water, though the latter stood below him in the stream: or the big
bully of a boy, though a coward at heart, strutting about with a chip
on his shoulder daring little urchins to knock it off. There can be no
question but what it was the design of the anti-Mormon agitators to
have present on that day if not "two or three thousand old soldiers,"
at least that many desperate men to precipitate a crisis by provoking
the people to resistance, that there might be a "speedy and effectual
settlement of the whole Mormon business." With such a gathering
not even the aid of conjecture is necessary to determine how "the
settlement" would have been attempted.
It is needless to say there had been no intention to insult the flag,
by putting it at half-mast on the 4th of July. The people had cause to
mourn, and they did it quietly and respectfully with the flag which
they revered at half-mast; and no one but blustering demagogues,
seeking cause of quarrel could see in that treasonable designs on the
government, or disrespect to the flag. Neither had there been any
determination to drape the flag in mourning and fly it at half-must
on the 24th of July. All that originated in the depraved minds of men
who were only too anxious to have the Saints do something that would
furnish an excuse for making war upon them. The most formidable thing
contemplated on that day, on the part of the Saints, was a gathering of
Sunday school children at the Tabernacle.
All these war-like demonstrations on the part of the enemies of the
Saints, however, were very singularly quieted. General U. S. Grant, who
for some time had been having a stubborn fight with death, surrendered
quietly to the dread monarch on the morning of July 23rd. The same day
the Governor of Utah, Eli H. Murry, issued a proclamation recommending
that "flags draped in mourning be placed on all public buildings, and,
as far as practicable, on business houses and on the houses of the
people, and that they so remain until the burial."
Thus the crisis passed.
This incident reveals the need there was of taking every precaution
to avoid excitement, and vindicates the wisdom of President Taylor's
course in going into exile. He had observed the determination of men in
official positions to involve the Saints in serious trouble, and was
determined that so far as he was concerned, they should have no pretext
on which to base their actions.
The Latter-day Saints appreciated his motives, and sent to him in
his exile cheering words of blessing, confidence and support. As the
conference held at Provo, in April, 1887, was drawing to a close,
Apostle F. D. Richards arose and said:
"In view of recent occurrences, and the assaults which have been made
upon the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints,
"I move that we, the officers and members of the Church, in general
conference assembled, express to our faithful brethren who preside over
us, and to the world at large, by our vote, our undiminished confidence
in and love for them.
"That, inasmuch as President John Taylor is our Prophet, Seer and
Revelator, chosen by the Lord, we do express to him in this manner,
our love and respect for him, and unite in saying that we have viewed
with admiration the steadfastness, integrity and valor which he has
displayed in the cause of God.
"That, as Trustee-in-Trust, we approve of his course, and endorse and
ratify his official acts, and have entire confidence in his integrity
in this capacity.
"And that we also entertain the same feelings for his two Counselors,
Presidents George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith, in their places; and
desire to assure these, our beloved brethren, that we do uphold them by
our faith, prayers, and works; and that we look forward with delight to
the time when we shall have the privilege of again beholding the faces
of these, our brethren, the First Presidency of the Church, and hearing
their voices in our public assemblies."
This was carried by a hearty, unanimous vote.
But the Saints were no more to have the privilege in this life of
seeing the face and hearing the voice of President Taylor. Though
his age had been as a lusty winter, frosty but kindly; though in his
youth never had he partaken of hot and rebellious liquors to inflame
or contaminate his blood, nor with unbashful forehead wooed the means
of weakness and debility, yet his long exile and the confinement
incidental thereto, at last broke down his health. Notwithstanding the
kind attentions of his associates in exile, and trusted friends who
gladly received him into their houses, their friendly administrations
could not fill the place of home and its joys, its happy reunions and
associations. Nor could he have that regular exercise in exile that he
would have had in freedom. Add to these things the cares and anxieties
forced upon him by reason of the unwarranted and inhuman assaults made
upon himself and the people over whom he presided, and you have at once
the causes of his last illness and death. Had it not been for these
things President Taylor undoubtedly would have lived many years longer
to direct the affairs of the Church of Christ.
His health commenced failing about a year before his death, but his
last illness began about five months before that sad event. Sustained
by his marvelous will-power, he resisted the approach of death
with all his characteristic determination. He would neither permit
himself nor others to believe that he was seriously ill. But his
decreasing inclination to take what little exercise he could under the
circumstances; and periods of prostration occurring with increasing
frequency, told its own story as to how the battle was going.
The tenth of July marked a crisis in the struggle for life which
alarmed his friends and attendants. The tenth occurred on Sunday. It
had been his custom in these years of exile to hold religious service
on the Sabbath and fast days, the first Thursday of every month. The
brethren who were with him usually took turns in presiding in these
meetings. The service consisted of singing, prayer, administering the
sacrament and such remarks as the brethren felt inclined to make. On
the tenth of July before named, the meeting was called as usual and
opened, but no one could speak. President Taylor's illness had taken a
turn for the worse and the unpleasant conviction forced itself on those
about him least willing to believe it, that he was gradually sinking.
The day after the memorable tenth of July, his first Counselor, George
Q. Cannon, wrote the following to Daniel H. Wells:
"It gives me great pain to be obliged to communicate to you the
intelligence that, I think, President Taylor is gradually passing
away, and according to present appearances, may not live many days or
a week at the farthest. For four months past he has been ailing, and
his health and strength gradually failing him; but he has been so full
of hope and pluck that he has impressed us all who have been with him
with a feeling that he would recover. Through all his sickness up to
the present he has steadily maintained that he would get better, and
knowing how much the faith of the people has been exercised in his
behalf, it has been difficult to resist the conviction that he would
get well. I addressed letters to the Twelve who are absent from the
city on the 1st inst. advising them of his condition. On the 5th, being
in the city, I addressed letters to them again, advising them that
I had heard such good reports from President Taylor, that I felt it
my duty to communicate it to them. He appeared to have taken a very
favorable turn, and asserted that now he would get better; but this
lasted only a few days. An unfavorable change took place yesterday and
I think he is sinking.
