctrine was one that he had always had a strong testimony of and had testified of its truthfulness many times in his life. His father had had nine wives and 34 children. He himself had three wives and was happy to live the law. This was a principle that he struggled with the rest of his life after it was rescinded.
Shortly following the official Manifesto from President Wilford Woodruff, fellow Apostle, Abraham H. Cannon recorded Elder Taylor's response in his journal:
When I [Elder Taylor] first heard of this manifesto I felt to say “Damn it,” but on further thought I felt it was not right to be so impulsive. I do not yet feel quite right about it. My father when President of the church sought to find a way to evade the conflict between the Saints and the government on the question of plural marriage, but the Lord said it was an eternal and unchangeable law and must stand. Pres. Woodruff lately received an encouraging revelation in regard to this principle, and now I ask myself, “Is the Lord a child that He thus changes?” Yet I feel that the Lord giveth a law and He can also take it away. (Lyman 2010, 30 September 1890)
In subsequent years he continued to express his doubts that the Lord would ever rescind such a law. He claimed that among his father's papers he found evidence that the law of plural marriage was meant to be eternal and would never be changed. (Lyman 2010, 1 April 1892)
Regardless of his feelings on the matter, he tried his best to continue to live as he felt the Lord would want. As a result, he was blessed with many manifestations of the Spirit. At a meeting in the Salt Lake Temple in April 1894, Elder Taylor testified that he had seen Joseph Smith (who died years before his birth) and testified to his greatness. (Lyman 2010, 5 April 1894)
In 1896, he was called to open the mission in Colorado, where they also enjoyed a lot of success and baptized many people. He subsequently organized a branch in Denver, Pueblo, and near Durango.
Of his experiences in the mission field in Colorado he said:
There are about thirty of us out in the Colorado mission today. We are at present branching out into New Mexico, the northern part of Arizona, and in Wyoming a little. The Lord has blessed us, and He has prospered our labors. We have an excellent lot of young men out there preaching the Gospel. We preach in the old-fashioned way, without purse or scrip; and they feed us, and they clothe us, and they give us money, and we are blessed of the Lord. And those Elders whose parents can not afford to send them money are the best missionaries we have in the field. (Taylor 1899, 22-23)
He followed this statement by requesting that the families stop sending the missionaries money because they were better missionaries when forced to rely on the Lord for their upkeep.
Over the course of his many missionary efforts, Elder John W. Taylor baptized over 250 people into the Church. The following was said of his teaching style:
Having a wide acquaintance with scriptures and being sound in the doctrine, as well as apt in illustration by means of anecdote and incident, he is always able to hold the attention of his hearers, whether in private conversation or in public speaking. What is more important, his preaching evinces great freedom of the Spirit. At times he speaks with much power and his words carry conviction to the hearts of those who listen. Again, particularly when speaking upon everyday duties, his remarks are replete with wise counsel and suggestion, accompanied often with quaint humor. (Parry 1900, 638)
However, when called upon to reprove, Elder Taylor could be startlingly direct. This caused him complications at times. There was some discussion caused by his talk at the October 1898 general conference. Elder Taylor’s topic was a call to repentance to those who were breaking the law of chastity. He particularly cited rumors of members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir visiting a brothel following choir practice. (Elder John W. Taylor's Sermon 1898, 545-547) Several members of the choir took offense at his words and refused to sustain him as an Apostle. Elder Taylor met with those opposed to him personally following the meeting and apologized for any offense he had caused them. (Sustainings of the Authorities of the Church 1898, 52)
In 1901, Elder John W. Taylor married two more women, sisters Rhoda and Eliza Roxie Welling.
Elder John W. Taylor as well as Elder Matthias F. Cowley both resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles effective 28 October 1905 over a dispute regarding plural marriage. In meetings together, the two friends were “not in harmony” with the First Presidency and other apostles. They stated that they were unable to accept the meaning and scope of the original Manifesto, nor were they able to agree with the second declaration of President Joseph F. Smith, declaring that those who were found marrying plural wives in the future would be excommunicated. It was widely known at the time that the two of them had performed more than a few plural marriages after the Manifesto was issued. Their resignations helped to symbolize the true end of plural marriage in the church.
