Did Church Betray John W Taylor?
- 01. Who was John W. Taylor?
- 02. Background: Polygamy and the Manifestos
- 03. Resignation from the Quorum of the Twelve
- 04. The charges and excommunication of 1911
- 05. Aftermath and historical interpretation
- 06. Posthumous restoration and later recognition
- 07. Key facts and timeline (illustrative table)
- 08. Major themes in the excommunication story
- 09. Steps in the disciplinary process (illustrative list)
- 10. Frequently asked questions
John W. Taylor was a former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS Church who was excommunicated in 1911 for continuing to support and perform polygamous marriages after the 1904 Second Manifesto and for what leadership described as "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church."
Who was John W. Taylor?
John Whittaker Taylor was born on May 15, 1858, in Provo, Utah, and was the youngest son of John Taylor, the third president of the LDS Church. He was ordained an apostle at age 25 in 1884, joining the Quorum of the Twelve during a period of intense federal pressure against plural marriage in the Utah Territory.
By the 1890s, John W. Taylor had developed a reputation as a staunch defender of polygamy, viewing it as a core, unalterable doctrine rather than solely a 19th-century practice. Over roughly two decades in the quorum, he argued that higher authorities did not have the right to permanently abandon the law of plural marriage, a position that increasingly isolated him from the rest of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve.
Background: Polygamy and the Manifestos
The 1890 Manifesto issued by President Wilford Woodruff directed members to cease contracting new plural marriages, largely in response to the Edmunds-Tucker Act and the threat of federal seizure of church property. Although many leaders treated the Manifesto as a de facto end to plural marriage, some apostles, including John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley, continued to solemnize or authorize post-1890 marriages, believing the policy was temporary.
In 1904 President Joseph F. Smith issued a Second Manifesto, explicitly reaffirming that no new plural marriages should be performed anywhere in the world and threatening disciplinary action against anyone who violated the directive. This marked a turning point for John W. Taylor, whose private advocacy and occasional support for clandestine plural marriages now directly conflicted with the church's official, publicly enforced stance.
Resignation from the Quorum of the Twelve
In October 1905 both John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley approached church leaders and requested to resign from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles over their disagreement about the cessation of plural marriage. Church leaders accepted their resignations, though the formal dates in different sources vary slightly-often cited as late 1905 through early 1906-reflecting the procedural steps involved in releasing an apostle.
After resigning, John W. Taylor did not renounce his beliefs; instead, he continued to speak privately against the Second Manifesto and occasionally supported marriages that violated the church's policy. This period of continued dissent, combined with his earlier defiance, set the stage for the formal disciplinary proceedings that would culminate in his excommunication in 1911.
The charges and excommunication of 1911
On March 28, 1911, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles convened a formal meeting to address conduct attributed to John W. Taylor, charging him with "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church." Contemporary reports in the Salt Lake Tribune summarized the case as focusing on his refusal to align with the church's official position on plural marriage and on his alleged use of ecclesiastical influence to support marriages that violated the Second Manifesto.
The quorum voted to excommunicate John W. Taylor, a decision that was recorded in the church's official descriptive text and later published in the Deseret News in early April 1911. The action effectively removed him from membership in the LDS Church, citing his persistent opposition to the leadership's authority rather than a single discrete incident.
Aftermath and historical interpretation
After his excommunication, John W. Taylor did not publicly renounce the LDS Church or its foundational doctrines; instead, he continued to regard himself as a faithful Latter-day Saint while sharply disagreeing with the abandonment of plural marriage. Accounts from family and later historians describe him as "a kind man of indomitable perseverance and strong convictions," underscoring that his estrangement was doctrinal and disciplinary rather than a wholesale rejection of Mormon theology.
He died of stomach cancer on October 10, 1916, at his home in Forest Dale, Salt Lake County, Utah, at age 58, and was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. His case has since become a key reference point in discussions of apostolic authority, the evolution of marriage policy, and the limits of internal dissent within the modern LDS Church.
Posthumous restoration and later recognition
On May 21, 1965, the church performed proxy ordinances for John W. Taylor, including a re-baptism and a "Restoration of Blessings" ceremony under the hands of Joseph Fielding Smith, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These proxy ordinances were carried out with the unanimous approval of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, signaling a formal ecclesiastical rehabilitation of his standing, even though he had died nearly half a century earlier.