"It is with a great reluctance that I admit this to myself; but I feel
it my duty to try and communicate it to you and to all the brethren of
the Council."
Letters similar in import were written to the Apostles; but after this
he rallied again and inspired those around him for several days with
new hopes. On the 18th his second Counselor, Joseph F. Smith, arrived
from the Sandwich Islands. President Taylor was very weak and low but
still conscious; and as he looked up and recognized Brother Joseph, and
his attention was called to the fact that the First Presidency were
together once more--the first time since December, 1884--he said:
"_I feel to thank the Lord_!"
After this he continued to grow weaker, with only intervals of
consciousness, until the evening of the 25th.
It was at the house of Thomas F. Rouche, of Kaysville, that President
Taylor was fighting out this last battle, with such remarkable
determination. On the above named evening, the few friends who were
permitted to be with him, among whom were his two Counselors, two of
his wives, Mary Oakey Taylor and Maggie Young Taylor, and the Rouche
family, were gathered about his bed as he slowly sank under the hand of
Death. He was passing away without a struggle, quietly as a child falls
asleep. At five minutes to eight o'clock, "the weary wheels of life
stood still"--the great spirit had left its earthly tabernacle.
CHAPTER XLVII.
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRESIDENT TAYLOR'S DEATH--HIS COUNSELORS ON
HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER--EXPRESSIONS OF THE PEOPLE--RESOLUTIONS OF
RESPECT.
The next day the sad event of President Taylor's death was announced
to the Church and the world in the following communication from his
counselors to the _Deseret News_:
"Once more the Latter-day Saints are called upon to mourn the death
of their leader--the man who has held the keys of the kingdom of God
upon earth. President John Taylor departed this life at five minutes to
eight o'clock on the evening of Monday, July 25th, 1887, aged 78 years,
8 months and 25 days.
"In communicating this sad intelligence to the Church, over which he
has so worthily presided for nearly ten years past, we are filled
with emotion too deep for utterance. A faithful, devoted and fearless
servant of God, the Church in his death has lost its most conspicuous
and experienced leader. Steadfast to and immovable in the truth,
few men have ever lived who have manifested such integrity and such
unflinching moral and physical courage as our beloved President who
has just gone from us. He never knew the feeling of fear connected
with the work of God. But in the face of angry mobs, and at other
times when in imminent danger of personal violence from those who
threatened his life, and upon occasions when the people were menaced
with public peril, he never blenched--his knees never trembled, his
hand never shook. Every Latter-day Saint always knew beforehand, on
occasions when firmness and courage were needed, where President John
Taylor would be found and what his tone would be. He met every issue
squarely, boldly and in a way to call forth the admiration of all who
saw and heard him. Undaunted courage, unyielding firmness were among
his most prominent characteristics, giving him distinction among men
who were distinguished for the same qualities. With these were combined
an intense love of freedom and hatred of oppression. He was a man whom
all could trust, and throughout his life he enjoyed, to an extent
surpassed by none, the implicit confidence of the Prophets Joseph,
Hyrum and Brigham and all the leading men and members of the Church.
The title of "Champion of Liberty," which he received at Nauvoo, was
always felt to be most appropriate for him to bear. But it was not only
in the possession of these qualities that President Taylor was great.
His judgment was remarkably sound and clear, and through life he has
been noted for the wisdom of his counsels and teachings. His great
experience made his suggestions exceedingly valuable; for there has
scarcely been a public movement of any kind commenced, carried on, or
completed, since he joined the Church in which he has not taken part.
"But it is not necessary that we should, even if time permitted,
rehearse the events of his long and busy life. To do so would only be
to give the greater part of the history of the Church; for with it his
biography is inseparably interwoven.
"The last time President Taylor appeared in public was on Sunday,
February 1st, 1885. On that occasion he delivered a lengthy discourse
in the Tabernacle, in Salt Lake City. Rumor had been floating around
for some time that his arrest was contemplated. In fact, while
returning from a trip to the settlements in Arizona, he was advised
in California that he was in great danger, and it was suggested that
perhaps it would be better for him not to return to Salt Lake City. He
listened to these cautions but still resolved to take the risk, and
came back and fearlessly went about his business for some time. But on
the evening of Saturday, February 1st, he concluded to withdraw himself
from the public performance of his numerous and important duties. In
taking this step he did so more to preserve peace and to remove all
possible cause of excitement, than from any desire of personal safety.
He perceived that there was a determination on the part of men holding
official position here to raise an issue, and, if possible, involve
the Latter-day Saints in serious trouble. He had not broken any law.
He knew he was innocent and that if he were arrested and could have a
fair trial, nothing could be brought against him. He had taken every
precaution that a man could take under his circumstances to make
himself invulnerable to attack. He was determined that, so far as he
was concerned, he would furnish no pretext for trouble, but would do
everything in his power to prevent the people over whom he presided
from being involved in difficulty.
"From that date, upwards of two years and a half ago, when he left his
home in Salt Lake City, he had not the opportunity of crossing its
threshold again. To home and its joys, its delightful associations and
its happy reunions he has been a stranger. He has lived as an exile--a
wanderer in the land, to the development and good government of which
he has contributed so much! While living in this condition, one of his
wives was stricken with disease, and though his heart was torn with
anguish at the thought of her condition, and with anxiety to see her
and minister to her in her deep distress, her residence was closely
watched by spies, and when she was in a dying condition, was even
searched with the hope of entrapping him! Thus she was deprived of the
privilege of looking upon his beloved face, and he had not even the sad
consolation of witnessing or taking any part in her funeral ceremonies.