In his resignation letter, Elder Taylor said:
I have always believed that the government of the United States had jurisdiction only within its own boundaries, and that the term "laws of the land" in the Manifesto, meant merely the laws of the United States. I find now that this opinion is different to that expressed by the church authorities, who have declared that the prohibition against plural marriages extended to every place and to every part of the church. It is doubtless true that this view of the matter has been given by President Woodruff and others, but I have never taken that as binding upon me or the church, because it [such interpretation] was never presented for adoption by common consent as was the Manifesto itself, and I have disputed its authority as a law or a rule of the church. (Roberts n.d.)
Six years later, John W. Taylor was excommunicated from the Church because he had married another plural wife, Ellen Georgina Sandberg, in June of 1909, after the second manifesto. This was accepted by him without protest and he harbored no bitterness toward the Church.
John W. Taylor died on 10 October 1916, at age 58, following a long battle with stomach cancer. Before his death, he married a total of six wives and fathered 29 children.
Quotes
As a speaker, Elder Taylor spoke as he taught, with power, humor, and testimony. In fact, he loved sharing his testimony and often shared his strong testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. In his final conference address, he declared the following:
I testify unto you, my friends, that the Lord our God has raised up Joseph Smith the Prophet in this our day. He has delivered unto the world the Book of Mormon, which is a history of the ancient inhabitants of this continent. It is the word of God to the people of the earth. It is the writings of prophets who have lived upon this land, just as the Bible is the writings of prophets in the land of Palestine, and a history of the dealings of God with ancient Israel. The heavens have been opened in our day. The Father and the Son appeared unto Joseph Smith, and the Gospel has been restored. This Gospel is being preached according to the commandment of the Savior. (Taylor 1903, 42)
He also occasionally bore his testimony that the general authorities were acting in accordance with their righteous convictions.
I have been associated with the authorities of the church for years, and I have never seen in their deliberations any disposition toward unrighteousness. I bear testimony that they have acted in the spirit of their calling as well as any men on earth could have done. (Taylor, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 1889, 691)
He felt that living prophets were more important than the written scriptures. The following passage also illustrates his teaching style.
We find that King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream concerning some of the future history of this world, portraying what the mind and will of God was concerning some things down even to the day and age in which we live. But the dream went from him, and he wanted this dream brought back to his mind with the interpretation thereof. Could he by reading the instructions of God to Solomon as to how to build a temple learn how to bring that dream back again to his mind? No; it was necessary for the Lord to call upon His servant Daniel, who went forth, and by the power of the Holy Ghost he told the dream and gave its interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar. (Taylor 1897, 9)
Interestingly enough, even though he enjoyed the gift of prophecy, which is a gift often envied by others, he never felt it was as important as many other fundamental principles of the church.
The gift of prophecy will not save any man. It is not a saving principle; it is a gift. It is to comfort our hearts. It is to give us the testimony of the mind and will of God concerning things which are to come. As Elder Grant has said, I may prophesy from now till the coming of the Son of Man, and if I fail to keep the commandments, I will not be saved in the kingdom of God. (Taylor 1900, 26)
Elder Taylor was occasionally called upon to call people to repentance and could be very direct in this point. Here is an example of his manner of reproof.
We have had a number of young men go east to study medicine and other branches of knowledge, and some of them have come back, not only as graduates in the science they studied, but as professors of hypnotism. I say it is not of God, and is an abomination in His sight, and if they do not repent of their sins, as sure as God lives, the judgments spoken of in the revelation, from which I have read, will come upon them, and they will wander away into darkness, and will not be acknowledged of the Lord. I want to advise the young ladies, while upon this subject, not to follow after peep-stone women, fortune-tellers, or those claiming to have a familiar spirit, to get them to tell you the kind of a husband you will marry, or you young men the kind of a wife you will get. I will tell you where to go; go to the Patriarch of the Church, who holds the blessings of God's people in his hands, and whatever he seals on earth will be sealed in heaven. If you will keep the commandments of God and live your religion, the Lord will bless you. (Taylor 1902, 77)
Working with missionaries for so much of his life, Elder Taylor thought very highly of those who gave up much in their lives to preach the gospel. He said this to the parents of missionaries serving in the field who were expressing concerns about their sons.
