Excommunication Or Rumor? John W. Taylor's Disputed Fate
- 01. The excommunication question around John W. Taylor, explained
- 02. Who was John W. Taylor?
- 03. Resignation and doctrinal conflict
- 04. Path to excommunication in 1911
- 05. Key dates and institutional actions
- 06. Documented reasons for excommunication
- 07. Historical table: Taylor's timeline vs. key church events
- 08. Lasting implications for LDS history and doctrine
The excommunication question around John W. Taylor, explained
John W. Taylor was an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was excommunicated on March 29, 1911, after years of conflict between him, his family's legacy, and the church's evolving stance on plural marriage. His excommunication stemmed from his continued support for post-Manifesto plural marriages, his refusal to abandon his father's controversial 1886 revelation declaring polygamy an "everlasting covenant," and what church leaders framed as sustained insubordination to the church's discipline and civil law.
Who was John W. Taylor?
John Whittaker Taylor was born on May 15, 1858, in Provo, Utah, and became an Apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 9, 1884, at the age of 25-one of the youngest apostles in the church's history. He was the youngest son of President John Taylor, the third president of the church, and inherited not only ecclesiastical prominence but also a deep doctrinal commitment to plural marriage as a binding, eternal ordinance.
By the 1890s, federal pressure to end polygamous practice intensified, culminating in the 1890 Manifesto issued by Wilford Woodruff, which officially halted the authorization of new plural marriages. Despite this, a small number of church leaders, including members of the Quorum of the Twelve, continued to authorize or solemnize post-Manifesto unions, often at the request of earlier generations who believed revelation backed their stance.
Resignation and doctrinal conflict
In October 1905, amid growing scrutiny and internal debate, John W. Taylor and fellow Apostle B. H. Roberts resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve at the invitation of church president Joseph F. Smith. This move was framed as a response to "the cessation of plural marriage" and the leadership's determination to fully align with U.S. law and the 1890 Manifesto policy. Taylor's resignation was not a formal sanction, but it marked the beginning of his formal separation from ecclesiastical office.
Taylor's personal position was rooted in his claim that his father, President John Taylor, had written a 1886 revelation in which God declared that plural marriage was an "everlasting covenant" that could not be revoked. This document, long kept within the Taylor family, became central to Taylor's later defense and to his public narrative that the church was abandoning a divinely mandated principle rather than simply responding to political and legal pressure.
Path to excommunication in 1911
Between 1905 and 1911, multiple reports and testimonies indicated that John W. Taylor continued to officiate or support post-Manifesto plural marriages, even though the church publicly maintained that such practices were no longer permitted. Church leaders viewed these actions as a violation of both the second manifesto policy (issued in 1904 under President Smith) and the expectation that apostles would uphold the law of the land as well as church discipline.
On March 28, 1911, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles convened a disciplinary council specifically to address Taylor's conduct. The council's minutes and subsequent reports describe the charges as "insubordination to the government and discipline of the Church," including his refusal to recant or cease solemnizing polygamous unions and his continued public defense of his father's 1886 revelation. The formal decision to excommunicate was recorded the next day, March 29, 1911.
Key dates and institutional actions
- May 15, 1858: Birth of John W. Taylor in Provo, Utah.
- April 9, 1884: Ordained an Apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- September 24, 1890: Wilford Woodruff issues the 1890 Manifesto, formally ending the church's authorization of new plural marriages.
- October 28, 1905: John W. Taylor resigns from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- 1904: The Second Manifesto reiterates the prohibition on new plural marriages and orders church leaders to comply with civil law.
- March 28-29, 1911: Disciplinary council and subsequent excommunication of John W. Taylor by the Quorum of the Twelve.
- October 10, 1916: John W. Taylor dies in Salt Lake City, Utah, at age 58.
By the time of his excommunication, Taylor was no longer serving as an Apostle, but he remained a symbolic figure for those who believed the church had compromised its earlier revelations on plural marriage. Contemporary church-aligned publications, such as the Improvement Era, described him as "a kind man of indomitable perseverance and strong convictions," noting that he accepted his excommunication "without expressed protest and with no bitterness to the Church."
Documented reasons for excommunication
Formal records and press coverage from 1911 identify several overlapping reasons for the excommunication of John W. Taylor. The primary charge was "insubordination to the government and discipline of the Church," which encompassed his public defiance of both the leadership's directives and the broader church policy on plural marriage. Specific factors included:
- His continued involvement in solemnizing post-Manifesto plural marriages, contrary to the 1890 and 1904 directives.
- His refusal to fully submit to the authority of the Quorum of the Twelve and the First Presidency in matters of doctrine and discipline.
- His public invocation of his father's 1886 revelation to justify ongoing practice, which church leaders dismissed as a "pretended revelation" and later labeled a "rumor" in official communications.
- His perceived role as a rallying point for members who resisted the church's move toward full compliance with federal anti-polygamy laws.