"During the two years and a half that President Taylor has been living
in this condition, he has been cut off from all the society and loving
ministrations of his family. But though this was so hard to bear at
his time of life, he never murmured. He was always full of courage
and hope, cheering everyone with whom he was brought in contact, and
lifting his companions by his noble example out of despondency and
discouragement. With the same courage with which he stood by the
Prophet of God and with a walking cane parried the guns of the mob
when they vomited their sheets of flame and messengers of death in
Carthage jail, he confronted the difficulties and the trials which
he had to meet when compelled to leave his home and the society of
those whom he loved. His demeanor throughout this long ordeal has been
most admirable. Everyone who has seen him has been impressed by his
equanimity and stately bearing. Always distinguished for his courtesy
and dignity of character, at no period of his life did he ever exhibit
those traits to greater advantage than he has during his exile. He
has never condescended even to speak evil of those who so cruelly
persecuted him.
"By the miraculous power of God, President John Taylor escaped the
death which the assassins of Carthage jail assigned for him. His blood
was then mingled with the blood of the martyred Prophet and Patriarch.
He has stood since then as a living martyr for the truth. But today
he occupies the place of a double martyr. President John Taylor has
been killed by the cruelty of officials who have, in this Territory,
misrepresented the Government of the United States. There is no room
to doubt that if he had been permitted to enjoy the comforts of home,
the ministrations of his family, the exercise to which he had been
accustomed, but of which he was deprived, he might have lived for many
years yet. His blood stains the clothes of the men, who with insensate
hate have offered rewards for his arrest and have hounded him to the
grave. History will yet call their deeds by their right names; but One
greater than the combined voices of all historians will yet pronounce
their dreadful sentence.
"It is now some time since President Taylor was attacked by disease.
It came upon him by degrees, manifesting itself in the beginning by
a swelling of the limbs for the want of proper exercise. He fought
disease with his characteristic pluck and determination. He would not
yield. He would neither allow himself nor anyone else to think that his
sickness was serious. He would not permit his family to know his real
condition, as he did not wish them to have any anxiety on his account,
and it was almost against his express wishes they were told how sick
he was. When messages were sent by him to them, they were always of a
re-assuring character. Up to the last day or two he was able to sit
in his chair, and until quite recently he was able to assist himself
in getting in and out of bed. The strength he has exhibited and his
tenacity of life have been very wonderful; for though so strong, he
had partaken of scarcely and nourishment for the past six weeks. So
peacefully did he pass away, and so like a babe falling asleep that a
brief period elapsed before those who stood around his bed were sure
that his spirit had taken its flight.
"As the sad intelligence which we now communicate will spread through
these valleys and mountains, sorrow will fill the hearts of all at
hearing of the last days of their beloved and venerable President. We
know how deep has been the sympathy that has filled the hearts of the
Saints for him in his advanced years, in thinking of his condition and
of his being compelled to live as an exile from his family the people.
The expressions of esteem love which have come to him from all parts
of the land have deeply touched him and caused him great pleasure in
thinking how much he was beloved and how much his welfare was desired
by all the Saints throughout the earth.
"His constant desire was to do everything in his power to relieve
the Latter-day Saints from the oppressions under which they suffer.
Every pulsation of his heart beat with a love of Zion and a desire for
her redemption. We desired, and the desire was general, we believe,
throughout the Church--that he might live to emerge from his exile and
be once more a free man among the people whom he loved. But this has
been denied us. He has gone to mingle with the holy and the pure, and
to quote his own eloquent words, written concerning his dear friend,
Joseph the Seer:
"Beyond the reach of mobs and strife,
He rests unharmed in endless life;
His home's in the sky, he dwells with the Gods,
Far from the furious rage of mobs."
And though we have lost his presence here, his influence will still be
felt. Such men may pass from this life to another, but the love which
beats in their hearts for righteousness and for truth cannot die. They
go to an enlarged sphere of usefulness. Their influence is extended
and more widely felt, and Zion will feel the benefit of his labors, as
it has the labors of others who have gone before him. The work of God
will roll forth. One after another of the mighty men--the men who have
spent their lives in the cause of God--may pass away, but this will
not affect the purposes of our Great Creator concerning His latter-day
work. He will raise up others, and the work will go on increasing
in power, in influence, and in all true greatness, until it will
accomplish all that God has predicted concerning it.
"We feel to say to the Latter-day Saints: Be comforted! The same God
who took care of the work when Joseph was martyred, who has watched
over and guarded and upheld it through the long years that have since
elapsed, and who has guided its destinies since the departure of
Brigham, still watches over it and makes it the object of His care.
John has gone; but God lives. He has founded Zion. He has given His
people a testimony of this. Cherish it in your heart of hearts, and
live so each day that when the end of your mortal lives shall come, you
may be counted worthy to go where Joseph, Brigham and John have gone,
and mingle with that glorious throng whose robes have been washed white
in the blood of the Lamb.
"This is the earnest prayer for all Saints, and for all the honest in
heart, of your unworthy servants in Christ,
"GEORGE Q. CANNON,
"JOSEPH F. SMITH."
This announcement cast an inexpressible gloom over the entire
community. Everywhere could be heard expressions of esteem for the
departed: "We did not think when he was driven into exile that we would
never see him in life again," said some. "Well, he is beyond the reach
of the minions of the law now," said others. "How we would like to have
seen his face and heard his kindly voice once more before he left us!"
"This makes twice he has suffered martyrdom!"