I heard Elder Golden Kimball say in the city of Ephraim, Sanpete county, that many of the Latter-day Saints are worrying about their sons for fear they will never return to the land of Zion. I would rather have every son that I have lay down his life in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ abroad, if it was necessary, than in any other field of labor that I can possibly think of, especially if they were laboring under the direction of the Presidency of this Church. (Taylor 1900, 58)
Although sister missionaries did not exist then as they are known today, Elder Taylor had great respect for the work the sisters could do, and related the following about the work that he observed sisters doing in his field of labor.
I have in view now, one of the sisters that was laboring in the state of Colorado. In the district where she resided there were some five families where the husbands were away from home. She became acquainted with those families. She distributed tracts in their midst, and they came to understand our views in regard to our religion, but so far as the Elders are concerned these families would have been passed by. There are probably thousands of families in this condition. (Taylor 1898, 40)
Elder Taylor said the following in regard to personal revelation.
This Church is founded upon revelation. There is, however, a medium through which revelation is given to the Church. The Prophet, Seer and Revelator receives all revelation for the benefit and guidance of the Church. At the same time, every individual member of the Church is entitled to revelation to guide his own household; and whatever inspiration he may receive from the Lord will be in conformity with the revelations that are given through the Prophet, Seer and Revelator. When I hear people discussing certain doctrines and tenets, there is always one satisfaction in my mind, and that is, that whatever may be erroneous in the opinions of men, these questions can always be settled by revelation from God. (Taylor 1901, 28)
While it was still being practiced, Elder Taylor shared this testimony regarding the practice of plural marriage:
The principle of plural marriage, against which the main force of the opposition was being hurled, had been a divine institution from before the foundation of the world. There had been some talk about President Taylor issuing a revelation abolishing that system of marriage. When a revelation of that kind is given, it will be when the Lord has no use for the Latter-day Saints, and this will never transpire, for He has promised to give them the kingdom and to sustain them. (Taylor, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 1885, 279-280)
Considering how his life ended up, he ironically said the following regarding excommunicated members.
Since we last met in this capacity, there have been many changes—some pleasant and some the reverse. Individuals have repented of wrong-doing, while others have been excommunicated. Should there be any of the latter present, may they listen humbly to what will be said. All men are prone to err, some to a greater degree than others. It seems necessary according to the law of the Church, to deal decisively with persons who are guilty of a certain class of offenses. This phase is continuous. I desire to speak to those who are liable to err. There will be no offense if those who consider themselves perfect should arise and leave this building.
It is grievous to note the fact that men suffer themselves to be cut off the church. (Taylor, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 1888, 289)
John W. Taylor then allowed himself to be the one cut off the church.
Following his death, it was said of him:
Like his illustrious father, he was a man of deep and strong convictions, 'The Kingdom of God or nothing,' was his motto. He loved righteousness and hated iniquity. His life was clean and pure, his language chaste and elevating. His family and friends who stood by his bedside during his last illness will never forget his beautiful teachings and exhortations, upholding the doctrines of the gospel, the authority of the holy priesthood, exhorting all to keep the commandments of God. (Jenson, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia 1920, 790)
Conclusion
What kind of a man was John W. Taylor? He was a man of strong convictions and many spiritual gifts. He believed in revelation. He studied the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. He was a zealous and successful missionary. He was a dynamic and effective teacher. He lived what he preached. No could ever accuse him of being a hypocrite. He had a strong testimony of the gospel and of plural marriage. His biggest problem was that he had a hard time accepting that God could rescind a law once given to the church. He kept his convictions according to the dictates of his own conscience and continued to practice this rescinded law. This eventually led to his excommunication.
Many aspects of his life and personality, however, are well worth imitating. Any missionary, for example, would become a better teacher by imitating his teaching style.
2003. Church History in the Fulness of Times, Student Manual. Salt Lake City: Church Educational System Curriculum.
n.d. FamilySearch. Accessed September 11, 2009. https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/M7X2-CRB?view=basic.
