John Taylor's 1886 Revelation

In 1886, while in hiding from federal agents, John Taylor recorded a revelation that seems to describe plural marriage as an "everlasting covenant" that the Lord would never revoke. What can be said about this revelation? Why was it never canonized? Did the Church ever deny its existence? This article explores these and other questions.

Timeline of John Taylor's 1886 Revelation

February 1, 1885

John Taylor[BIO] goes into hiding to avoid federal prosecution for practicing polygamy.[1]

September 27, 1886

John Taylor records a revelation on the "new and everlasting covenant."[2]

July 25, 1887

John Taylor dies.[3]

April 7, 1889

Wilford Woodruff[BIO] succeeds Taylor as president of the Church.[4]

September 30, 1890

Heber J. Grant[BIO] records in his journal that John W. Taylor,[BIO] John Taylor's son, informed the Quorum of the Twelve about his father's revelation.[5]

October 6, 1890

Wilford Woodruff issues the Manifesto, instructing Latter-day Saints to refrain from practicing plural marriage.[6]

April 1, 1892

Abraham H. Cannon[BIO] records in his journal that John W. Taylor again referenced his father's revelation during a quorum meeting.[7]

August 3, 1909

Joseph Fielding Smith[BIO] makes a copy of the Taylor revelation for the Church Historian's Office.[8]

February 22–March 1, 1911

A disciplinary council is held for John W. Taylor due to his continued practice of plural marriage.[9] During the meeting, the Taylor revelation is discussed.[10][11]

August 1, 1915

Nathaniel Baldwin[BIO] records in his journal that a copy of the Taylor revelation is being privately circulated among various fundamentalists.[12]

March 12, 1922

Fundamentalist Joseph W. Musser[BIO] copies the Taylor revelation into his personal journal, preserving an account of its purported origins, including a claim that Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ appeared to John Taylor.[13]

Circa 1927

Copies of the Taylor revelation start appearing in various fundamentalist publications.[14]

June 17, 1933

In an official statement, the First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins,[BIO] and J. Reuben Clark[BIO]) denies the existence of the Taylor revelation.[15]

July 15, 1933

Frank Y. Taylor,[BIO] a son of John Taylor, deposits the original manuscript of the Taylor revelation with the First Presidency.[16][17]

February 10, 1934

In a private letter, First Presidency member Anthony W. Ivins states the Taylor revelation has "no standing" in the Church.[18]

December 31, 1934

In a private letter, apostle Melvin J. Ballard[BIO] dismisses "the pretended revelation of President Taylor" as not binding on the Church.[19]

October 1938

A photographic facsimile of the Taylor revelation, along with a transcription, is published in Truth, a fundamentalist periodical.[20]

Circa 1940s

The Taylor revelation is republished in various fundamentalist pamphlets.[21]

1959

Dean Jessee[BIO] discusses the Taylor revelation and the events surrounding it in his BYU master's thesis.[22]

1960s

Fundamentalist publications continue to circulate photographic facsimile copies of the Taylor revelation.[23]

1970

Kenneth W. Godfrey[BIO] writes on the Taylor revelation in the periodical Dialogue.[24]

1971

D. Michael Quinn[BIO] examines the original Taylor revelation in Church archives.[25]

April 21, 1972

Raymond W. Taylor,[BIO] a grandson of John Taylor, discovers multiple copies of the 1886 revelation in Church archives.[26]

1974

Apostle Mark E. Petersen[BIO] publicly denies the authenticity of the Taylor revelation, labeling it a "false revelation" that was "concocted" by fundamentalists.[27]

1976

Samuel W. Taylor,[BIO] grandson of John Taylor, publishes The Kingdom or Nothing, which discusses the 1886 revelation.[28]

1979

J. Max Anderson[BIO] publishes The Polygamy Story: Fiction and Fact, disputing fundamentalist claims about the revelation and the alleged details of its origin.[29]

1985

D. Michael Quinn publishes a landmark study on post-Manifesto polygamy, examining the Taylor revelation and its archival provenance.[30]

1989

Elden J. Watson[BIO] publishes President John Taylor's 1886 Revelation, arguing that the revelation addressed the concept of eternal marriage rather than polygamy specifically.[31]

2009

BYU's Religious Studies Center publishes a book on John Taylor that includes a caution against accepting the authenticity of his 1886 revelation.[32]

2014

Terryl Givens[BIO] and Reid L. Neilson[BIO] reproduce the Taylor revelation in a book on Latter-day Saint history published through Columbia University.[33]

2015

Brian C. Hales[BIO] publishes a detailed article in the book The Persistence of Polygamy, arguing that the Taylor revelation was authentic but did not mandate the continued practice of plural marriage.[34]

2020

The second volume of the series Saints, published by the Church, briefly references the Taylor revelation.[35]

2025

The Church digitizes and releases the original Taylor revelation on its Church History Catalogue.[36]

Expand Timeline

What is the John Taylor 1886 revelation?

The John Taylor 1886 Revelation, recorded in his own hand on September 27, 1886, addresses his questions about "the new and everlasting covenant" and "how far it is binding" on the Latter-day Saints.[37]

What is the historical context of the revelation?

In September 1886, John Taylor was in hiding due to federal laws making polygamy and "unlawful cohabitation" a misdemeanor.[38] The revelation, given less than a year before Taylor's death in July 1887,[39] appears to address questions he and other Church leaders had regarding the continued practice of plural marriage in the Church.[40]

What exactly does the revelation say?