The _Deseret News_, in concluding a lengthy biographical sketch of him
said:
"The soul of honor, of indomitable energy and unflinching firmness when
convinced of the right, President Taylor was the embodiment of dignity
and urbane authority. His record is without a stain, and his name will
be inscribed in the archives of heaven, among those of the mighty
spirits who have helped to sway the destinies of this world. He has
gone to mingle with his brethren of the last dispensation who laid the
foundation of this great work, and with them he will shine in eternal
splendor as a son of God, an heir to the royal Priesthood, a ruler in
the Father's kingdom. May peace and comfort rest upon the bereaved!"
Following are the resolutions of respect adopted by the Board of
Directors of Z. C. M. I.--of which he was President,--at their first
meeting after his death:
"_Whereas_, On the 25th day of July, 1887, it pleased an All-wise
Creator to remove from our midst, by the hand of death, President John
Taylor; and,
"_Whereas_, He was elected a director of the Z. C. M. I., October 7th,
1877, and served in that capacity until October 5th, 1883, when he
was elected president of this institution, and acted in that office
continuously from that date until his demise; and,
"_Whereas_, His whole life has been prominent for unblemished rectitude
and distinguished ability, the last fifty years of it having been
devoted almost exclusively to the benefits of his fellow men--as an
able companion of human liberty--and advocate of correct religious
principles, as a journalist, legislator and a leader of a great people.
Therefore, be it
"_Resolved_, That in the departure from this life of one so good, noble
and useful as the late President John Taylor, we have sustained a
great loss, in which the community widely participates and while fully
sensing this effect of his decease, we extend to his family, in the
hour of their bereavement, our most heart-felt sympathy. Also,
"_Resolved_, That this expression of our appreciation of the character
and ability of our deceased, venerated President, brother and friend be
spread upon the minutes of this board meeting in full, and that a copy
thereof be engrossed and presented to his family."
The _Deseret News_, a few days after his death, speaking again of him
said:
"The departed servant of God, the tokens of whose decease still droop
from the doors and depend from the places that once were dignified by
his presence, needs no eulogy of the living to glorify his tomb. He has
a pattern of integrity, intrepidity, firmness and calm reliance upon
God and the truth. His record is clean and his course without a spot."
Such were a few of the expressions of mingled esteem and love which
welled up from the hearts of the people, and found expression on their
lips.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER--HIS BROAD VIEWS--FAITH AND
CONFIDENCE IN GOD--DEVOTION TO HIS RELIGION--MORAL LIFE ABOVE
SUSPICION--LOVE OF LIBERTY--"I WOULD NOT BE A SLAVE TO GOD!"--THE
RICHES HE SOUGHT--"I PREFER A FADED COAT TO A FADED REPUTATION"--SKILL
AND MAXIMS AS A WORKMAN--POWER AS A WRITER--A POET--A PREACHER OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS--SOCIAL QUALITIES--A GREAT MAN.
The story of President Taylor's life is before the reader. We may now
consider his character as reflected in that story.
In person President Taylor was nearly six feet in height and of fine
proportion, that combination which gives activity and strength. His
head was large, the face oval and the features large, strong and finely
chiseled. The forehead was high and massive, the eyes gray, deep-set,
and of a mild, kindly expression, except when aroused, and then they
were capable of reflecting all the feelings that moved his soul,
whether of indignation, scorn or contempt. The nose was aquiline, the
mouth well formed and expressive of firmness, the chin powerful and
well rounded. In early life he was of a fair complexion, but with age
the face grew swarthy, and even in middle life his abundant hair turned
to a silvery whiteness, which but added beauty to his brow and made his
appearance venerable.
In his manner he was ever affable and polite, easy and gracious, yet
princely in dignity. In his intercourse with others he was familiar
but never vulgar. He was not a man whom a friend, however intimate,
would slap familiarly on the back or turn and twist about when shaking
hands; such proceedings with him would have been as much out of place
as with the proudest crowned monarch in the presence-chamber. Yet there
was no affectation in his deportment, no stiffness; his dignity was
that with which nature clothes her noblest sons. It did not spring from
self-conceit, or self-sufficiency, or any spirit such as
"I am Sir Oracle, and when I speak
Let no man ope his lips!"
Nor was it studied, or copied, or put on for state occasions. He
carried it with him wherever he went--into his own home, into the
homes of his friends. It was with him in courts and palaces, among the
refined and the titled nobility of this world; he never plucked it off
on entering the humblest cottage of the poor. He was to his manners
born, and they were suited to the man. In any assembly he would have
been a striking figure.
There was a beautiful harmony in the character of his mind and the
lineaments of his person. If the habitation was splendid, the inmate
was worthy of it. His noble form and bearing were but the outward
expression of the spirit within. A universal benevolence, powerful
intellect, splendid courage, physical as well as moral, a noble
independence of spirit, coupled with implicit faith and trust in
God, a high sense of honor, unimpeachable integrity, indomitable
determination, and a passionate love of liberty, justice and truth
marked the outlines of his character--in short, the elements were
"So mixed in him, that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world--'This is a man!"'
President Taylor believed absolutely in the universal Fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of man. From that grand cardinal doctrine sprang
his liberal views as to the hand dealings of God with His children. He
despised anything that savored of narrow-mindedness or bigotry. Who
does not remember with what scorn he treated the spirit which led the
man to pray:
"Lord, bless me and my wife,
My son John and his wife,
Us four, but no more. Amen."
"I think sometimes," he would remark, "that as a people we are a good
deal sectarian in our feelings, and it is necessary for us occasionally
to look at the pit from whence we were dug, and the rock from whence
we were hewn. We are all too ready to cry out, as the sectarians do in
their different orders:
"'The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord,
The temple of the Lord are we!'
"We say we are the children of God. That is true, we are. We are sparks
struck from the blaze of His eternal fire. But what of the rest of
the world--whose children are they? They are also the children of our
Heavenly Father, and He is interested in their welfare as He is in
ours; and as a kind, beneficent Father towards His children, He has
been seeking from generation to generation to promote the welfare, the
happiness and the exaltation of the human family.