Jenson, Andrew. 1901. Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Salt Lake City: The Andrew Jenson History Company.
—. 1920. Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. Salt Lake City: The Andrew Jenson History Company.
Lyman, Edward Leo. 2010. Candid Insights of a Mormon Apostle: The Diaries of Abraham H. Cannon, 1889-1895. Salt Lake City: Signature Books.
Parry, Edwin F. 1900. "Lives of Our Leaders--the Apostles. John W. Taylor." The Juvenile Instructor, October 1: 633-638.
Roberts, B. H. n.d. Comprehensive History of the Church. Kindle Edition. Librainia.
1898. "Sustainings of the Authorities of the Church." Sixty-Ninth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Company. 51-53.
Taylor, John W. 1899. Sixty-Ninth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: The Deseret News. 22-26; 61-62.
—. 1903. Seventy-Fourth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: The Deseret News. 38-46.
—. 1897. Sixty-Eighth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Publishing Company. 7-10.
—. 1900. Seventieth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: The Deseret News. 24-28.
—. 1902. Seventy-Second Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: The Deseret News. 42-45; 75-78.
—. 1900. Seventy-first Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: The Deseret News. 29-33; 56-59.
—. 1901. Seventy-Second Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: The Deseret News. 27-30.
—. 1898. Sixty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Publishing Company. 40-42.
—. 1885. The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, November 2: 690-691.
—. 1885. The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, May 4: 279-280.
—. 1888. The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, May 7: 289-291.
—. 1889. The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, November 4: 690-691.
The Deseret Weekly. 1898. "Elder John W. Taylor's Sermon." October 15: 545-547.
The Improvement Era. 1916. "Passing Events." November 1: 93.
Resigned from the Quorum: 28 October 1905
Excommunicated: 29 March 1911
Biography
John Whittaker Taylor was born 15 May 1858 in Provo, Utah to later President of the Church John Taylor and Sophia Whittaker. The family had moved temporarily into exile at that time during the Utah War. They returned to their Salt Lake City home following the settlement of the trouble.
The Juvenile Instructor said this of his childhood:
In his boyhood days, as in later life, he was industrious in his habits, being richly endowed with bodily health and a strong, active mind. He worked some at farming, and spent considerable time laboring in his father’s saw mill, which was near Kamas, towards the headwaters of the Provo River. (Parry 1900, 633)
John didn’t have too many opportunities for education, his father being somewhat financially restricted, but he enjoyed the alternative education that he received at home, attempting to do well whatever he undertook.
John W. Taylor had the gift of prophecy, which manifested itself throughout his life. It was partly due to this remarkable gift that he received his own personal testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.
In his boyhood days, while working at his father’s saw-mill, he received some remarkable dreams that were prophetic in their nature, and which have since been verified. These manifestations were living testimonies to him that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith was truly a prophet of God. (Parry 1900, 635)
He was ordained a deacon at age 14, a teacher at 16 and after serving faithfully in these capacities, he received his blessings in the Temple and was ordained an Elder. At which time, he was called as counselor in the Elders’ Quorum, along with his dear friend, Matthias Cowley. As part of his duties, he collected donations for the building of the Salt Lake Temple.
He related the following in regard to collecting funds:
When a teacher in the 14th Ward, Matthias Cowley and I adopted a plan of having small books wherein we entered the names of all donors with the amount given to the temple, poor or defense fund. We got the people to promise as little or as much as they felt able to give regularly, and then we called upon them once each month. The result was that many who had done nothing commenced to do a little, and thus they became interested, and finally they got into the habit of attending meetings. From a condition of debt the Ward succeeded in getting funds on hand. (Lyman 2010, 7 October 1890)
He also served as a Sunday School teacher in the primary. He taught with humor and entertainment while still keeping the doctrine pure. He had around 100 pupils and was remembered as one of the best primary teachers in the church.
As a young man, he was employed in the county recorder’s office and afterwards in the office of the Deseret News. He was known for his ingenuity in mechanical pursuits and his beautiful penmanship.