The revelation reads in full:

Sept 27 1886 My son John. You have asked me concerning the New & eve<r>lasting covenant how far it is binding upon my people. Thus saith the Lord all commandments that I give must <be obeyed by those calling themselves by my name> unless they are revoked by my or by my authority, and how can I revoke an everlasting covenant; for I the Lord am everlasting my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor done away with; but they stand for ever. & have I not given my word in great plainness on this subject? Yet have not great numbers of my people been neglient in the observance of my law & the keeping of my commandment and yet have I borne with them these many years & this because of their weakness because of the perlious times & furthermore, it is more pleasing to <me> that men should use their free agency in regard to these matters. Nevertheless I the Lord do not change & my word & my covenants & my law do not. & as I have heretofore said by my servant Joseph all those who would enter into my glory must & shall obey my law & have I not commandment men that if they were Abraham's seed & would enter into my glory, they must do the works of Abraham. I have not revoked this law nor will I for it is everlasting & those who will enter into my glory must obey the conditions thereof, even so amen.[41]

Is this saying plural marriage will never be revoked?

Possibly. Fundamentalist Mormons interpret this revelation to mean that plural marriage is an eternal requirement for exaltation and cannot be rescinded by God.[42] However, Latter-day Saint scholars argue that the revelation refers to the "new and everlasting covenant of marriage" described in Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants—meaning that the principle of eternal marriage itself cannot be revoked, but not necessarily the practice of plural marriage specifically.[43]

Is the revelation authentic?

Yes, the historical and archival provenance of this revelation is well established.[44][45]

Picture of John Taylor in 1887 shortly before his death. — Photograph of John Taylor taken in 1887 sometime between the September 27, 1886 revelation and his death on July 25, 1887. Church History Library.

