John W Taylor LDS Scandal-What Really Happened Back Then
The John W. Taylor controversy was not a doctrinal fraud scandal in the modern sense; it was a late-19th- and early-20th-century LDS succession-and-polygamy crisis centered on an apostle who continued to defend plural marriage after the Church officially stopped authorizing new plural unions in 1890 and then tightened enforcement with the 1904 Second Manifesto.
What happened
John W. Taylor, the son of LDS president John Taylor, was born on May 15, 1858, ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 9, 1884, and later became one of the most prominent defenders of plural marriage inside the Church.
The core dispute was simple: Taylor believed the Church's polygamy tradition remained binding, while the institutional Church moved toward ending new plural marriages under legal pressure and internal discipline.
By the time he resigned from the Quorum on October 28, 1905, he was already in conflict with Church leadership over continuing plural unions and the authority of the new policy direction.
Timeline of events
The key dates matter because this episode unfolded over years rather than in one dramatic incident.
| Date | Event | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1858 | John W. Taylor was born in Provo, Utah. | He was the son of Church president John Taylor. |
| April 9, 1884 | He was ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. | He became a major LDS leader at a young age. |
| September 1890 | The Church issued the Manifesto ending new official plural marriages. | This created the policy conflict that later engulfed Taylor. |
| October 28, 1905 | Taylor resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve. | He stepped down under intense pressure tied to polygamy. |
| March 28-29, 1911 | Taylor was excommunicated. | The Church said he remained in opposition to the Second Manifesto. |
| May 21, 1965 | His blessings were restored posthumously by proxy. | The Church later reopened the question of his standing. |
Why it became controversial
The most important issue was not personal misconduct but institutional defiance: Taylor continued to resist the Church's retreat from plural marriage even after top leaders were trying to bring the practice to an end.
According to the available historical summaries, he had multiple wives and large family ties, and he continued to support the principle of plural marriage after the Church's public policy changed.
That put him at odds with the evolving hierarchy, especially after the 1904 Second Manifesto hardened the Church's anti-polygamy stance and made continued advocacy far more untenable.
"He was finally excommunicated on March 28, 1911 for continued opposition to the Second Manifesto."
What the evidence suggests
The historical record supports a narrower reading than sensational headlines often imply: John W. Taylor was disciplined primarily for refusing to fully align with Church policy on plural marriage, not because of a criminal prosecution or a hidden financial fraud scheme.
He appears to have remained committed to Mormonism itself, and one Church history summary says he died in 1916 still believing in the faith despite his excommunication.
That distinction matters because the word scandal can suggest impropriety beyond the historical facts; in this case, the issue was doctrinal and administrative discipline inside a rapidly changing religious institution.
What historians note
Historical accounts place Taylor's case within a broader LDS transition from openly practicing plural marriage to enforcing monogamous compliance under public and federal pressure.
He was not alone: other Church leaders were also forced to navigate the same policy shift, and the period around 1905 to 1911 was marked by internal tension over obedience, authority, and the meaning of prior revelations.
Some later accounts describe him as personally sincere and loyal to the Church even when he disagreed with its direction, which helps explain why later proxy ordinances restored his standing.
Key facts
- John W. Taylor was an LDS apostle and the son of Church president John Taylor.
- He was ordained on April 9, 1884, and resigned from the Quorum on October 28, 1905.
- He was excommunicated in March 1911 for continued opposition to the Second Manifesto.
- His case centered on plural marriage, not on a public criminal case or a modern-style abuse allegation.
- He was later posthumously rebaptized and his blessings were restored by proxy in 1965.
What this means
For readers searching "John W Taylor LDS controversy facts," the shortest accurate answer is that Taylor became controversial because he would not fully abandon polygamy after the Church changed policy, and that refusal led to resignation, conflict, and eventual excommunication.
The episode is best understood as a turning point in LDS history: it shows how the Church moved from defending plural marriage as a revealed principle to enforcing an official end to it through discipline.
Expert answers to John W Taylor Lds Scandal What Really Happened Back Then queries
Was John W. Taylor excommunicated for polygamy?
Yes. The historical summaries say he was excommunicated in March 1911 for continued opposition to the Church's anti-polygamy policy after the Second Manifesto.
Did John W. Taylor leave the LDS Church willingly?
He resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve in October 1905, but the context suggests strong institutional pressure and ongoing conflict rather than a clean voluntary departure.
Was there a criminal case against John W. Taylor?
No public criminal case is indicated in the historical summaries reviewed; the controversy was internal Church discipline over doctrine and authority.
Was John W. Taylor ever reinstated?
His blessings were restored by proxy in 1965 after earlier posthumous attempts at reinstatement had been rejected as invalid.
Why do people still search for this topic?
People usually search it because Taylor's case sits at the intersection of LDS history, polygamy, and church discipline, making it a compact example of how the Church handled the end of plural marriage.