Unveiled: Taylor Excommunication Secrets
John W. Taylor's Excommunication
John W. Taylor, the son of LDS Church president John Taylor and a former apostle, was excommunicated on March 28, 1911, after church leaders concluded that he had shown "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church," most directly tied to his continued support for plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto and the 1904 Second Manifesto. Contemporary reporting said the official notice was published in the Deseret News on May 2, 1911, and later church histories record the excommunication date as March 29, 1911.
The case matters because it sits at the center of the LDS Church's transition away from public polygamy, and Taylor became one of the most prominent figures caught between older doctrine and new institutional enforcement. In practical terms, church discipline against Taylor was not just about private belief; it reflected a broader leadership campaign to end plural marriage and reinforce obedience after decades of tension over the practice.
What happened
Taylor had resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 1905, but he remained a controversial figure because he continued to resist the church's repudiation of plural marriage. Sources connected to his history note that he was excommunicated in 1911 and that the action followed years of conflict over his views and conduct.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune notice cited in a historical archive, the quorum of the Twelve dealt with Taylor on March 28, 1911, and the verdict was excommunication for "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church." That wording is important because it frames the case as both doctrinal and institutional: Taylor was judged not merely for a theological position, but for refusing to fall in line with leadership decisions.
"The verdict of excommunication was pronounced upon him for that cause, and he is no longer, therefore, a member of the church."
Why he was disciplined
The main issue behind Taylor's excommunication was plural marriage. After the 1890 Manifesto, which formally ended the practice, and the 1904 Second Manifesto, which tightened enforcement, the LDS Church moved from toleration to punishment for continued polygamy. Taylor remained identified with the older order, and that made him a direct challenge to the church's new policy.
- Core issue: continued support for plural marriage after official church abandonment of the practice.
- Immediate church concern: maintaining discipline and signaling that senior leaders would be held accountable.
- Broader context: the church was trying to present a more unified public stance in the aftermath of federal pressure and internal dissent.
Historical summaries also indicate that Taylor did not respond with open hostility toward the church after the disciplinary action. One BYU-based profile says his excommunication was "accepted by him without expressed protest and with no bitterness to the Church," which suggests a subdued personal reaction even amid a major institutional break.
Timeline of events
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| April 9, 1884 | Ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | Marked his rise as a major LDS leader. |
| October 28, 1905 | Resigned from the Twelve | Showed early conflict over church direction on plural marriage. |
| March 28-29, 1911 | Excommunicated | Formal removal from church membership. |
| May 2, 1911 | Official notice printed in the Deseret News | Public confirmation of the action. |
| October 10, 1916 | Died in Salt Lake City | He remained a significant, if controversial, figure in LDS history. |
Historical context
John W. Taylor's case cannot be separated from the LDS Church's larger struggle with polygamy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The church had formally announced the end of new plural marriages in 1890, but enforcement remained uneven for years, and the 1904 Second Manifesto intensified pressure on members and leaders who did not comply. Taylor became one of the highest-profile examples of what happened when that compliance failed.
His background made the case even more visible. As the son of John Taylor, the church's third president, and as a former apostle himself, he represented both inherited authority and doctrinal continuity. That made his disciplinary case especially symbolic: it was not only about one man, but about the church defining the limits of loyalty in a new era.
- John W. Taylor was first set apart as an apostle in 1884.
- He later resigned in 1905 amid conflict over polygamy.
- Church leaders excommunicated him in 1911 after continuing tensions over discipline and plural marriage.
Aftermath and legacy
Taylor's later years appear to have been relatively quiet compared with the controversy that preceded them. He died in 1916, and later historical references note that his blessings were restored posthumously, a sign that the church eventually softened its stance toward his legacy. That posthumous restoration does not erase the excommunication, but it does show how the church later reinterpreted the historical conflict.
His story is often remembered as a case study in how religious institutions enforce doctrinal change. The excommunication of a former apostle made clear that leadership authority had shifted decisively, and that the era of tolerated resistance to anti-polygamy policy was ending. For historians, the case remains important because it reveals how belief, law, family structure, and institutional control collided in early 20th-century Mormonism.
Frequently asked questions
Why it still matters
John W. Taylor's case remains one of the clearest examples of the LDS Church's break with plural marriage as an active, enforceable practice. It shows the cost of resisting institutional change at a moment when the church was trying to stabilize its public image and internal discipline. The story also explains why Taylor remains a major name in histories of Mormon polygamy, church governance, and religious authority.
What are the most common questions about Unveiled Taylor Excommunication Secrets?
When was John W. Taylor excommunicated?
He was excommunicated on March 28, 1911, with some historical records listing March 29, 1911 as the formal date. The action was later publicly reported in May 1911.
Why was John W. Taylor excommunicated?
He was excommunicated mainly because he continued to oppose the church's abandonment of plural marriage and was judged insubordinate to church government and discipline.
Was John W. Taylor still an apostle when he was excommunicated?
No. He had already resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1905, and the excommunication came years later in 1911.
Did John W. Taylor fight the excommunication?
Available historical summaries say he accepted the action without expressed protest and without bitterness toward the church.
Was he ever restored to the church?
Historical sources note that his blessings were restored after his death, indicating a later posthumous reconciliation.