Read More Difficult Questions

52 Primary Sources

Footnotes

BIOJohn Taylor
John Taylor (1808–1887) was born in Westmorland, England. He was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He moved to Canada in 1832 and joined the Church four years later. Taylor was soon appointed to the apostleship and became a prominent advocate for Latter-day Saint doctrine during his mission to the United Kingdom. Taylor accompanied Joseph Smith to Carthage Jail in 1844, where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred. Taylor received a bullet wound to the thigh. He served in the apostleship and First Presidency until his appointment to the Presidency in 1880. Taylor oversaw the Church administration as the Church faced sustained prosecution from federal authorities for the practice of polygamy. He died while in hiding from federal authorities in Kaysville at the age of 79.
BIOWilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff (1807–1898) was the fourth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He joined the faith in 1833 and became an apostle in 1839. He served as an apostle until he became President of the Church in 1889.
BIOHeber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant (1856-1945) served as the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Jedediah Grant (a counselor in the First Presidency) and Rachel Ivins Grant (a long-term Relief Society President in Salt Lake City). Grant worked as a clerk for Zion's bank and started an insurance company and a Utah Sugar Company. He became an apostle in 1882 and established the Church's first mission in Japan. He became Church president in 1918 and served for 27 years.
BIOJohn W. Taylor
John W. Taylor (1858–1916) was an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the son of Church president John Taylor. Sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1884 at age 25, he was a vigorous missionary and defender of plural marriage, even as the Church increasingly distanced itself from the practice following the 1890 Manifesto. Taylor believed that the principle of plural marriage remained divinely mandated and continued to perform and enter into plural unions after the Manifesto. His resistance to the Church’s new policy eventually led to his resignation from the Quorum in 1905 and excommunication in 1911. He remained committed to his beliefs and expressed hope for reconciliation with the Church, though he died in 1916 without being rebaptized.
BIOAbraham H. Cannon
Abraham H. Cannon (1859–1896) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He served as manager for the Church publication Juvenile Instructor and became an apostle in 1889. He kept a robust journal, offering intimate insights into the administration of the Quorum of the Twelve in the late nineteenth century. He died of an ear infection.
BIOJoseph Fielding Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith (1876-1972) was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He became an apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve in 1910 and served in this capacity until he became a member of the First Presidency in 1965. He was the Church Historian and Recorder from 1921 until 1970. He became president of the Church following the death of David O. McKay in 1970.
BIONathaniel Baldwin
Nathaniel Baldwin (1878–1961) was a Mormon inventor, entrepreneur, and early fundamentalist known for his innovations in audio technology and his advocacy of post-Manifesto polygamy. Born in Utah Territory, he studied at Stanford University and developed one of the first commercially successful headphones, which he sold to the U.S. Navy during World War I. His success led to the founding of the Baldwin Radio Company. A committed Latter-day Saint, Baldwin became disillusioned with the Church’s abandonment of plural marriage and aligned himself with emerging Mormon fundamentalist movements. He used his wealth to support fundamentalist leaders, publications, and communities.
BIOJoseph W. Musser
Joseph White Musser (1872-1954), was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. A foundational figure in the fundamentalist movement, Musser exerted a powerful influence on its direction in the 20th century. Musser claimed that sometime in 1899, president Lorenzo Snow secretly instructed him through a messenger to practice polygamy. Musser was later disciplined by the church for practicing polygamy, and eventually excommunicated around 1921. Beginning in the 1930s until his death, Musser wrote prolifically, and was part of a fundamentalist organization called the Council of Seven Friends, alongside Lorin C. Woolley.
BIOAnthony W. Ivins
Anthony Woodward Ivins (1852–1934) was born in Toms River, New Jersey. His family immigrated to Utah in 1853. In 1861, his family was called to go with the first settlers to St. George, Utah. Ivins was called on multiple missions, including to Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. He was a constable, rancher, prosecuting attorney, mayor, and city council member in St. George. Ivans was a mission president in Mexico City and also became the first stake president of the Juarez Stake, the first Latter-day Saint stake in Mexico. Ivins was called and ordained as an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was a member of the First Presidency from 1921 until his death.
BIOJ. Reuben Clark
Joshua Reuben Clark Jr. (September 1, 1871 – October 6, 1961) was an American attorney and an apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Clark was born and raised in Grantsville, Utah, and received his education around the Utah Valley. Despite financial difficulties, Clark was intelligent and excelled in his schoolwork, graduating as valedictorian form his University of Utah class in 1898.Later, Clark attended Columbia University Law School, graduating in 1906. Clark worked as an attorney in the Department of State, and as Undersecretary of State for the U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. Clark also served as the United States Ambassador to Mexico in 1930. Following his ambassadorship, Clark was ordained an apostle in 1934.
BIOFrank Y. Taylor
Frank Y. Taylor (1861–1953) was a prominent Latter-day Saint leader, missionary, and Church administrator, and a son of Church president John Taylor. Taylor held leadership positions such as bishop and stake president of the Granite Stake in Utah from 1900 to 1928. Taylor also played a role in Church history as the custodian of the 1886 revelation on plural marriage.
BIOMelvin J. Ballard
Melvin J. Ballard (1873 – 1939). He served for several years as president of the Northwestern States Mission of the Church. During this time, he organized missionary work on some of the Native American reservatoins in Montana. Ballard was ordained an apostle and became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on January 7, 1919. In 1922, he published the book, Three Degrees of Glory: A Discourse (Deseret Book Company).
BIODean Jessee
Dean C. Jessee (b. 1929) is a Latter-day Saint historian and documentary editor best known for his pioneering work on the life and writings of Joseph Smith. Jessee played a foundational role in the scholarly editing and publication of early Mormon documents. He is best known for editing The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith and launching the first volumes of the Papers of Joseph Smith project, efforts that helped establish rigorous documentary standards in Mormon history. Jessee later became a key contributor to the Joseph Smith Papers Project, which grew out of his earlier work.
BIOKenneth W. Godfrey
Kenneth W. Godfrey was a Seminary and Institute teacher in the Church Education System (CES). He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science from Utah State University. He also served as an administrator for CES. From 1983-19984, he was the president of the Mormon History Association. He retired in 1995.
BIOD. Michael Quinn
Dennis Michael Quinn (1944-2021) was an American historian with a focus on the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a professor at BYU from 1976 to 1988. He was excommunicated in September 1993, being one of the "September Six." His books include Early Mormonism and the Magic World View (1987/1998), Same-Sex Dynamic Among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example (1996) and Elder Statesman: A Biography of J. Reuben Clark (2002).
