John Taylor (1808–1887) was the third prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During his presidency, he was known for helping the Saints deal with the persecutions of jail, fines, and being denied the vote because of their beliefs.
John Taylor was born on November 1, 1808, in Milnthorpe, England. At fourteen he finished schooling and became a skilled woodworker. He joined the Methodist church and became a lay preacher. John Taylor emigrated to Canada in 1832 and there met his future wife Leonora Cannon. Both John and Leonora were part of a religious group that prayed for the restoration of New Testament Christianity. Upon their introduction to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they felt it was the answer to their prayers and were baptized in 1836.
The Taylors moved to Far West, Missouri, in 1837 and on December 19, 1838, John Taylor was ordained as an apostle. He became instrumental in assisting the Saints as they sought escape from mob persecution in Missouri and fled to Illinois. He also served a mission to the British Isles and helped open the mission in Ireland and on the Isle of Man. The Prophet Joseph Smith dubbed John Taylor a true “defender of the faith.”
In Nauvoo John Taylor published the Times and Seasons from 1842 to 1846 as well as another newspaper, the Nauvoo Neighbor, from 1843 to 1846. John Taylor was one of the men who was with Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail when they were martyred. John Taylor was shot several times by the same mob that killed the prophet and his brother, Hyrum. John Taylor wrote Doctrine and Covenants 135 as a tribute to Joseph and Hyrum. The most famous passage from this section is—
- Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!
In 1847, after having been forcefully evicted from Nauvoo, the city they had built in Illinois, John Taylor helped lead the Saints again. With the help of Parley P. Pratt, John Taylor led 1,500 Saints to Utah. He then served in various civil service roles such as judge of Utah County, territorial superintendent of schools, and as Speaker of the House for five sessions. In 1849, John Taylor was sent to Europe again and there directed the missionary work in France and Germany. He also directed the translation and printing of a French-German edition of the Book of Mormon. In 1880, after the death of Brigham Young, John Taylor was ordained as the President of the Church. His life’s motto, which people often heard him say, was “the Kingdom of God or Nothing.”
To read more about his life: Mormonwiki