In regard to his character, The Juvenile Instructor related:
No one of the numerous posterity of President Taylor inherited more of his excellent characteristics or developed them in a stronger measure than did his son John W. In his early youth he displayed an understanding of principle usually found only in persons of more mature years. He attended Sunday Schools and meetings with great regularity, and with his bosom friend and neighbor, Matthias F. Cowley, studied the Scriptures and memorized scores of passages bearing upon the most important principles of the Gospel. By the time he concluded his first mission in the Southern States he had memorized and arranged in systematic order some four hundred such passages, chiefly from the Old and New Testaments. (Parry 1900, 633-634)
In 1876, at age 18, he received his patriarchal blessing which also prophesied of his call to the ministry.
In the fall of 1880, Elder Taylor was called on a mission to the Southern States, along with his friend, Matthias Cowley. The two of them served together at the beginning of their missions and opened a large area where missionaries had never been before. He also served with two other companions in different areas and saw great success, baptizing over 50 people in the course of his mission. His manner of teaching was such that he first worked alongside the people and spoke to them about the gospel while working. He was released in the spring of 1882.
Elder John W. Taylor had a gift for administering to the sick and the gift of prophecy was once more made manifest on his mission. One such example was related as follows:
While laboring with Elder Bigler, the two approached a house one evening and applied for entertainment. Filled with the gift of inspiration Brother Taylor, in his characteristic manner, said, “We have a message for you from heaven; and if you will entertain us, it shall be made known to you by dreams this very night that we are the true servants of the Lord.”
They were invited in and their wants provided for. That night the father of the household as well as some of the children had dreams that were satisfying to them that the Elders they were entertaining were servants of the Lord. (Parry 1900, 636)
He also wrote a letter to his friend, Matthias F. Cowley, while they were both still serving on their missions, where he said, “I believe I speak by the spirit of prophecy when I say, if you are faithful you will yet become one of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ in all the world, and by the power of God and the eternal Priesthood will become great in wisdom and knowledge.” (Parry 1900, 636) This prophecy came to pass a few years later.
He also related the following incident with opposition on his mission in a general conference address:
On one occasion, in the Southern States, he was notified to leave the State in five days, and was prohibited from preaching any more therein. He asked the men who waited on him what he had done, and the answer was: “You have disturbed our family and our religious conditions.” He said that was no more than Jesus and His Apostles had done in their day through their preaching; and after bearing testimony to his would-be intimidators, he asked them to tell those who sent them that on the following day he would preach to them, and if they believed he would baptize them. … He preached there and baptized one man the same day, and prophesied at the water’s edge that the man (Father Turner) would be a father to the people yet to be converted in that place. Soon afterwards Brother Turner was President of a Branch of eighteen members. (Taylor, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 1885, 690)
Shortly following his mission, John W. Taylor married his first wife, May Leona Rich, and relocated to Cassia County, Idaho. His first calling following his mission was to serve in the stake Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association.
Then, in the spring of 1884, he was chosen to fill a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and was ordained 9 April 1884 at age 25 by his father.
Later that year, he went to Mexico to meet with President Diaz and to strengthen the mission there. On his return, he served a term in the Utah legislature, although he later admitted that he had little personal interest in politics.
Along with John T. Caine, Utah's delegate to congress and John Q. Cannon, son of George Q. Cannon, Elder John W. Taylor went to Washington in May of 1885 to meet with President Grover Cleveland and present to him a statement of grievances and protest regarding the enforcing of the Edmunds' Act. The president's response was disappointingly noncommittal. He stated that he had nothing to do with the passing of the act himself and that he would see to it that it was impartially administered as far as he was able. He also said that he wished the Latter-day Saints could just “be like the rest of us.” (Roberts n.d.)
In July 1887, Elder Taylor’s father, President John Taylor, died of congestive heart failure. Around this time, Elder Taylor married his second and third plural wives, Nellie Eva Todd and Jannette Maria Woolley. He was also called to preach to the people of the Uintah Stake where he enjoyed much success.
He traveled several times to the Saints in Canada and met with the Canadian premier, Sir John A. McDonald, to bear testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel.