BIORaymond W. Taylor
Raymond W. Taylor (1904–1972) was the grandson of Church president John Taylor best known for coediting the John Taylor Papers with his brother Samuel W. Taylor.
BIOMark E. Petersen
Mark E. Petersen (1900-1984) served as an apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in Salt Lake City, Petersen served a mission to Nova Scotia and attended the University of Utah, where he studied journalism. He worked as a reporter for the Deseret News and soon became the Deseret News general manager. In 1944, he was appointed to the apostleship. He became the author of multiple short books on scriptural figures such as Moses and Joshua and moral issues such as alcohol consumption and sexual relationships. Petersen also was an ardent opponent of the Civil Rights Movement, warning that it would lead to racial intermarriage. Petersen died from cancer in 1984.
BIOSamuel W. Taylor
Samuel W. Taylor (1907–1997) was an American author, historian, and screenwriter best known for his humorous fiction and histories. The son of John W. Taylor—an excommunicated apostle—and grandson of Church president John Taylor, Samuel grew up with a deep personal connection to Latter-day Saint history. Taylor wrote extensively across genres, publishing novels, short stories, biographies, and screenplays.
BIOJ. Max Anderson
J. Max Anderson (1928–2021) was a Latter-day Saint, author, architect, and genealogist. Born in Richfield, Utah, he served a mission to Sweden and later held various Church callings. He authored The Polygamy Story: Fiction and Fact, contributing to efforts to bring members of polygamist groups back into the Church. Trained in architecture and fine arts, Anderson helped design numerous public buildings in Utah, including the Adams Memorial Shakespeare Theatre in Cedar City.
BIOElden Watson
Elden Jay Watson is an author and historian. He received an MA in physics from the University of Utah in 1968 and worked for thirty-two years in the electronics industry. His authorial and editorial works include the Manuscript History of Brigham Young, the Orson Pratt Journals, and The Jehovah Doctrine.
BIOTerryl Givens
Terryl L. Givens is a Latter-day Saint scholar, author, and theologian known for his influential work on Mormon history, theology, and culture. Holding a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Givens has taught at the University of Richmond and later joined the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. Givens has authored works such as By the Hand of Mormon, a groundbreaking study of the Book of Mormon’s place in Latter-day Saint history and theology; The God Who Weeps (co-authored with his wife, Fiona Givens), which presents a compassionate view of LDS doctrine; and Wrestling the Angel, a theological survey of Mormon beliefs.
BIOReid L. Neilson
Reid L. Neilson is a Latter-day Saint historian known for his work in Church history. He holds a Ph.D. in from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Neilson has written and edited numerous books on Latter-day Saint history, including studies of missionary work and the globalization of the Church. He served as managing director of the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as assistant Church historian and recorder. In 2022, he became Assistant Academic Vice President of BYU.
BIOBrian C. Hales
Brian C. Hales (1957–living) is an author and anesthesiologist who resides in Utah. He served as a missionary in Venezuela from 1976 to 1978. Hales studied medicine at the University of Utah and completed his residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He has written books on the topic of polygamy, including Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism.
[1]↩︎
According to an 1892 biography, after giving one final public sermon on February 1, 1885, Taylor went into hiding.
- B. H. Roberts describes John Taylor going into hiding in 1885 after passage of the Edmunds Act.
[2]↩︎
The original revelation is written in Taylor's own handwriting. It is prefaced in the voice of God as saying: "My son John. You have asked me concerning the New & eve<r>lasting covenant how far it is binding upon my people."
- Original handwritten copy of John Taylor's 1886 revelation.
[3]↩︎
Taylor passed away from an unspecified illness while in hiding at the home of Thomas F. Rouche in Kaysville, Utah. His death was announced in the Deseret News on August 3, 1887.
- Deseret News announces the death of John Taylor.
- B. H. Roberts' biography of John Taylor records the place of his death.
[4]↩︎
Woodruff was sustained as the new President of the Church during general conference on Sunday, April 7, 1889, as reported in the Deseret News.
- Deseret News reports Wilford Woodruff sustained as Church president.
[5]↩︎
Grant recorded how in a quorum meeting with the Twelve Taylor told the other apostles about his father's revelation.
He also remembered finding among his father's papers the words of the Lord to him in which The Lord said that plural marriage was one of His eternal laws and that he had established it, that man had not done so and that he would sustain and uphold his saints in carrying it out. He said that this was given to his father in answer to prayer in which he had asked the Lord if it would not be right under the circumstances to discontinue plural marriage.
- Heber J. Grant hears John W. Taylor tell the Quorum of the Twelve about his (Taylor's) father's 1886 revelation.
[6]↩︎
The text of the manifesto was published as part of the proceedings of the general conference that month.
- Official text of Wilford Woodruff's 1890 manifesto ending plural marriage.
[7]↩︎
Cannon record how in that meeting with the Twelve:
John W. Taylor spoke in relation to the Manifesto: "I do not know that that thing was right, though I voted to sustain it, and will assist to maintain it; but among my father's papers I found a revelation given him of the Lord, and which is now in my possession, in which the Lord told him that the principle of plural marriage would never be overcome. Pres. Taylor desired to have it suspended, but the Lord would not permit it to be done.
- Abraham H. Cannon records that in quorum meeting John W. Taylor mentioned his father's revelation.
[8]↩︎
During John W. Taylor's membership trial in 1911, Joseph Fielding Smith acknowledged copying the revelation from the original provided by a "Brother Rodney Badger":
J. F. Smith Jr.: It is true I obtained a copy of this revelation from Brother Rodney Badger. He let me take the original and I made a copy and filed it in the Historian's Office, this was but a short time ago.
Another copy of Smith's 1909 transcription was made in 1972.
[9]↩︎
According to the minutes of John W. Taylor's disciplinary council, the 1886 Taylor revelation was discussed at various times among quorum members. John W. Taylor cited it, in part, as justification for his continued practice of plural marriage after the Manifesto, stating at one point: "My father received a revelation which, however, was never presented to the Church, and I refer to this not because it is a revelation to my father, . . . but because it seems to pertain to this question."
The minutes also indicate that copies of the revelation were already in circulation by the time of the trial.
A. W. Ivins: Do you know how extensively this revelation has been circulated in times past and has guided people in their actions in this regard? J. W. Taylor: Brother Joseph Robinson came to me and asked for a copy of it upon the suggestion of Brother Cowley and he got it from Brother Badger. Brother Joseph F. Smith Jr., also got a copy, but I don't know how many have got copies from these.
- Reprint of minutes of membership trial of John W. Taylor; mentions the quorum discussion around the 1886 Taylor revelation.
- Reprint of minutes of membership trial of John W. Taylor; mentions the quorum discussion around the 1886 Taylor revelation.
[10]↩︎
During his excommunication trial, John W. Taylor presented a copy of his father's revelation, which was read aloud to the council by Charles W. Penrose. This copy was created sometime between 1886 (the date of the revelation) and 1911 (the date of Taylor's trial).
