John Taylor (Mormon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Taylor |
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| 3rd President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | |
| October 10, 1880 – July 25, 1887 | |
| Predecessor | Brigham Young |
| Successor | Wilford Woodruff |
| President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| April 10, 1875 – October 10, 1880 | |
| Predecessor | Orson Hyde |
| Successor | Wilford Woodruff |
| End reason | Became President of the Church |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| December 19, 1838 – October 10, 1880 | |
| Called by | Joseph Smith |
| End reason | Became President of the Church |
| LDS Church Apostle | |
| December 19, 1838 – July 25, 1887 | |
| Called by | Joseph Smith |
| Reason | Replenishing Quorum of the Twelve |
| Reorganization at end of term |
Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, and Abraham H. Cannon ordained |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 November 1808 Milnthorpe, Westmorland, England |
| Died | 25 July 1887 (aged 78) Kaysville, Utah, United States |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′37.92″N 111°51′28.8″W / 40.7772000°N 111.858000°W |
| Spouse(s) | Leonora Cannon Elizabeth Kaighin Jane Ballantyne Mary Ann Oakley Sophia Whitaker Harriet Whitaker Margaret Young Josephine Elizabeth Roueche |
| Children | 34 |
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John Taylor (born November 1, 1808 – died July 25, 1887) was an important religious leader. He was born in England and became the third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He led the church from 1880 to 1887. He is the only church president so far who was born outside the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Beliefs
John Taylor was born in Milnthorpe, England. His parents were James and Agnes Taylor. He went to school until he was fourteen. After that, he learned to be a cooper (someone who makes barrels) and a woodturner (someone who shapes wood). He also trained as a cabinetmaker.
When he was young, John Taylor said he saw a vision. He saw "an angel in the heavens, holding a trumpet to his mouth." He later believed this angel was angel Moroni, an important figure in his faith. He was baptized in the Church of England as a baby. At sixteen, he joined the Methodist church. A year later, he became a lay preacher, which meant he could preach without being a full minister. He felt called to preach in North America.
In 1830, John's parents and siblings moved to Canada. John stayed in England to sell the family's property. He joined his family in Toronto in 1832. In Toronto, he met Leonora Cannon. They married on January 28, 1833.
From 1834 to 1836, John and Leonora studied religion with a group in Toronto. They questioned their Methodist faith and were called "Dissenters." Other members of this group, like Joseph Fielding and his sisters, also became important in the Latter Day Saint movement. John continued to work as a woodturner during this time.
Joining the Church
In 1836, John and Leonora Taylor met Parley P. Pratt in Toronto. Pratt was an apostle in the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Leonora was the first to join the church. She encouraged John to keep studying with Pratt.
After they were baptized, they actively preached and helped organize the church in Canada. For a while, John led six church groups in the Toronto area. In 1837, he helped arrange Joseph Smith's visit to Toronto. Later, John and Leonora moved to Far West, Missouri. John was ordained an apostle on December 19, 1838. He helped other church members move to Commerce, Illinois, which was later called Nauvoo.
In 1839, John Taylor and other apostles served as missionaries in Britain. Taylor preached in Liverpool. He was also in charge of missionary work in Ireland and the Isle of Man.
Life in Nauvoo
John Taylor returned to Nauvoo, Illinois. He served in many roles there. He was a city councilman, a chaplain, and a colonel in the Nauvoo Legion. He also worked as a newspaper editor and a judge advocate.
Taylor edited two newspapers in Nauvoo: Times and Seasons and the Nauvoo Neighbor. Times and Seasons was the official newspaper of the church. He was the assistant editor, but he made most of the decisions. He also edited the Nauvoo Neighbor, which focused more on politics. He edited these main Nauvoo papers from 1842 to 1846.
In 1842, Taylor was present when the Relief Society was organized. This is a women's organization in the church. He helped set apart Sarah Cleveland and Elizabeth Ann Whitney to assist Emma Smith.
In 1844, John Taylor was with church founder Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum Smith, and fellow apostle Willard Richards. They were in the Carthage, Illinois, jail when a mob attacked. Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed. Taylor was badly wounded in the attack. A musket ball hit his chest but was stopped by a pocket watch he was carrying. This may have saved his life. However, some studies suggest the watch might have been damaged when he fell.
In 1845, Taylor became the president of the Nauvoo Tradesmen Association. This group encouraged local businesses to make goods.
Journey to Salt Lake Valley
From 1846 to 1847, most Latter-day Saints followed Brigham Young to the Salt Lake Valley. John Taylor went to England to help with church leadership issues there. When he returned, he and Parley P. Pratt led about 1500 more Latter-day Saints to the Salt Lake Valley. Brigham Young and others had already settled there and started Great Salt Lake City.