Elder Taylor found his faith tried when President Woodruff announced the Manifesto renouncing plural marriage in 1890. This doctrine was one that he had always had a strong testimony of and had testified of its truthfulness many times in his life. His father had had nine wives and 34 children. He himself had three wives and was happy to live the law. This was a principle that he struggled with the rest of his life after it was rescinded.
Shortly following the official Manifesto from President Wilford Woodruff, fellow Apostle, Abraham H. Cannon recorded Elder Taylor's response in his journal:
When I [Elder Taylor] first heard of this manifesto I felt to say “Damn it,” but on further thought I felt it was not right to be so impulsive. I do not yet feel quite right about it. My father when President of the church sought to find a way to evade the conflict between the Saints and the government on the question of plural marriage, but the Lord said it was an eternal and unchangeable law and must stand. Pres. Woodruff lately received an encouraging revelation in regard to this principle, and now I ask myself, “Is the Lord a child that He thus changes?” Yet I feel that the Lord giveth a law and He can also take it away. (Lyman 2010, 30 September 1890)
In subsequent years he continued to express his doubts that the Lord would ever rescind such a law. He claimed that among his father's papers he found evidence that the law of plural marriage was meant to be eternal and would never be changed. (Lyman 2010, 1 April 1892)
Regardless of his feelings on the matter, he tried his best to continue to live as he felt the Lord would want. As a result, he was blessed with many manifestations of the Spirit. At a meeting in the Salt Lake Temple in April 1894, Elder Taylor testified that he had seen Joseph Smith (who died years before his birth) and testified to his greatness. (Lyman 2010, 5 April 1894)
In 1896, he was called to open the mission in Colorado, where they also enjoyed a lot of success and baptized many people. He subsequently organized a branch in Denver, Pueblo, and near Durango.
Of his experiences in the mission field in Colorado he said:
There are about thirty of us out in the Colorado mission today. We are at present branching out into New Mexico, the northern part of Arizona, and in Wyoming a little. The Lord has blessed us, and He has prospered our labors. We have an excellent lot of young men out there preaching the Gospel. We preach in the old-fashioned way, without purse or scrip; and they feed us, and they clothe us, and they give us money, and we are blessed of the Lord. And those Elders whose parents can not afford to send them money are the best missionaries we have in the field. (Taylor 1899, 22-23)
He followed this statement by requesting that the families stop sending the missionaries money because they were better missionaries when forced to rely on the Lord for their upkeep.
Over the course of his many missionary efforts, Elder John W. Taylor baptized over 250 people into the Church. The following was said of his teaching style:
Having a wide acquaintance with scriptures and being sound in the doctrine, as well as apt in illustration by means of anecdote and incident, he is always able to hold the attention of his hearers, whether in private conversation or in public speaking. What is more important, his preaching evinces great freedom of the Spirit. At times he speaks with much power and his words carry conviction to the hearts of those who listen. Again, particularly when speaking upon everyday duties, his remarks are replete with wise counsel and suggestion, accompanied often with quaint humor. (Parry 1900, 638)
However, when called upon to reprove, Elder Taylor could be startlingly direct. This caused him complications at times. There was some discussion caused by his talk at the October 1898 general conference. Elder Taylor’s topic was a call to repentance to those who were breaking the law of chastity. He particularly cited rumors of members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir visiting a brothel following choir practice. (Elder John W. Taylor's Sermon 1898, 545-547) Several members of the choir took offense at his words and refused to sustain him as an Apostle. Elder Taylor met with those opposed to him personally following the meeting and apologized for any offense he had caused them. (Sustainings of the Authorities of the Church 1898, 52)
In 1901, Elder John W. Taylor married two more women, sisters Rhoda and Eliza Roxie Welling.
Elder John W. Taylor as well as Elder Matthias F. Cowley both resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles effective 28 October 1905 over a dispute regarding plural marriage. In meetings together, the two friends were “not in harmony” with the First Presidency and other apostles. They stated that they were unable to accept the meaning and scope of the original Manifesto, nor were they able to agree with the second declaration of President Joseph F. Smith, declaring that those who were found marrying plural wives in the future would be excommunicated. It was widely known at the time that the two of them had performed more than a few plural marriages after the Manifesto was issued. Their resignations helped to symbolize the true end of plural marriage in the church.