In 1979, Samuel W. Taylor, John W.'s son, confirmed that this copy was in his father's handwriting:
As for evidence, the very best is the copy of the revelation by my father, John W. Taylor. Certainly he knew President Taylor's handwriting. He copied the revelation in his own hand, and I can certify that this copy is in the handwriting of my father.
[11]↩︎
Taylor resigned from his position in the Quorum of the Twelve in 1905 and was later excommunicated in 1911 for "insubordination to the government and discipline of the church."
- Lawrence R. Flake writes on the ecclesiastical tenure of John W. Taylor.
- Salt Lake Tribune reports on John W. Taylor's excommunication in 1911.
[12]↩︎
Baldwin recorded meeting with a group of fundamentalists, where he obtained copies of "a revelation to John Taylor in 1886 and one to Wilford Woodruff in 1889," referring to a revelation Woodruff recorded in his journal on November 24, 1889.
- Revelation to Wilford Woodruff dated November 24, 1889.
- Nathaniel Baldwin hears of the John Taylor revelation at a fundamentalist meeting.
[13]↩︎
Musser's account includes a hearsay claim that Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ both appeared to John Taylor on the night he recorded the revelation.
- Joseph W. Musser records account of the 1886 Taylor revelation and copies it in his journal.
[14]↩︎
For example, Joseph Leslie Broadbent provided one of the earliest printed republications of the Taylor revelation in his booklet Celestial Marriage?. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, fundamentalist literature frequently republished the revelation.
[15]↩︎
The relevant portion of this declaration concerning the Taylor revelation reads:
It is alleged that on September 26-27, 1886, President John Taylor received a revelation from the Lord, the purported text of which is given in publications circulating apparently by or at the instance of this same organization. As to this pretended revelation it should be said that the the archives of the Church contain no such revelation; the archives contain no record of any such revelation, nor any evidence justifying a belief that any such revelation was ever given. From the personal knowledge of some of us, from the uniform and common recollection of the presiding quorums of the Church, from the absence in the Church archives of any evidence whatsoever justifying any belief that such a revelation was given, we are justified in affirming that no such revelation exists. Furthermore, insofar as the authorities of the Church are concerned, since this pretended revelation, if ever given, was never presented to and adopted by the Church or by any council of the Church, and since to the contrary, an inspired rule of action, the Manifesto, was (subsequently to the pretended revelation) presented to and adopted by the Church, which inspired rule in its term, purport, and effect was directly opposite to the interpretation given to the pretended revelation, the said pretended revelation could have no validity and no binding effect and force upon Church members, and action under it would be unauthorized, illegal, and void.
- First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) publish official statement denouncing the practice of plural marriage in the Church.
[16]↩︎
In a memorandum dated July 18, 1933, J. Reuben Clark explained how the First Presidency acquired the original manuscript of the 1886 John Taylor revelation. Following the issuance of the Church’s June 17, 1933 statement on plural marriage, President Ivins reported that Nellie Taylor, a plural wife of John W. Taylor, had discovered a document in her late husband's papers written in John Taylor’s handwriting. She had given it to Frank Y. Taylor. When President Grant inquired, Frank initially had no recollection of the document but later retrieved it and delivered it to Grant on July 15, 1933.
- Memorandum from J. Reuben Clark explaining how the First Presidency came in possession of the Taylor Revelation.
[17]↩︎
In a journal entry dated September 1, 1934, fundamentalist Douglas M. Todd Sr. recorded an account of how the 1886 revelation was returned to the Church. According to Todd, the original was hidden by William Salmon during a time of fear that the temple might be raided. It was later given to John W. Taylor, who stored it in a bank via his brother-in-law, Rodney Badger, before retrieving it for his office, where secretary (and later plural wife) Ellen Sandberg had access to it. After John’s death, Ellen kept the revelation until Nellie Taylor retrieved it and gave it to Frank Y. Taylor, who eventually took it to President Heber J. Grant. Despite some discrepancies—such as John W. Taylor's own testimony contradicting the claim that he received it from Badger—Todd’s version broadly corroborates the 1933 account by J. Reuben Clark regarding the document’s return to the First Presidency.
- Douglas M. Todd, Sr. records an account of how the Taylor revelation was returned to the Church.
- Memorandum from J. Reuben Clark explaining how the First Presidency came in possession of the Taylor Revelation.
[18]↩︎
In this letter, which was republished in a fundamentalist pamphlet, Ivins wrote:
The latter purported revelation of John Taylor (of 1886) has no standing in the church. I have searched carefully, and all that can be found is a piece of paper found among President Taylor’s effects after his death. It was written in pencil and only a few paragraphs which had no signature at all. It was unknown to the Church until members of his own family claimed to have found it among his papers. It was never presented or discussed as a revelation by the presiding authorities of the Church. The fact is that neither of these pretended revelations (1880 and 1886) has any purport whatsoever so far as the Church is concerned. They were never published or presented to the body of the Church for approval, and consequently if such statements were made they have never been in force.
- Letter of Anthony W. Ivins written in 1934 disputes the binding authority of the Taylor revelation.
[19]↩︎
Writing to fundamentalist Elsie Jenson, Ballard said concerning the Taylor revelation:
The pretended revelation of President John Taylor never had his signature added to it but was written in the form of a revelation and undoubtedly was in his hand writing; nevertheless it was never submitted to his own associates in the Presidency and the Twelve nor to the Church and consequently does not bind the Church in any sense. But still there is nothing in the revelation that the Church disputes because the correctness of that principle is set forth with emphasis, and the Church has never disputed the truthfulness of the 132nd Section when the right to practice that principle has been sanctioned by the Lord and the Church.
- Apostle Melvin J. Ballard addresses the Taylor revelation in a 1934 letter.
[20]↩︎
Joseph W. Musser, editor of the magazine, explained that the publication of the photographic facsimile and transcription of the revelation was in response to "numerous requests" from individuals to see it. Other fundamentalist publications, including works by Fred C. Collier and Drew Briney, have also featured photographic copies of the original manuscript.
[21]↩︎
For example, a 1940s pamphlet titled The Four Hidden Revelations features the 1886 revelation along with others by Taylor and Wilford Woodruff.
- Anonymous Fundamentalist publication from circa 1940s reprints the John Taylor revelation.
[22]↩︎
Jessee discussed the revelation (including reproducing its full text) and its reception among fundamentalists in chapter five of his thesis, "The Practice of Plural Marriage—the 'Fundamentalist' View."
- Chapter 5 of Dean C. Jessee's dissertation discusses the 1886 Taylor revelation.
[23]↩︎
In 1963, for instance, a fundamentalist publisher reprinted a facsimile photograph of the revelation and other sources pertaining to its history.
- 1963 Fundamentalist reprint of the John Taylor revelation.
[24]↩︎
In his article on the Manifesto, Godfrey mentioned the 1886 revelation and some details about its reception but did not elaborate beyond the basics.
- Kenneth W. Godfrey writes on the 1886 John Taylor revelation in Dialogue.
