John Taylor
Born 1 Nov. 1808 at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England.[1] Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor. [2] Migrated to York, York Township, York Co., Home District, Upper Canada, ca. 1832.[3] Married Leonora Cannon, 28 Jan. 1833, in York.[4] Baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, 9 May 1836, at York.[5] Ordained as an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles by Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, 19 Dec. 1838, at Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri.[6] Served missions to England, 1839–1841, 1846–1847.[7] Participated in plural marriage.[8] Survived mob attack on the jail in Carthage, Hancock Co., Illinois, when Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith were murdered, 27 June 1844.[9] Preached at a sacrament meeting attended by EBW on the Iowa trail, 19 Apr. 1846.[10] Migrated to the Salt Lake Valley with the Edward Hunter/Joseph Horne pioneer company, arriving 29 Sept. 1847.[11] Elected associate judge of the provisional state of Deseret (later Utah Territory), 12 Mar. 1849.[12] Served a mission to France; under his direction the Book of Mormon was translated into French and German, 1849–1852.[13] Editor of the Mormon, 1855–1857, in New York City.[14] Member of the Utah territorial legislature, 1853–1878.[15] Following the death of Brigham Young, presided over the Church, 1877–1887.[16] Ordained president of the Church, 10 Oct. 1880.[17] Sustained as president of the Church in a solemn meeting, as reported by EBW, 15 Oct. 1880.[18] Died 25 July 1887 in Kaysville, Davis Co., Utah Territory.[19] Announcement of his death was published in the Woman’s Exponent by editor EBW, 1 Aug. 1887.[20]
[1] Historian’s Office, History of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861, John Taylor, Autobiography, 1858, p. 1, CR 100 93, image 1/34, CHL. Temple Records Index Bureau, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register, 10 December 1845 to 8 February 1846 (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1974), 2 (restricted access). “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 16 June 2020), John Taylor (KWJC-VF5).
[2] Historian’s Office, History of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861, John Taylor, Autobiography, 1858, p. 1, CR 100 93, image 1/34, CHL.
[3] Historian’s Office, History of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861, John Taylor, Autobiography, 1858, p. 3, CR 100 93, image 3/34, CHL. “Announcement of the Death of President John Taylor,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 26 July 1887, 2.
[4] Historian’s Office, History of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861, John Taylor, Autobiography, 1858, p. 7, CR 100 93, image 7/34, CHL. J. Ross Robertson, Robertson’s Landmarks of Toronto: A Collection of Historical Sketches of the Old Town of York from 1792 to 1833 and of Toronto 1834 to 1898 (Toronto: J. Ross Robertson, 1898), 3:436.
[5] Historian’s Office, History of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861, John Taylor, Autobiography, 1858, p. 10, CR 100 93, image 10/34, CHL. Andrew Jenson, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History, 1901), 15.
[6] “Minute Book 2,” p. 175, Joseph Smith Papers (https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/minute-book-2/177, accessed 18 June 2020). “Announcement of the Death of President John Taylor,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 26 July 1887, 2.
[7] “Announcement of the Death of President John Taylor,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 26 July 1887, 2. Andrew Jenson, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History, 1901), 17.
[8] “Sealings and Adoptions of the Living, 1846–1857; Index, 1846–1857,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nauvoo Temple, vol. A, 1846–1857, p. 523, line 3741, John Taylor and Mary Ann Oakley, 7 Jan. 1846, microfilm 183374, DGS 5265582 (restricted access), FHL.
[9] Willard Richards, “Two Minutes in Jail,” Times and Seasons, 1 Aug. 1844, 5:598–599.
[10] EBW, Diary, 19 Apr. 1846. Record of the Organization of the Camp of Israel, 1846, p. [5], MS 5928, image 5/16, CHL.
[11] Camp of Israel Schedules and Reports, 1845–1849, Brigham Young’s 1847 Emigration Division (First Division), Edward Hunter’s 100, Schedules, ca. Feb. 1847, MS 14290, image 3/14, CHL. Andrew Jenson, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History, 1901), 17. “John Taylor,” Pioneer Database (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel/, accessed 19 June 2020).
[12] Hubert Howe Bancroft, History of Utah, 1540–1886, Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft 26 (San Francisco: History Company, 1889), 443.
[13] “Announcement of the Death of President John Taylor,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 26 July 1887, 2. Andrew Jenson, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History, 1901), 18.
[14] “Announcement of the Death of President John Taylor,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 26 July 1887, 2. Andrew Jenson, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History, 1901), 18.
[15] Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah, Territory of Utah Legislative Assembly Roster, pp. 3, 10, 11, 18, 19, 42 (https://archives.utah.gov/research/guides/legislative-assembly-rosters.pdf, accessed 18 June 2020).
[16] “Announcement of the Death of President John Taylor,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 26 July 1887, 2. Andrew Jenson, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History, 1901), 18.
[17] “Fifth Day. Sunday October 10th, 1880,” Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), 11 Oct. 1880, 2. “Announcement of the Death of President John Taylor,” Deseret Evening News, 26 July 1887, 2.
[18] “Fiftieth Semi-Annual Conference,” Woman’s Exponent, 15 Oct. 1880, 4.
[19] “Utah Death Registers, 1847–1966,” p. 221 (1887), John Taylor; citing series 21866, from Utah Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Utah State Archives and Records Service, Salt Lake City. Andrew Jenson, Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History, 1901), 19.
[20] “Announcement of the Death of President John Taylor,” Woman’s Exponent, 1 Aug. 1887, 96.