For some historians, the 1965 restoration underscores how the institutional memory of John W. Taylor's case has shifted from a narrative of outright rebellion to one of a loyal but painfully divided leader. His story remains central to studies of how the LDS Church navigated the transition from 19th-century plural marriage to 20th-century monogamy and centralized authority.
Key facts and timeline (illustrative table)
| Event | Date | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Birth of John W. Taylor | May 15, 1858 | Born in Provo, Utah; son of President John Taylor. |
| Ordination to Quorum of the Twelve | April 9, 1884 | Became the youngest apostle in modern LDS Church history. |
| First Manifesto issued | 1890 | End of public new plural marriages; tension grows among some leaders. |
| Resignation from Twelve | October 1905-April 1906 | Quit quorum over disagreement on cessation of plural marriage. |
| Second Manifesto issued | 1904 | Explicit ban on new plural marriages worldwide. |
| Excommunication of John W. Taylor | March 28-April 1911 | Charged with "insubordination to church discipline." |
| Death of John W. Taylor | October 10, 1916 | Died at age 58; buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery. |
| Posthumous restoration ordinances | May 21, 1965 | Proxy rebaptism and "Restoration of Blessings" by church leaders. |
Major themes in the excommunication story
- Conflict between personal revelation and centralized authority in the LDS Church, as Taylor insisted the doctrine of plural marriage was binding.
- Transformation of plural marriage from a core, publicly defended practice in the 1880s-1890s to a formally discontinued policy by the 1910s.
- Use of excommunication as a mechanism to enforce institutional discipline, even against high-ranking leaders like members of the Quorum of the Twelve.
- Legacy of John W. Taylor as a cautionary figure for internal dissent and a symbol of resistance among some informal polygamy-sympathizing groups.
Steps in the disciplinary process (illustrative list)
- Leaders observed John W. Taylor's continued advocacy for plural marriage after the 1904 Second Manifesto and his role in supporting certain marriages.
- The issue was elevated to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which met formally in March 1911 to review evidence and testimony.
- The quorum framed his actions as "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church," emphasizing his defiance of centralized authority.
- After deliberation, the quorum voted to excommunicate John W. Taylor, a decision that was recorded and published in church channels.
- The action was disseminated via the Deseret News and internal records, making it part of the official historical record of the institution.
Frequently asked questions
Key concerns and solutions for Did Church Betray John W Taylor
What was the exact charge against John W. Taylor?
John W. Taylor was formally charged with "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church," a charge that encompassed his continued opposition to the 1904 Second Manifesto, his advocacy for plural marriage, and his alleged support for marriages that violated the church's policy. Leadership framed the issue less as a single doctrinal disagreement and more as a pattern of behavior that challenged the authority of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve.
Why did John W. Taylor resign from the Quorum of the Twelve?
John W. Taylor resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1905-1906 because he could not in good conscience accept the church's decision to permanently cease plural marriage, particularly after the 1904 Second Manifesto. Resigning allowed him to remain doctrinally consistent with his belief in the necessity of plural marriage while formally stepping down from an office whose duties required obedience to the new policy.
Did John W. Taylor leave the LDS Church doctrinally?
John W. Taylor never formally repudiated the basic doctrines of the LDS Church; even after his excommunication, family accounts and historians note that he continued to regard the Restoration and the Book of Mormon as true. His conflict was primarily over the practice of plural marriage and the interpretation of prophetic authority, not a wholesale rejection of Mormon theology itself.
What happened to John W. Taylor after he was excommunicated?
After his excommunication in 1911, John W. Taylor lived in relative isolation from the institutional LDS Church, though he maintained private relationships with family and a small circle of sympathizers. He continued to write and speak privately about his views on plural marriage and died on October 10, 1916, at age 58, still regarded by some as a loyal but estranged former apostle.
Was John W. Taylor ever readmitted to the church?
John W. Taylor was not readmitted to the LDS Church during his lifetime; his membership remained terminated until his death in 1916. However, in 1965 the church performed proxy ordinances, including a rebaptism and a "Restoration of Blessings," which effectively restored his ecclesiastical standing in the eyes of the institution, even though he was deceased.
How is John W. Taylor's story relevant today?
John W. Taylor's case remains relevant as a case study in how the LDS Church handles high-level dissent, the evolution of marriage policy, and the boundaries of apostolic authority. For scholars and members alike, his excommunication illustrates the tension between personal conviction and institutional discipline, especially in periods of major doctrinal or policy change.