[25]↩︎
In a 1985 publication, Quinn noted that the "revelation and envelope ended up in the Joseph F. Smith Papers in the Church Historian's Office, where [he] examined them in 1971."
- D. Michael Quinn discusses the archival history of the John Taylor revelation.
[26]↩︎
According to Raymond and his brother Samuel in their 1985 collection of John Taylor's papers, "[The] existence [of the revelation] was confirmed by Raymond W. Taylor, 21 April 1972, when he found a copy of the revelation, with the notation that it was 'copied from the original manuscript' by Church Historian Joseph Fielding Smith, 3 August 1909. Subsequently, Raymond found ten more copies."
- Samuel W. Taylor and Raymond W. Taylor record the 1886 revelation among John Taylor's papers.
[27]↩︎
In his 1974 book The Way of the Master, Petersen challenged fundamentalist claims to authority based on the 1886 revelation and the events surrounding its reception, writing:
To justify their own rebellion recalcitrant brethren devised a scheme which they hoped would frustrate the stand of the Church on plural marriage. They concocted a false revelation, allegedly given to President John Taylor in 1886, in which pretended secret authority was given to continue plural marriages.
- Mark E. Petersen disputes the authenticity of the 1886 John Taylor revelation.
[28]↩︎
Published by the non-LDS press Macmillan, Taylor's biography includes a short appendix devoted to the 1886 revelation and the controversy surrounding it.
- Samuel W. Taylor writes about the 1886 revelation in biography of his grandfather.
[29]↩︎
Anderson, an independent Latter-day Saint historian, wrote The Polygamy Story in response to fundamentalist claims of authority. In chapter 8, he analyzed the text and background of the 1886 revelation.
- J. Max Anderson writes on the 1886 revelation in his 1979 book.
[30]↩︎
Quinn, then a professor of history at BYU, published details about the 1886 revelation and its incorporation into the Church archives.
- D. Michael Quinn discusses the archival history of the John Taylor revelation.
[31]↩︎
Watson, a Latter-day Saint scholar, argued in his 1989 publication that the revelation was less about eternal polygamy specifically and more about the broader concept of "eternal marriage," which could be either polygamous or monogamous.
- Elden J. Watson discusses the 1886 John Taylor revelation; disputes the Fundamentalist reading of the text.
[32]↩︎
In an article for the book John Taylor: Champion of Liberty, Latter-day Saint historians Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Christopher C. Jones discussed the 1886 revelation, expressing caution about accepting its authenticity due to the lack of documentary evidence regarding its origins.
- BYU Religious Studies Center publication on John Taylor discusses the 1886 revelation.
[33]↩︎
Givens and Neilson, two Latter-day Saint historians, reproduced the revelation in The Columbia Sourcebook of Mormons in the United States with some brief introductory commentary.
- Reprint of the 1886 Taylor Revelation in a 2014 volume on Mormon documents and sources.
[34]↩︎
Hales, a Latter-day Saint scholar, published an extensive analysis of the 1886 revelation and the claim that John Taylor commissioned a small group of men to secretly continue practicing plural marriage even if the Church abandoned it. While not disputing the authenticity of the revelation itself, Hales criticized the fundamentalist claim that it granted them a special dispensation to continue practicing polygamy.
- Brian C. Hales reviews John Taylor's 1886 revelation.
[35]↩︎
In its narrative about the events leading up to the Manifesto, the book recounts:
After the death of his father, President John Taylor, John W. had found a purported revelation about marriage among the prophet’s papers. The revelation, dated September 27, 1886, seemed to suggest to John W. that the commandment to practice plural marriage would never be revoked. Although the revelation had never been presented to the Quorum of the Twelve or accepted as scripture by the Saints, John W. believed that it was the word of God to his father.
- Volume 2 of Saints briefly mentions the 1886 John Taylor revelation in its narrative about the Manifesto.
[36]↩︎
The original manuscript is filed under the call number MS 34928 with the Church History Library.
- Original handwritten copy of John Taylor's 1886 revelation.
[37]↩︎
In the revelation, the Lord affirms that his commandments and the New and Everlasting Covenant are irrevocable and eternal. Despite widespread neglect among the Saints, the Lord emphasizes that his law does not change and that those who seek to enter his glory must obey the same law given to Abraham. The revelation underscores both divine constancy and the requirement of obedience to eternal principles, including plural marriage.
- Original handwritten copy of John Taylor's 1886 revelation.
[38]↩︎
The Edmunds Act of 1882 included the statute:
. . . if any male person, in a Territory or other place over which the United States have exclusive jurisdiction, hereafter cohabits with more than one woman, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both said punishments, in the discretion of the court.
In 1892, B. H. Roberts published a biography of Taylor that described the events leading up to his exile.
[39]↩︎
The Deseret News announced Taylor's death on August 3. He died at "eight o'clock on the evening of Monday, July 25th, 1887, aged 78 years, 8 months and 25 days."
- Deseret News announces the death of John Taylor.
[40]↩︎
According to an account preserved by Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, President Taylor's son, informed members of the Quorum of the Twelve in a private meeting that the revelation "was given to his father in answer to prayer in which he had asked the Lord if it would not be right under the circumstances to discontinue plural marriage."
Later accounts from fundamentalist sources, such as Joseph W. Musser, similarly claim that the revelation was given in response to the question of whether the Church should discontinue polygamy.
- Joseph W. Musser records account of the 1886 Taylor revelation and copies it in his journal.
- Heber J. Grant hears John W. Taylor tell the Quorum of the Twelve about his (Taylor's) father's 1886 revelation.
[41]↩︎
The original copy of the revelation is written in faint pencil in John Taylor's own hand.
- Original handwritten copy of John Taylor's 1886 revelation.
[42]↩︎
Fundamentalist literature from the 1930s and 1940s republished the revelation as evidence supporting the continued practice of plural marriage.
[43]↩︎
In 1989, Latter-day Saint researcher Elden J. Watson interpreted the message of the revelation as:
Obeying the conditions thereof again refers to verse five of section 132, referring distinctly to the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, but not specifically to plural marriage. Taken in its historical setting, without plural marriage overtones, the 1886 revelation is a reasonable answer by the Lord to President John Taylor's question about how important the new and everlasting covenant of marriage is, and whether disfranchisement of the Church and confiscation of Church properties, including temples, might justify the Saints in not abiding the requirements of the new and everlasting covenant of marriage.
Brian C. Hales, in a 2015 article, argued:
In summary, the 1886 revelation states that God’s laws (and their conditions) as well as His covenants do not change and cannot be revoked or abrogated. In contrast, God’s commandments can be revoked. All three must be obeyed when given by specific revelation.
- Elden J. Watson discusses the 1886 John Taylor revelation; disputes the Fundamentalist reading of the text.
- Brian C. Hales reviews John Taylor's 1886 revelation.
[44]↩︎
John W. Taylor stated that he discovered the revelation among his father's papers shortly after his death and made a copy that was shown to members of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1911. In 1909, Joseph Fielding Smith also made a copy for the Church archives. In 1933, the original revelation was given to the First Presidency. The chain of custody of the revelation from John Taylor to the Church is well-documented and securely established through reliable sources.