Public Service and Missions
John Taylor became a United States citizen in 1849. That same year, he became a judge in the provisional State of Deseret. He later served in the Utah territorial legislature from 1853 to 1876. He was chosen as Speaker of the House for five years in a row, starting in 1857. In 1852, he wrote a book called The Government of God. It compared government systems.
From 1868 to 1870, Taylor was a probate judge in Utah County, Utah. He also became the superintendent of schools for Utah Territory in 1876.
Taylor served as a president for two church missions. In 1849, he traveled east to start missionary work in France. He was the first church mission president in France. While there, he published a newspaper called L'Etoile du Deseret. He also oversaw missionary work in Germany.
In 1852, the Book of Mormon was published in French. Taylor helped supervise this translation. Later, he led the Eastern States Mission in New York City. There, he published a newspaper that shared the views of the Latter-day Saints.
Utah's Economy and Music
While serving as mission president in France, John Taylor was asked by church president Brigham Young to help start a sugar industry in Utah. Taylor bought sugar-making equipment in England. However, these early attempts to make sugar in Utah were not successful.
John Taylor was known for his singing voice. Before Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed in Carthage Jail, Taylor sang the song "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" twice at Hyrum Smith's request.
Taylor also wrote the words to several hymns. Some of these hymns are still used by the LDS Church today. In 2005, his hymn "Joseph the Seer" was sung at a celebration for Joseph Smith's 200th birthday. The 1985 English-language LDS Church hymnal includes two hymns with lyrics by Taylor: "Go Ye Messengers of Glory" and "Go, Ye Messengers of Heaven."
Leading the Church
After Brigham Young died in 1877, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles led the church. John Taylor was the president of this quorum. In 1880, he became the third president of the church. He chose Joseph F. Smith and George Q. Cannon to be his counselors.
As church president, John Taylor helped the Salt Lake community grow. He also helped organize the church's structure further. He oversaw the establishment of new church communities in Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Canada, and Mexico. He also defended the practice of plural marriage against growing government opposition.
During his time as president, Taylor also created Zion's Central Board of Trade. This group helped coordinate trade and production across different church areas.
In 1878, the Primary Association was founded for children. In 1880, Taylor helped make the Primary Association a church-wide organization. He chose Louie B. Felt as its first general president. In October 1880, the Pearl of Great Price became an official book of scripture for the church.
Taylor also oversaw a new edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. During his presidency, the seventies quorums were also better organized.
Challenges and Later Life
In 1882, the United States Congress passed the Edmunds Act. This law made practicing plural marriage a serious crime. Many church members were arrested and put in prison for continuing this practice. John Taylor had followed Brigham Young's teachings on plural marriage.
To avoid being arrested, John Taylor moved into the Gardo House alone with his sister, Agnes. By 1885, he and his counselors had to hide from the public. They moved often to avoid arrest. In his last public sermon in 1885, Taylor said he wanted to obey all laws of man. But he also asked, "Am I to disobey the law of God? Has any man a right to control my conscience...?"
In 1887, the U.S. Congress passed the Edmunds–Tucker Act. This law took away women's right to vote in Utah Territory. It also forced wives to testify against their husbands. The law dissolved the LDS Church as a legal organization and took away much of its property.
For two and a half years, John Taylor led the church while in hiding.
Death
John Taylor died on July 25, 1887, from congestive heart failure in Kaysville, Utah Territory. He was buried at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. After his death, the church was again without a president for two years. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, led by Wilford Woodruff, took charge. In April 1889, Wilford Woodruff became the next president of the church.
John Taylor's teachings as an apostle were studied by church members in 2003.
Family
John Taylor had many children. His son, John W. Taylor, continued to serve in the church and in politics. He helped Utah become a state in 1896. John W. Taylor was later removed from the church for disagreeing with the church's decision to stop the practice of plural marriage. His son, Samuel W. Taylor, became a writer and wrote about his father and grandfather.
Another son, William W. Taylor, was one of the first presidents of the seventy (a church leadership group). He also served in the Utah territorial legislature.
John Taylor's wife, Margaret Young Taylor, was a leader in the first general presidency of the church's Young Women organization. His daughter, Annie Taylor Hyde, was a leader in the Relief Society and founded the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.
Images for kids
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North view of John Taylor's Grave monument.
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Lower portion of west side of monument.
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West view of monument
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South view of monument.
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East view of bottom portion of monument.
Works
- LDS Church publication number 35969.
See also
In Spanish: John Taylor (SUD) para niños
- Cannon family