"We sometimes talk about the hand of God being over us. Of course it
is, and will be over us for ever, if we will only serve Him, for He is
always true. But His hand is over the nations of the earth also. He is
interested in the welfare of this nation, and all other nations, and
all other peoples, as well as in our welfare.
"I believe in God, in Jesus Christ, and in the exaltation of the human
family, and consequently have acted and do act in accordance with that
belief. If others choose to do otherwise, that is their business.
'But,' says one, 'don't you want to send them all to hell?' No, I
don't; but I would be glad to get them out of it; and if I could do
them any good, I would do it with pleasure. I do not believe in this
wrath and dread, but if a man acts meanly I will tell him that he is a
poor, mean cur. Then if I find him hungry, I would feed him; or if I
found him naked, I would clothe him; for the gospel teaches me to do
good and benefit mankind as far as lies in my power.
"I remember reading a few lines of some very zealous Protestant who
wrote over some public building:
"'In this place may enter
Greek, Jew or Atheist,--
Any thing but a Papist.'
"Now, I say, let the Papist come in, too, the Moslem, the Greek, the
Jew, the pagan, the believers and the unbelievers, and the whole world.
If God sends His rain on the good and the evil, and makes His sun to
shine on the just and the unjust, I certainly shall not object. Let
them worship as they please and have full freedom and equal rights and
privileges with us and all men."
It will be seen from the foregoing that while he claimed absolute
religious liberty for himself, he accorded the same right to others.
"There are two things," he remarks, "that I have felt very decided upon
ever since I could comprehend anything; one is that I would worship God
as I pleased, without anybody's dictation; and that I would dictate to
no man his faith, neither should any man dictate to me my faith; the
other is that I would vote as I pleased."
Of the deep religious convictions of President Taylor it is scarcely
necessary to speak. His whole life demonstrates how deep was the
religious soil in his nature, into which the seeds of truth were sown
to bring forth an hundred fold. His devotion to his religion was not
only sincere, it was without reserve. He gave himself and his whole
life to it. His faith, his trust and confidence in God were complete.
"I do not believe in a religion that cannot have all my affections," he
would sometimes remark, "but I believe in a religion that I can live
for, or die for.
"I would rather trust in the living God than in any other power on
earth. I learned [while on missions] that I could go to God and He
always relieved me. He always supplied my wants. I always had plenty
to eat, drink and wear, and could ride on steam-boats or railroads, or
anywhere I thought proper: God always opened my way, and so He will
that of every man who will put his trust in Him.
"I would rather have God for my friend than all other influences and
powers outside."
Such were his sentiments, such his devotion to his religion, such his
testimony to the goodness of God.
"He was a man," said one who knew him well nigh half a century, "that
could not get down to grovel with the low-lived, the vicious, the
ribald, nor any who indulged in the follies and vanities of mortal
life." Referring himself to those who did love the abomination of
wickedness, with all its crookedness, deceitfulness and crime he ever
exclaimed: "My soul, enter thou not into their secret; and mine honor,
with them be thou not united!" In all these things he not only lived
above reproach, but above suspicion.
The most prominent feature of his character, doubtless, was his ardent
love of liberty. For this he was distinguished even among his brethren
who as a group were remarkable for their love of and devotion to
freedom. To other men the love of liberty was a principle; with him it
was not only a principle but a passion: others may have been educated
to love it; he loved it instinctively.
In a letter to one of his brethren, answering one that had laid rather
hard conditions upon him, he expressed the following sentiments, in
which it is difficult to determine which most appears, his love of
liberty or his detestation, his utter abhorrence of slavery:
"I was not born a slave! I cannot, will not be a slave. I would not
be slave to God! I'd be His servant, friend, His son. I'd go at His
behest; but would not be His slave. I'd rather be extinct than be a
slave. His friend I feel I am, and He is mine:--a slave! The manacles
would pierce my very bones--the clanking chains would grate upon my
soul--a poor, lost, servile, crawling wretch to lick the dust and
fawn and smile upon the thing who gave the lash! Myself--perchance my
wives, my children to dig the mud, to mould and tell the tale of brick
and furnish our own straw! * * * But stop! I'm God's free man: I will
not, cannot be a slave! Living, I'll be free here, or free in life
above--free with the Gods, for they are free: and if I'm in the way on
earth, I'll ask my God to take me to my friends above!"
He never devoted himself to money getting. He never bowed at the gilded
shrine of mammon. The yellow god of this world found in him no devotee.
"Many men could see a sovereign or a half eagle a long way farther off
than he could," remarked one who knew him. Yet the amount of property
he accumulated at Nauvoo, and which he sacrificed in order to flee
into the wilderness with the Church of Christ, is sufficient to prove
that he was not without financial ability. But he had his eyes and
heart fixed upon the better riches, those which moth and rust could not
corrupt, neither mobs break through nor steal. These things filled his
soul, engrossed his attention and left but a small margin of time to
him in which to fall in love with the wealth of this world. His motto
was--"Money is of little importance where truth is concerned."
"It is the crowns, the principalities, the powers, the thrones, the
dominions, and the associations with the Gods that we are after, and we
are here to prepare ourselves for these things--this is the main object
of existence."
Still it must not be thought that he was indifferent to financial
enterprises and the development of the resources of the country. His
efforts at establishing sugar works after his return from France;
building and running the first nail factory; the contracts he took and
filled when the Union Pacific railroad was building; his interest in
the mining industry of the Territory; his association with Z. C. M. I.,
all give evidence to the contrary. He merely gave financial affairs a
subordinate place to the interests of the kingdom of God.