In his resignation letter, Elder Taylor said:
I have always believed that the government of the United States had jurisdiction only within its own boundaries, and that the term "laws of the land" in the Manifesto, meant merely the laws of the United States. I find now that this opinion is different to that expressed by the church authorities, who have declared that the prohibition against plural marriages extended to every place and to every part of the church. It is doubtless true that this view of the matter has been given by President Woodruff and others, but I have never taken that as binding upon me or the church, because it [such interpretation] was never presented for adoption by common consent as was the Manifesto itself, and I have disputed its authority as a law or a rule of the church. (Roberts n.d.)
Six years later, John W. Taylor was excommunicated from the Church because he had married another plural wife, Ellen Georgina Sandberg, in June of 1909, after the second manifesto. This was accepted by him without protest and he harbored no bitterness toward the Church.
John W. Taylor died on 10 October 1916, at age 58, following a long battle with stomach cancer. Before his death, he married a total of six wives and fathered 29 children.
Quotes
As a speaker, Elder Taylor spoke as he taught, with power, humor, and testimony. In fact, he loved sharing his testimony and often shared his strong testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. In his final conference address, he declared the following:
I testify unto you, my friends, that the Lord our God has raised up Joseph Smith the Prophet in this our day. He has delivered unto the world the Book of Mormon, which is a history of the ancient inhabitants of this continent. It is the word of God to the people of the earth. It is the writings of prophets who have lived upon this land, just as the Bible is the writings of prophets in the land of Palestine, and a history of the dealings of God with ancient Israel. The heavens have been opened in our day. The Father and the Son appeared unto Joseph Smith, and the Gospel has been restored. This Gospel is being preached according to the commandment of the Savior. (Taylor 1903, 42)
He also occasionally bore his testimony that the general authorities were acting in accordance with their righteous convictions.
I have been associated with the authorities of the church for years, and I have never seen in their deliberations any disposition toward unrighteousness. I bear testimony that they have acted in the spirit of their calling as well as any men on earth could have done. (Taylor, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 1889, 691)
He felt that living prophets were more important than the written scriptures. The following passage also illustrates his teaching style.
We find that King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream concerning some of the future history of this world, portraying what the mind and will of God was concerning some things down even to the day and age in which we live. But the dream went from him, and he wanted this dream brought back to his mind with the interpretation thereof. Could he by reading the instructions of God to Solomon as to how to build a temple learn how to bring that dream back again to his mind? No; it was necessary for the Lord to call upon His servant Daniel, who went forth, and by the power of the Holy Ghost he told the dream and gave its interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar. (Taylor 1897, 9)
Interestingly enough, even though he enjoyed the gift of prophecy, which is a gift often envied by others, he never felt it was as important as many other fundamental principles of the church.
The gift of prophecy will not save any man. It is not a saving principle; it is a gift. It is to comfort our hearts. It is to give us the testimony of the mind and will of God concerning things which are to come. As Elder Grant has said, I may prophesy from now till the coming of the Son of Man, and if I fail to keep the commandments, I will not be saved in the kingdom of God. (Taylor 1900, 26)
Elder Taylor was occasionally called upon to call people to repentance and could be very direct in this point. Here is an example of his manner of reproof.
We have had a number of young men go east to study medicine and other branches of knowledge, and some of them have come back, not only as graduates in the science they studied, but as professors of hypnotism. I say it is not of God, and is an abomination in His sight, and if they do not repent of their sins, as sure as God lives, the judgments spoken of in the revelation, from which I have read, will come upon them, and they will wander away into darkness, and will not be acknowledged of the Lord. I want to advise the young ladies, while upon this subject, not to follow after peep-stone women, fortune-tellers, or those claiming to have a familiar spirit, to get them to tell you the kind of a husband you will marry, or you young men the kind of a wife you will get. I will tell you where to go; go to the Patriarch of the Church, who holds the blessings of God's people in his hands, and whatever he seals on earth will be sealed in heaven. If you will keep the commandments of God and live your religion, the Lord will bless you. (Taylor 1902, 77)
Working with missionaries for so much of his life, Elder Taylor thought very highly of those who gave up much in their lives to preach the gospel. He said this to the parents of missionaries serving in the field who were expressing concerns about their sons.
