John W Taylor Mormon Excommunication Hides A Deeper Story
John W. Taylor was excommunicated from the LDS Church on March 28, 1911, after years of conflict over his continued defense of plural marriage and his refusal to fully align with church discipline after the 1904 Second Manifesto. The clearest contemporaneous account says he was disciplined for "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church," and the action was publicly reported in early May 1911.
What happened
John Whittaker Taylor, son of former church president John Taylor, had already resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 1905 amid mounting pressure over plural marriage. His excommunication was not a sudden event; it was the culmination of a long dispute between Taylor and church leadership over obedience, doctrine, and the end of polygamy in official LDS practice. He remained a controversial figure because he continued to be associated with plural marriage after the church had moved to enforce its ban more strictly.
The central issue was plural marriage, which the LDS Church publicly renounced in the 1890 Manifesto and then enforced more aggressively after the 1904 Second Manifesto. Taylor did not simply disagree in private; he was viewed as resisting church direction and maintaining loyalty to the older practice. That is why the disciplinary language emphasized "insubordination," not just doctrinal disagreement.
Key dates
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1858 | Born in Provo, Utah Territory | Son of John Taylor, the third president of the church |
| October 28, 1905 | Resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve | First major formal break with church leadership |
| March 28, 1911 | Excommunicated | Official disciplinary removal from church membership |
| October 10, 1916 | Died in Salt Lake City | He died still regarded by many as a committed believer |
| May 21, 1965 | Posthumous restoration of blessings | Later proxy restoration within LDS ordinances |
Why he was disciplined
Church sources and later historical summaries consistently tie Taylor's removal to his opposition to the church's abandonment of plural marriage. By the early 1900s, the LDS leadership had concluded that continued plural marriage threatened the church's legal standing and public legitimacy in the United States. Taylor remained aligned with older teachings and, in the eyes of church authorities, did not fully submit to the new line.
Contemporary reporting also matters here. A 1911 newspaper account said the Twelve Apostles acted against him for "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church," which suggests the case was framed as a governance issue as much as a theological one. That wording is important because it shows the church was enforcing institutional authority, not merely debating abstract doctrine.
How the church viewed it
From the LDS leadership's perspective, Taylor represented a senior dissenter at a sensitive moment. The church had already taken major steps to end the public practice of plural marriage, and leaders were trying to preserve unity after decades of conflict with federal authorities. Taylor's continued resistance made him a symbol of the older order, which made his case unusually visible.
"The verdict of excommunication was pronounced upon him for that cause, and he is no longer, therefore, a member of the church."
That historical phrasing reflects how final the church intended the action to be at the time. Even so, later church activity suggests the story did not end with exclusion alone. Taylor's later posthumous restoration indicates that, in retrospect, the church treated his case with more nuance than the original discipline implied.
What happened after
After his resignation and excommunication, Taylor lived privately and remained connected to his family and belief system. Historical summaries describe him as continuing to believe in Mormonism, even while being outside the institutional church. His death in 1916 closed a difficult chapter, but his name stayed relevant in discussions of the transition away from plural marriage.
- He was not expelled for a single isolated statement, but for a prolonged pattern of resistance.
- His conflict centered on church authority after the 1890 and 1904 anti-polygamy shifts.
- His case became part of the larger story of how the LDS Church centralized discipline in the early 20th century.
- Later proxy ordinances reflected a degree of posthumous reconciliation.
Why it matters
John W. Taylor's excommunication is historically significant because it shows how seriously the LDS Church treated the end of plural marriage after the Second Manifesto. The case also illustrates the cost of doctrinal transition inside a religious institution: leaders had to choose between preserving older teachings and enforcing a new public position. Taylor stood at the center of that rupture because of both his family legacy and his personal commitment to the older practice.
For historians, the event is also a reminder that "excommunication" can mean different things in different periods. In Taylor's case, it was both a disciplinary act and a statement about the church's new boundary lines. That makes his story essential for understanding the modern LDS Church's break from the plural-marriage era.
Frequently asked questions
What the record shows
The historical record points to a clear conclusion: John W. Taylor was excommunicated because he would not fully submit to the LDS Church's new anti-polygamy policy and the authority behind it. The most reliable accounts agree on the date, the general cause, and the fact that the issue had been building for years. His case remains one of the best-known examples of the church's effort to enforce a decisive break from plural marriage.
Expert answers to John W Taylor Mormon Excommunication Hides A Deeper Story queries
Why was John W. Taylor excommunicated?
He was excommunicated because he continued to oppose the LDS Church's abandonment of plural marriage and was seen as resisting church discipline and authority.
When was John W. Taylor excommunicated?
He was excommunicated on March 28, 1911, and the action was reported publicly in May 1911.
Did John W. Taylor resign before excommunication?
Yes. He resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 1905, several years before his excommunication.
Was John W. Taylor rebaptized?
He was not rebaptized during his lifetime, but his blessings were later restored by proxy in 1965 as part of posthumous LDS ordinances.
Was the excommunication only about polygamy?
Polygamy was the core issue, but the formal charge also reflected broader insubordination and refusal to accept church discipline.