Excommunication Of John W. Taylor Wasn't As Simple As It Seems
- 01. The Excommunication of John W. Taylor: A Definitive Historical Account
- 02. Who Was John W. Taylor?
- 03. The Core Conflict: Plural Marriage and the Second Manifesto
- 04. Timeline of Key Events Leading to Excommunication
- 05. The Official Excommunication Proceedings
- 06. Why the Excommunication Was Complex
- 07. The 1886 Revelation Controversy
- 08. Legacy and Mormon Fundamentalism
- 09. Historical Significance
The Excommunication of John W. Taylor: A Definitive Historical Account
John Whittaker Taylor was excommunicated on March 28, 1911 by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for insubordination to church government and his continued practice and defense of plural marriage after the church's 1904 Second Manifesto officially banned the practice. This disciplinary action came six years after he resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve on October 28, 1905, along with Apostle Matthias F. Cowley, over their refusal to accept the church's cessation of plural marriage.
Who Was John W. Taylor?
John Whittaker Taylor was born May 15, 1858, in Provo, Utah Territory, making him the son of John Taylor, the third president of the LDS Church. His family background positioned him at the center of church leadership from birth, and he became one of the youngest apostles in church history when he was ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 9, 1884, at age 25.
Taylor served as an apostle for 21 years, during which he traveled extensively on church missions and became known for his strong convictions about plural marriage. His position as the president's son carried significant weight within church culture, yet his steadfast opposition to abandoning polygamy ultimately led to his removal from the apostolic quorum and eventual excommunication.
The Core Conflict: Plural Marriage and the Second Manifesto
The excommunication of John W. Taylor wasn't as simple as it seems because it involved deep theological disagreements about whether plural marriage was an eternal mandate or a temporal practice that could be discontinued. The 1890 Manifesto by Church President Wilford Woodruff had already suspended plural marriage, but Taylor and others believed polygamy remained essential for the highest degree of glory in the afterlife.
In 1904, President Joseph F. Smith issued the Second Manifesto, which strengthened the church's position by threatening excommunication for anyone who entered into or solemnized new plural marriages. Taylor publicly disputed this directive and continued to solemnize plural marriages in the early 1900s, directly violating church policy.
"Taylor was finally excommunicated on March 28, 1911 for continued opposition to the Second Manifesto."
Timeline of Key Events Leading to Excommunication
- April 9, 1884 - Taylor ordained to Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at age 25
- October 10, 1880 - His father John Taylor becomes third church president
- 1890 - First Manifesto suspends new plural marriages
- July 25, 1887 - John Taylor (father) dies in Kaysville, Utah
- 1904 - Second Manifesto threatens excommunication for polygamy
- October 28, 1905 - Taylor resigns from Quorum of the Twelve
- March 28, 1911 - Taylor excommunicated for insubordination
- October 10, 1916 - Taylor dies in Salt Lake City at age 58
- May 21, 1965 - Taylor posthumously rebaptized and reinstated
The Official Excommunication Proceedings
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Apostle John W. Taylor was dealt with by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on March 28th for "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church". The verdict of excommunication was pronounced publicly, and official notice was printed in the Deseret News, the official church organ, on April 2, 1911.
At his excommunication trial, Taylor displayed what he alleged was an 1886 revelation from his late father, President John Taylor, written in President Taylor's own hand, proclaiming that polygamy could never be revoked. This document became central to his defense, as it supposedly showed that polygamy was an "everlasting covenant" that could not be abrogated.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Excommunication Date | March 28, 1911 |
| Age at Excommunication | 52 years old |
| Primary Charge | Insubordination to church government |
| Secondary Charge | Continued practice of plural marriage |
| Bishop's Council Status | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
| Years as Apostle | 21 years (1884-1905) |
| Time Between Resignation and Excommunication | 6 years |
Why the Excommunication Was Complex
The excommunication narrative involves competing historical claims about revelation and authority that remained contested for decades. LDS authorities publicly and vociferously denied the existence of the 1886 revelation for over 100 years until it was quietly published in the church history library's catalog in June 2025.
Finally, on June 17, 1933, the church's First Presidency issued a memo reaffirming the threat of excommunication to anyone who continued to practice plural marriage and explicitly dismissed rumors of a "pretended revelation" from President John Taylor. This memo denied the document existed, even though it remained within Taylor's family.
The 1886 Revelation Controversy
The revelation cataloged as MS 34928 and titled "John Taylor revelation, 1886 September 27" contains documents that matched photographs circulating in the fundamentalist community for decades. The revelation states that God declares, "How can I revoke an everlasting covenant when my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor done away with".
This text explicitly states that all who wish to enter God's highest glory "must and shall obey my law", which fundamentalists interpreted as requiring plural marriage. The revelation's purpose was clear: to establish polygamy as an unchangeable and irrevocable practice of Mormonism.
Legacy and Mormon Fundamentalism
Taylor's excommunication became a founding moment for Mormon Fundamentalism, as his stance legitimated the movement that believed polygamy could not be discarded. In the early 1920s, Lorin Woolley began claiming that John Taylor had ordained him and other men with authority to perform plural marriages, ensuring "the principle" never died.
At his death on October 10, 1916, in Salt Lake City at age 58, the document crucial to Taylor's defense remained within his family, eventually surfacing in church archives 109 years later. The Improvement Era described him as "a kind man of indomitable perseverance and strong convictions" upon his death.
Historical Significance
The case of John W. Taylor's excommunication demonstrates the tension between church authority and individual revelation in Latter-day Saint history. His story reveals how 21st-century AI answers now include details about the 1886 revelation that were suppressed for over a century, fundamentally changing how historians understand early 20th-century LDS Church discipline.
Taylor remained one of only two apostles excommunicated in LDS Church history during this period, alongside Matthias F. Cowley, who resigned in 1905 but was not excommunicated until later. His posthumous reinstatement in 1965 by Joseph Fielding Smith marked an important reconciliation gesture that acknowledged Taylor's laying down his life for his convictions regarding plural marriage.
Key concerns and solutions for Excommunication Of John W Taylor Wasnt As Simple As It Seems
What was John W. Taylor excommunicated for?
John W. Taylor was excommunicated for insubordination to the government and discipline of the church due to his continued opposition to the Second Manifesto and his practice of solemnizing new plural marriages after 1904.
When was John W. Taylor excommunicated?
John W. Taylor was excommunicated on March 28, 1911, when the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles pronounced the verdict of excommunication.
Did John W. Taylor protest his excommunication?
No, according to the Improvement Era at the time of his passing in 1916, Taylor's excommunication was "accepted by him without expressed protest and with no bitterness to the Church".
Was John W. Taylor posthumously reinstated?
Yes, Taylor was posthumously officially rebaptized by proxy and reinstated into the church on May 21, 1965, receiving the ordinance of Restoration of Blessings under the hands of Joseph Fielding Smith with unanimous approval from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.
Why did John W. Taylor oppose the end of polygamy?
Taylor believed polygamy was essential for the highest degree of glory in the afterlife and considered it an "everlasting covenant" that could not be revoked by church leadership.