I heard Elder Golden Kimball say in the city of Ephraim, Sanpete county, that many of the Latter-day Saints are worrying about their sons for fear they will never return to the land of Zion. I would rather have every son that I have lay down his life in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ abroad, if it was necessary, than in any other field of labor that I can possibly think of, especially if they were laboring under the direction of the Presidency of this Church. (Taylor 1900, 58)
Although sister missionaries did not exist then as they are known today, Elder Taylor had great respect for the work the sisters could do, and related the following about the work that he observed sisters doing in his field of labor.
I have in view now, one of the sisters that was laboring in the state of Colorado. In the district where she resided there were some five families where the husbands were away from home. She became acquainted with those families. She distributed tracts in their midst, and they came to understand our views in regard to our religion, but so far as the Elders are concerned these families would have been passed by. There are probably thousands of families in this condition. (Taylor 1898, 40)
Elder Taylor said the following in regard to personal revelation.
This Church is founded upon revelation. There is, however, a medium through which revelation is given to the Church. The Prophet, Seer and Revelator receives all revelation for the benefit and guidance of the Church. At the same time, every individual member of the Church is entitled to revelation to guide his own household; and whatever inspiration he may receive from the Lord will be in conformity with the revelations that are given through the Prophet, Seer and Revelator. When I hear people discussing certain doctrines and tenets, there is always one satisfaction in my mind, and that is, that whatever may be erroneous in the opinions of men, these questions can always be settled by revelation from God. (Taylor 1901, 28)
While it was still being practiced, Elder Taylor shared this testimony regarding the practice of plural marriage:
The principle of plural marriage, against which the main force of the opposition was being hurled, had been a divine institution from before the foundation of the world. There had been some talk about President Taylor issuing a revelation abolishing that system of marriage. When a revelation of that kind is given, it will be when the Lord has no use for the Latter-day Saints, and this will never transpire, for He has promised to give them the kingdom and to sustain them. (Taylor, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 1885, 279-280)
Considering how his life ended up, he ironically said the following regarding excommunicated members.
Since we last met in this capacity, there have been many changes—some pleasant and some the reverse. Individuals have repented of wrong-doing, while others have been excommunicated. Should there be any of the latter present, may they listen humbly to what will be said. All men are prone to err, some to a greater degree than others. It seems necessary according to the law of the Church, to deal decisively with persons who are guilty of a certain class of offenses. This phase is continuous. I desire to speak to those who are liable to err. There will be no offense if those who consider themselves perfect should arise and leave this building.
It is grievous to note the fact that men suffer themselves to be cut off the church. (Taylor, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star 1888, 289)
John W. Taylor then allowed himself to be the one cut off the church.
Following his death, it was said of him:
Like his illustrious father, he was a man of deep and strong convictions, 'The Kingdom of God or nothing,' was his motto. He loved righteousness and hated iniquity. His life was clean and pure, his language chaste and elevating. His family and friends who stood by his bedside during his last illness will never forget his beautiful teachings and exhortations, upholding the doctrines of the gospel, the authority of the holy priesthood, exhorting all to keep the commandments of God. (Jenson, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia 1920, 790)
Conclusion
What kind of a man was John W. Taylor? He was a man of strong convictions and many spiritual gifts. He believed in revelation. He studied the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. He was a zealous and successful missionary. He was a dynamic and effective teacher. He lived what he preached. No could ever accuse him of being a hypocrite. He had a strong testimony of the gospel and of plural marriage. His biggest problem was that he had a hard time accepting that God could rescind a law once given to the church. He kept his convictions according to the dictates of his own conscience and continued to practice this rescinded law. This eventually led to his excommunication.
Many aspects of his life and personality, however, are well worth imitating. Any missionary, for example, would become a better teacher by imitating his teaching style.
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