He was cautious in his business methods, and scrupulously honest.
During a period that he was in straightened circumstances, a member of
his family was out of fuel, and without the means to purchase any. She
sent word of the situation to him; having no money, and not wishing to
go in debt as long as he saw no prospect of repaying it, he sent to
her his new overcoat as that was the only thing he had at hand which
could be turned into money. It was accompanied with a kind note that
directed one of his sons to dispose of it, and deplored the rather
close circumstances in which they were placed. "I can get along very
nicely with my old coat this winter," he wrote: "it is a little faded,
but then _I prefer a faded coat to a faded reputation_; and I do not
propose to ask for accommodations that I am not prepared to meet."
He was a skillful workman in his business of turner, and when not
engaged in the ministry, like Paul, "his own hands administered to his
necessities." We have already seen him in the saw-pit day after day
manufacturing lumber with a whip saw before the erection of saw mills;
building his own house, cultivating his own garden, fencing his own
farm, constructing the first bridge over the river Jordan.
He had adopted in practice some most excellent maxims which would have
insured him success in any business he might have chosen. What they
were may be seen in this: If he plowed a field it must be done well. He
was not content to skim over the ground merely. If the ground was hard
or rocky in places, some one must ride on the beam and the plow made
to do its work. Moreover, the furrows must be straight. If he planted
trees the holes must be made large; in setting them in, the fibres of
the roots must be spread out and the soil placed round them carefully,
and then be well watered that they might have every chance to live.
He had some skill in drawing and was an adept at wood carving for which
his patterns were of his own designing. Of this kind of work as of all
other kinds he would often say: "If a thing is done well, no one will
ask how long it took to do it, but who did it."
Of his skill and power as a writer, the reader who has followed us
through this volume, has seen some evidence from the extracts from
his writings. These, however, have been mainly from his discussions,
editorials and newspaper articles in the defense of Zion and her
interests; and from his theological works. Powerful as he was in his
style of composition, he also had ability in other departments of
literature. He wrote in part a drama founded on incidents recorded in
the Book of Mormon. He never completed it, and the manuscript of it,
unfortunately, is lost; but those who heard it read, speak of it as
giving evidence of considerable dramatic skill in its construction,
and applaud the speeches of the characters for vigor and elegance of
diction.
President Taylor was also a poet; and from the deep religious nature
of the man, it could but be expected that the grand themes suggested
by the gospel would inspire his muse. The restoration of the gospel,
the going forth of messengers of glory with it to the sons of men,
furnished him with inspiration for several hymns published in the
Latter-day Saints' Hymn Book. The one on page 295, beginning--
"The glorious plan which God has given,
To bring a ruined world to heaven,"
suggested by this passage of scripture--"For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost; and these
three are one; and there are three that bear witness in earth, the
Spirit, the water and the blood; and these three are one" [1]--is not
only a poem, but a discourse in which the harmony and beauty of the
Triune witnesses in heaven and in earth are made to stand out in bold
relief.
Friendship also inspired his muse, and his "Response" to Parley P.
Pratt's "Fiftieth Year;" [2] and "The Seer," [3] written in memory of
the Prophet Joseph Smith, are two of his noblest pieces in verse.
His friends speak of a number of his poems that were never published,
written in different strains from those with which the public is
familiar, especially of one written while crossing the Atlantic, highly
humorous and exhibiting an extensive knowledge of mythology. This is
not to be found among his papers.
The following in blank verse is worthy of preservation for the grandeur
and sublimity of the theme. It was written September 5th, 1846:
LINES WRITTEN IN THE ALBUM OF MISS ABBY JANE HART, OF NEW YORK CITY.
ABBY: knowest thou whence thou camest? Thine
Origin? Who thou art? What? And whither thou
Art bound? A crysolis of yesterday:
Today a gaudy, fluttering butterfly--
A moth; tomorrow crushed, and then an end
Of thee. Is this so? and must thou perish
Thus, and die ingloriously without a hope?
Ah, no; thou art no such thing. Thou in the
Bosom of thy Father bask'd and liv'd, and
Mov'd thousands of years ago. Yes, e'er this
Mundane sphere from chaos sprung, or sun, or
Moon, or stars, or world was fram'd; Before the
Sons of God for joy did shout, or e'er the
Morning stars together sung--thou liv'd'st.
Thou liv'dst to live again. Ah, no! thou liv'd
But to continue life eternal--to
Live and move, and act eternally. Yes;
Long as a spirit, God or world exists;
From everlasting, eternal, without end!
And whilst thou dwelt in thy paternal home,
And with thy brethren shar'd extatic bliss,
All that a spirit could, not clothed in flesh,
Thou through the vista of unnumbered years
Saw'st through the glimmering veil that thou would'st
Dwell in flesh--just as the Gods.
Tread in the
Footsteps of thine elder brother, Jesus--
The "Prince of Peace," for whom a body was prepared.
Thou heard; thou look'd; thou long'd; thou pray'd;
Thou hop'd for this, at length it came; and thou
Appeared on this terraqueous ball,
From the hands of Eloheim--eternal
As himself--part of thy God. A small spark
Of Deity, struck from the fire of his eternal blaze.
Thou cam'st! thou cam'st to live! of life thou art
A living monument; to it thou still
Dost cling--eternal life! To thee all else
Are straw and chaff, and bubbles light as air;
And will be all, until thou gain'st once more
Thy Father's breast; raised, quickened, immortal;
Body, spirit, all; a God among the Gods forever bless'd.
Abby, and hast thou dared to launch thy
Fragile barque on truth's tempestuous sea;
To meet the pelting storm and proudly brave
The dangers of the raging main; and through
The rocks and shoals, and yawning gulfs pursue
The nearest way to life, in hopes that thou
Woulds't speedily gain a seat among the Gods?