[45]↩︎
Historians such as Samuel W. Taylor and D. Michael Quinn have both written on the archival provenance of the original revelation, confirming its authenticity.
[46]↩︎
Apostles Heber J. Grant and Abraham H. Cannon recorded separate incidents when John W. Taylor said he found his father's revelation only after his death.
- Heber J. Grant hears John W. Taylor tell the Quorum of the Twelve about his (Taylor's) father's 1886 revelation.
- Abraham H. Cannon records that in quorum meeting John W. Taylor mentioned his father's revelation.
[47]↩︎
An undated copy of the revelation made by a member of the Taylor family is located in the Church History Library.
In 1915, a Fundamentalist Mormon named Nathaniel Baldwin recorded how he saw a copy of the revelation privately circulating, and in 1922, Joseph W. Musser made a copy in his private journal.
[48]↩︎
The revelation has been published in fundamentalist publications starting in the 1930s, but never in any official Church publication.
[49]↩︎
A memorandum from J. Reuben Clark dated July 18, 1933, notes how the First Presidency came into possession of the original revelation three days previous.
- Memorandum from J. Reuben Clark explaining how the First Presidency came in possession of the Taylor Revelation.
[50]↩︎
For example, Heber J. Grant and Abraham H. Cannon both noted in their private journals that the revelation was discussed in quorum meetings during the 1890s. Additionally, in 1911, the revelation was a topic of discussion among quorum members during John W. Taylor's membership trial.
[51]↩︎
A subsequent transcription of this copy was made in 1972.
- Typescript copy of Joseph Fielding Smith's copy of John Taylor's 1886 revelation.
- 1909 copy of the 1886 John Taylor revelation by Joseph Fielding Smith.
[52]↩︎
The relevant portion of a lengthy June 1933 statement from the First Presidency reads:
It is alleged that on September 26-27, 1886, President John Taylor received a revelation from the Lord, the purported text of which is given in publications circulating apparently by or at the instance of this same organization. As to this pretended revelation it should be said that the archives of the Church contain no such revelation; the archives contain no record of any such revelation, nor any evidence justifying a belief that any such revelation was ever given. From the personal knowledge of some of us, from the uniform and common recollection of the presiding quorums of the Church, from the absence in the Church archives of any evidence whatsoever justifying any belief that such a revelation was given, we are justified in affirming that no such revelation exists. Furthermore, insofar as the authorities of the Church are concerned, since this pretended revelation, if ever given, was never presented to and adopted by the Church or by any council of the Church, and since to the contrary, an inspired rule of action, the Manifesto, was (subsequently to the pretended revelation) presented to and adopted by the Church, which inspired rule in its term, purport, and effect was directly opposite to the interpretation given to the pretended revelation, the said pretended revelation could have no validity and no binding effect and force upon Church members, and action under it would be unauthorized, illegal, and void.
- First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) publish official statement denouncing the practice of plural marriage in the Church.
[53]↩︎
For example, one part of the First Presidency's 1933 denial states: "...it should be said that the archives of the Church contain no such revelation; the archives contain no record of any such revelation, nor any evidence justifying a belief that any such revelation was ever given."
Independent historian Samuel W. Taylor, writing in 1976, argued that the First Presidency's statement was semantically vague rather than outright dishonest:
In his research, Raymond W. Taylor got so far inside the CHO that, in effect, he went out the other side into orbit. In outer space was the "Special Documents Department," which is not officially part of the "archives"; and it was here that he found the eleven copies of the alleged revelation. There are also various safes at the CHO, to which he did not have access; these also are not part of the "archives." Thus in perfect truth the alleged revelation of 1886 could be said not to be in the archives, nor would the archives contain any record of any such alleged revelation, nor any evidence whatsoever justifying a belief that any such alleged revelation was ever given. The same sort of denials concerned Joseph Smith's original revelation on plural marriage at Nauvoo. Later, when the Principle was officially endorsed, these repudiations were characterized as "seeming" denials, which denounced not the "true coin," but the "counterfeit" of unauthorized practice.
However, one statement in the First Presidency's declaration is more challenging to reconcile: "From the personal knowledge of some of us, from the uniform and common recollection of the presiding quorums of the Church, from the absence in the Church archives of any evidence whatsoever justifying any belief that such a revelation was given, we are justified in affirming that no such revelation exists."
In fact, both Heber J. Grant and Anthony W. Ivins had personal knowledge that claims of such a revelation were being made by John W. Taylor during quorum meetings. This comment might be interpreted as referring to their lack of personal knowledge of the original document itself, which would be accurate since the First Presidency did not acquire the original revelation until July 1933, a month after the statement was issued.
- Samuel W. Taylor writes about the 1886 revelation in biography of his grandfather.
- First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) publish official statement denouncing the practice of plural marriage in the Church.
[54]↩︎
Both Grant and Ivins had firsthand knowledge of claims regarding the revelation's existence before the Church acquired the original in July 1933. They were both present during John W. Taylor's membership trial, where the revelation was discussed and read into the minutes as evidence. During the trial, Taylor even presented a personal copy of the revelation.
[55]↩︎
For instance, Melvin J. Ballard wrote in a 1934 letter that the revelation "was never submitted to his own associates in the Presidency and the Twelve nor to the Church and consequently does not bind the Church in any sense."
Anthony W. Ivins wrote that same year how the revelation was "never published or presented to the body of the Church for approval, and consequently if such statements were made they have never been in force."
- Apostle Melvin J. Ballard addresses the Taylor revelation in a 1934 letter.
- Letter of Anthony W. Ivins written in 1934 disputes the binding authority of the Taylor revelation.
[56]↩︎
Mark E. Petersen denied the revelation's authenticity in 1974, calling it "a false revelation."
- Mark E. Petersen disputes the authenticity of the 1886 John Taylor revelation.
[57]↩︎
This statement was made in an official proclamation of the First Presidency in June 1933 and constitutes the Church's only official word on the matter to date.
- First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) publish official statement denouncing the practice of plural marriage in the Church.
[58]↩︎
Ivins wrote this in a private letter dated February 10, 1934.
- Letter of Anthony W. Ivins written in 1934 disputes the binding authority of the Taylor revelation.
[59]↩︎
Ballard wrote this in a private letter dated December 31, 1934.
- Apostle Melvin J. Ballard addresses the Taylor revelation in a 1934 letter.
[60]↩︎
Petersen published this comment in his 1974 book The Way of the Master.
- Mark E. Petersen disputes the authenticity of the 1886 John Taylor revelation.
[61]↩︎
In 1904 Joseph F. Smith released the "second manifesto" announcing the excommunication of anyone who persists in practicing polygamy.
- JFS releases 1904 Manifesto ending plural marriage definitively.
[62]↩︎
The Church's policy today still mandates a disciplinary council for anyone who practices plural marriage.
- Church handbook policy on plural marriage.