Later internal church documents and historical analyses estimate that, between 1887 and 1911, approximately 1,200 post-Manifesto plural marriages were solemnized by a small group of church leaders, including Taylor and others. This hidden adherence contributed to the perception among some that the church's public stance was at odds with its private practice, deepening the tension that led to Taylor's eventual excommunication.
Historical table: Taylor's timeline vs. key church events
| Year | John W. Taylor event | Church-wide context |
|---|---|---|
| 1858 | John W. Taylor born in Provo, Utah Territory. | Church still publicly practicing plural marriage under Brigham Young and John Taylor. |
| 1884 | Ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at age 25. | Height of federal anti-polygamy prosecutions and the Edmunds-Tucker Act. |
| 1886 | His father, President John Taylor, allegedly writes the 1886 revelation. | Church is under intense legal pressure but continues secret plural marriages. |
| 1890 | Church still clustered under his father's legacy; Taylor remains an Apostle. | Wilford Woodruff issues the 1890 Manifesto, halting new plural marriages. |
| 1905 | Resignation from the Twelve in October. | Joseph F. Smith presses for full compliance with anti-polygamy laws and local reforms. |
| 1911 | Excommunicated on March 29 after a disciplinary council. | Post-Manifesto plural marriages are publicly condemned; leadership consolidates authority. |
| 1916 | John W. Taylor dies in Salt Lake City. | Church retrospectively portrays post-Manifesto marriages as rare and unauthorized. |
Lasting implications for LDS history and doctrine
John W. Taylor's excommunication crystallized the church's shift away from post-Manifesto plural marriage and reinforced the authority of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve to define acceptable doctrine and practice. By the 1920s, church leaders had largely succeeded in centralizing control over revelation and in branding continued plural-marriage advocacy as schismatic, a frame that still shapes how later fundamentalist movements are categorized.
At the same time, his case remains a touchstone for debates about the nature of prophetic authority, the legitimacy of suppressed or contested revelations, and the balance between religious conviction and institutional obedience. Scholars estimate that, by the early 21st century, at least 15 major academic books and dozens of scholarly articles have directly referenced Taylor's 1886 revelation and his 1911 excommunication, underscoring how a single disciplinary action can ripple through both institutional memory and outsider analysis of LDS history.
Expert answers to Excommunication Or Rumor John W Taylors Disputed Fate queries
What was the immediate outcome of Taylor's excommunication?
After being excommunicated on March 29, 1911, John W. Taylor was no longer recognized as a member in good standing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His name was removed from the rolls, and he was barred from performing ordinances or holding any church office. However, his intellectual and doctrinal influence persisted among certain groups who considered themselves loyal to the older teachings on plural marriage and to the legacy of his father, President John Taylor.
Did he ever reconcile with the church before his death?
Public and archival sources indicate that John W. Taylor did not formally reconcile with the church's leadership before his death on October 10, 1916. His excommunication stood, and he died outside the formal membership of the church. Nevertheless, later church publications and historiography, including early 20th-century issues of the Improvement Era, described him respectfully, emphasizing his "strong convictions" and suggesting that his excommunication was not taken with personal rancor even if it was viewed as institutionally necessary.
Was the 1886 revelation ever officially acknowledged?
For most of the 20th century, the church officially denied the existence or authenticity of the 1886 revelation attributed to President John Taylor. Internal memos from the 1930s referred to it as a "pretended revelation" and dismissed rumors that it justified continued plural marriage. However, in the mid-2010s and early 2020s, researchers and the church's own historical department began to catalog and reference a manuscript titled "John Taylor revelation, 1886 September 27" (MS 34928) in the church's history library, which closely matches the text Taylor reportedly presented at his 1911 disciplinary council.
How common was apostolic excommunication in this era?
While formal excommunications of apostles were rare, the early 20th century saw several high-profile cases tied to plural marriage and obedience to civil law. Between 1900 and 1920, church records indicate that fewer than a dozen members of the Quorum of the Twelve or closely associated leaders were either excommunicated or resigned under pressure. John W. Taylor's case stands out because it combined apostolic rank, family legacy, and direct defiance of the Second Manifesto policy, making it one of the most symbolically charged disciplinary actions of its time.
How has scholarly and media coverage interpreted his excommunication?
Modern historical analysis of John W. Taylor tends to frame his excommunication as a pivot point in the church's transition from a theocratic, polygamous identity to a mainstream American religious organization. Academic works and investigative journalism, including pieces in outlets like the Religion News Service, describe his 1911 trial as emblematic of the institutional effort to unify doctrine, discipline, and public behavior. Coverage also highlights the emotional and theological stakes for Taylor, who saw his stand as fidelity to his father's revelation rather than mere resistance to pragmatic accommodation.
What did contemporaneous press coverage say?
1911 reporting in the Salt Lake City-based Salt Lake Tribune characterized Taylor's excommunication using the phrase "insubordination to the government and discipline of the Church," emphasizing compliance with civil law as a key factor. The article noted that the decision was "unanimous" among the Quorum of the Twelve and that the formal notice was published in the Deseret News, the church-owned newspaper at the time. Secular and religious press alike treated the event as a sign that the church was tightening its internal discipline in response to external legal and political pressures.