THE LIFE OF JOHN TAYLOR,THIRD PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
BY B. H. ROBERTS.
The great man is he who chooses the right with invincible resolution.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: 1892.
To the family of the late President John Taylor this work isrespectfully dedicated, with the hope that it will inspire in the mindsof his numerous and ever-increasing posterity an emulation of hisvirtues.
Preface.
If the preface to a book be looked upon as the author's excuse forwriting it, then this book should have no preface, for the author hasno excuse to make. Justice to the character and labors of John Taylordemanded that his life be written. The annals of the Church could notbe recorded without devoting large space to the part he took in heraffairs; but no notice of his life and labors, however extended in ageneral history, could do justice to his great career: for of coursethere is much in that career peculiar to himself, and of a character,too, to make it worthy of a separate volume.
The author is of the opinion that John Taylor would have had aremarkable history even if Mormonism had not found him; for hepossessed those qualities of mind which would have made him a leaderand a reformer among men. It is quite probable, too, that in the eventof Mormonism not finding him, he would have won more of the honors andapplause of men; for while his connection with the Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints threw him into prominence, the disreputein which that Church is held brought reproach and odium upon him fromthe world. Had the courage and unselfish devotion which he brought tothe support of Mormonism been given to some reform movement less odiousin the estimation of mankind, his conduct would have called forth thehighest encomiums from all men; but as those virtues were displayed forthe interest and advancement of Mormonism, the world either refused torecognize them at all, or accounted them fanaticism merely, for whichno praise was due.
The praise of the world, however, is a small matter. It often praisesthose least worthy; it neglects or abuses those who are its chiefbenefactors. Our generation like many that have preceded it, garnishesthe sepulchres of the ancient prophets, saying, "Had we lived in theirday, we would not have persecuted and killed them." And yet withstrange inconsistency they hunt to the death the living prophets whosememory future generations will honor. But the praise or censure of theworld had little influence over the mind of John Taylor where truthwas concerned. The more men despised it the more intense seemed hisdevotion.
In that most beautiful of all his poems entitled "An Irishman's Addressto his Mistress"—the poem is an allegory, the mistress is the IrishCatholic Church—Thomas Moore represents the Irishman as saying thatthrough grief and through danger the smile of his mistress had cheeredhis way, till hope seemed to spring from thorns that round him lay; thedarker their fortunes, the brighter their pure love burned, until shameinto glory and fear into zeal was turned. The mistress had a rival.That rival was honored, while the mistress was wronged and scorned; hercrown was of briars, while gold the rival's brows adorned. The rivalwooed him to temples, while the mistress lay hid in caves; the former'sfriends were all masters, while the latter's, alas! were all slaves."Yet," said the faithful devotee, "cold in the ea