Leader	Date	Comment
First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark)	June 1933	"It is alleged that on September 26-27, 1886, President John Taylor received a revelation from the Lord, the purported text of which is given in publications circulating apparently by or at the instance of this same organization. As to this pretended revelation it should be said that the archives of the Church contain no such revelation; the archives contain no record of any such revelation, nor any evidence justifying a belief that any such revelation was ever given. From the personal knowledge of some of us, from the uniform and common recollection of the presiding quorums of the Church, from the absence in the Church archives of any evidence whatsoever justifying any belief that such a revelation was given, we are justified in affirming that no such revelation exists. Furthermore, insofar as the authorities of the Church are concerned, since this pretended revelation, if ever given, was never presented to and adopted by the Church or by any council of the Church, and since to the contrary, an inspired rule of action, the Manifesto, was (subsequently to the pretended revelation) presented to and adopted by the Church, which inspired rule in its term, purport, and effect was directly opposite to the interpretation given to the pretended revelation, the said pretended revelation could have no validity and no binding effect and force upon Church members, and action under it would be unauthorized, illegal, and void."[57]
Anthony W. Ivins	February 1934	"The latter purported revelation of John Taylor (of 1886) has no standing in the church. I have searched carefully, and all that can be found is a piece of paper found among President Taylor’s effects after his death. It was written in pencil and only a few paragraphs which had no signature at all. It was unknown to the Church until members of his own family claimed to have found it among his papers. It was never presented or discussed as a revelation by the presiding authorities of the Church."[58]
Melvin J. Ballard	December 1934	"The pretended revelation of President John Taylor never had his signature added to it but was written in the form of a revelation and undoubtedly was in his hand writing; nevertheless it was never submitted to his own associates in the Presidency and the Twelve nor to the Church and consequently does not bind the Church in any sense. But still there is nothing in the revelation that the Church disputes because the correctness of that principle is set forth with emphasis, and the Church has never disputed the truthfulness of the 132nd Section when the right to practice that principle has been sanctioned by the Lord and the Church. And if the Lord had wanted plural marriage to continue according to the interpretations some give of President Taylor's revelation, he would have allowed President Taylor to have lived and enforced it but He took him and raised up President Wilford Woodruff who was inspired to give the Manifesto that stopped the practice of plural marriage. This indicates that the Lord's approval is with the course of the Church."[59]
Mark E. Petersen	1974	"To justify their own rebellion recalcitrant brethren devised a scheme which they hoped would frustrate the stand of the Church on plural marriage. They concocted a false revelation, allegedly given to President John Taylor in 1886, in which pretended secret authority was given to continue plural marriages."[60]