See'st thou the multitudes who sail in
Guilded barques, and gently float along the
Silvery stream? Downward they go with sweet,
Luxurious ease, and scarce a zephyr moves
The tranquil bosom of the placid stream.
Unconscious of the greatness of the prize
They might obtain, they glide along in peace;
And as they never soar aloft, nor mount
On eagle's wings, nor draw aside the veil
Of other worlds, they know none else than this--
No other joys. They dream away their life,
And die forgot, just as the butterfly,
They gaily flutter on; today they live--
Tomorrow are no more.
And though, like thee
In them is the eternal spark, thousands
Of weary years must roll along er'e they
Regain the prize they might with thee have shar'd.
Regain it? Never! no! They may come where
Thou wert, but never can they with thee share
Extatic bliss.
For whils't in heaven's progressive
Science skilled, thou soard'st from world to world, clad
In the robes of bright seraphic light; and
With thy God, eternal--onward goest, a
Priestess and a queen--reigning and ruling in
The realms of light. Unlike the imbeciles
Who dared not brook the scorn of men, and knew not
How to prize eternal life.
Abby, the cup's within thy reach; drink thou
The vital balm and live!
How priceless the album containing such a gem!
It will be as a preacher of righteousness that President Taylor will be
best remembered by the generation who heard him. His published sermons
would make several large volumes if collected; but those published are
insignificant in comparison with the number he delivered. The Saints
who listened to him for half a century will remember as long as they
live his commanding presence, his personal magnetism, the vigor and
power of his discourses and the grand principles of which they treated.
He spoke extemporaneously as indeed do all the Elders of Israel. The
formal, set discourse, so common in the world, has never been favorably
received in the Church of Jesus Christ. It may be said that in that
Church a new school of oratory, quite distinct from the strictly
scholastic oratory of the world, is being formed; a manner of speech
which depends for its success rather upon the presence and operations
of the Holy Spirit than upon the cunning or ability of the speaker.
When the Lord sent the first Elders out to preach the gospel He gave
them these instructions:
"Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say, but treasure up
in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you
in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man."
"Verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people, speak
the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be
confounded before men; for it shall be given you in the very hour, yea,
in the very moment, what ye shall say. But a commandment I give unto
you, that ye shall declare whatsoever things ye declare in my name in
solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things. And I
give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this, the Holy Ghost
shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye
shall say.
"This is an example unto all those who are ordained unto this
priesthood, whose mission is appointed to go forth [to preach the
gospel]. They shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost,
and whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost,
shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the word
of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto
salvation; behold this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my
servants."
This makes the kind of oratory which obtains in the Church of Christ
today resemble closely that which existed in the Church among the first
Christians. The reader will doubtless remember that the great apostle
of the Gentiles said:
"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's
wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power."
In the primitive as in the modern Church the reason for instituting
this manner of discourse, is the same: That the faith of believers
should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
These instructions from the Almighty, President Taylor carried out as
implicitly as any man engaged in the ministry; and while his discourses
may lack the polish, the faultless rhetoric, the studied climax to be
found in the set speeches of the learned orators of the world, they are
full of great thoughts and the inspiration of God--an excellence which
more than repays for the want of smoothness and the fine finish that a
carping criticism demands.
It was not his manner to deal with nice distinctions of words, their
derivations or the various shades of their meanings. His was not the
skill to
"Distinguish and divide
A hair 'twixt South and South-west side."
He chose rather to deal with general principles, great truths and
build on them such arguments, and draw thence such sound deductions as
convinced the judgment, appealed to the feelings, increased the faith,
reformed the wayward or more firmly established the convictions of
those who believed. He was deliberate in speech, almost slow, but not
more so than the great principles he was wont to treat of required.
His voice was clear, strong, resonant, and of wonderful compass; and
whether it sank, as it often did, to the tender tones which give
expression to the deep pathos that sometimes moved his soul, or calmly
reasoned upon some heavenly doctrine, or was raised to its grandest
swell or thunder tones to denounce injustice or oppression, no one
could grow weary of listening to it.
His eloquence was a majestic river full to the point of overflowing its
banks, sweeping grandly through rich regions of thought. His discourse
was mainly argumentative and abounding with occasional colloquialisms,
not unfrequently of a humorous turn: for among his other qualities of
mind he had a keen sense of the ridiculous. His gestures were few, but
very significant. His manner was, in the main, calm and dispassionate,
but when a train of thought more than ordinarily sublime stirred his
emotions, he became more animated and impressive; the form dilated, the
utterance was more rapid and the whole man was aglow with enthusiasm
that it was impossible to resist.
If, as it often chanced, his theme was the wrongs of the Saints, or if
he spoke in defense of the broad principles of liberty and the rights
of man, he then had a theme which called forth all his powers. His
denunciations of injustice and tyranny were terrible. At such times
his brow, usually beaming with mingled intelligence and benevolence,
grew dark as the coming storm approached. The form was drawn up to its
full height, the gestures were majestic--the word suited the action,
the action the word; eye and arm, voice and movement--the whole man,
with the love of liberty burning like consuming fire in his bones,
poured out impassioned utterances against tyranny in all its forms;
and the demonstrations of the congregation as the climax was reached,
is sufficient evidence that they were irresistibly borne along by that
tempest of passion. Yet in these bursts of eloquence he never seemed
to put forth all his strength. He always appeared to have still more
force in reserve that he could have used had he so minded. Moreover, he
had that rare faculty which in the very torrent, tempest and whirl-wind
of passion exercised a temperance that gave it smoothness and never
permitted it to become strained or incongruous.
These qualities in him sprang from nature, not from training. There was
nothing of the schools, nor of the studied elocutionist in his manner.
His style of speaking was peculiarly his own and was well suited to the
man, and to him alone.
The great body of the Saints knew him principally as a public man;
and so prominent was he as such that his private life and domestic
virtues have attracted but little attention. Yet it is pleasant to
know that his private life was in every sense as praiseworthy as his
public career. The letters to his family published in this volume give
all necessary evidence to the existence of deep solicitude for their
welfare, comfort and happiness; as well as a true parental interest
in the mental, moral and spiritual development of his children; an
interest so intense that it was an anxiety, such as only generous,
manly bosoms, big with hopes that reach beyond the grave, are capable
of experiencing. While he was willing and did labor for the good
of the human race, and possessed brilliant talents and a universal
sympathy which eminently qualified him for that work, he looked upon
his own family as being the nucleus of that kingdom over which he would
reign as priest, as king, as God! He loved his family, but that love
was sanctified and made devoid of all selfishness by the hopes and
aspirations awakened in his breast by the glorious gospel of the Son of
God. Love so sanctified could only result in making him a kind, noble
father, a gentle and loving husband.
He possessed superb self-control, which, with his nice sense of justice
and honor, enabled him to be remarkably successful in the patriarchal
order of marriage. Each wife was treated as the equal of the others,
and with her children shared equally in the blessings and material
advantages he was able to bestow upon them.
The social circle offered him an opportunity for the exercise of
all his generous impulses. He delighted in family gatherings, in
neighborhood feasts, and the reunions of friends, especially of those
tried and true. His genial manners, his delightful conversation, his
powers as a vocalist, together with his great experience, and an
inexhaustible fund of humor made him a central figure and often the
very life of these social gatherings.
Such was the character of President John Taylor; such the qualities
of his mind; such his public and domestic virtues: and if, as an old
English writer hath it, the great man is he who chooses the right
with invincible resolution; who resists the sorest temptations from
within and without; who bears the heaviest burdens cheerfully; who is
calmest in storms, and most fearless under menace and frowns; and whose
reliance on truth, on virtue, and on God, is most unfaltering--the name
of JOHN TAYLOR must be written high up on the column of fame where
the names of the great are enshrined, for in all these things he was
pre-eminent.
Footnotes
1. I John v., 7, 8.
2. The poem will be found in Parley P. Pratt's Autobiography, p. 500.
3. The Seer is published in the Latter-day Saints' Hymn Book, p. 337.
CHAPTER XLIX.
FUNERAL CEREMONIES--TESTIMONIES OF PRESIDENT TAYLOR'S FELLOW
LABORERS--FINAL RESTING PLACE OF THE CHAMPION OF LIBERTY.
The morning of Friday, July 29, 1887, dawned over Salt Lake Valley,
rosy and beautiful; but it was a day of sadness in the chief city of
the Saints, and throughout Israel. It was the day appointed for the
funeral services of President Taylor. Shortly after day-light had
broken over the eastern mountains, vehicles loaded with people could be
seen coming into the city from all directions to do honor to the great
departed. Later special trains loaded to their utmost capacity brought
in those too far from the city to reach it with teams.
The remains of President Taylor were removed to the Gardo House on the
night of the 26th, and at six o'clock in the morning of the 29th, the
day of his funeral, his family assembled to take a mournful but fond
_adieu_ of the earthly remains of him who had been their head--their
husband, father and their friend. At ten minutes before seven the body
was removed to the large Tabernacle; and at seven the doors of the
mammoth building were thrown open to the great throng which already
surrounded it. The body was placed in the open space in front of the
stand so that the people could pass in single file on each side. The
coffin in which it was enclosed was made of Utah pine, stained and
polished until it resembled mahogany. It was tastefully ornamented with
silver trimmings, but there was an entire absence of any display. On a
silver plate on the coffin was inscribed in neatly engraved lettering:
PRESIDENT JOHN TAYLOR.
DIED JULY 25, 1887
AGED 78 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AND 24 DAYS.
At the bottom of the plate was engraved:
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
REST IN PEACE.
The Tabernacle was draped in mourning, the great organ and stands being
covered with crape. In front of the organ was an excellent life sized
portrait of the deceased. The stands were decorated with a profusion
of beautiful flowers tastefully arranged. On the sacrament stand, in
the centre, was a fine piece of floral ornamentation, on which was
inscribed the noble title won by President Taylor in his early manhood--
CHAMPION OF LIBERTY.
Near it was a large sheaf of ripe wheat, bearing the inscription--
WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.
The countenance of the deceased President was peaceful, and much more
natural than might have been expected. There was but little evidence of
physical suffering, though he looked somewhat worn, by the anxiety and
confinement through which he had passed in the last few years of his
earthly career.
For four and a half hours there was a continuous stream of humanity
passing in at the west gate of the Temple enclosure and into the
Tabernacle by the north-west entrance. Fully twenty-five thousand
people passed the coffin and gazed for a moment in sadness upon the
countenance of the noble man they had learned to trust and love as one
of God's most distinguished servants, a friend and leader. While the
people were passing through the building, Professor J. J. Daynes played
a number of appropriate selections on the grand organ. There were but
few faces in that great throng that were not wet with tears, and many a
bosom swelled with righteous indignation at the thought that President
Taylor's life had been shortened by his enforced confinement, made
necessary by the cruelty of relentless enemies.
At 12 o'clock, the hour appointed for commencing the services, the
great Tabernacle was filled to its utmost capacity, even to the
standing room, while thousands were unable to enter but waited without
until the formation of the burial cortege. President Taylor's two
Counselors, and many of the Apostles and other leading Elders in
Israel could not be present at the funeral services without great
danger of falling into the hands of their enemies. The stand of the
First Presidency was therefore unoccupied. That stand so long graced
by the majestic form and presence of President Taylor being vacant,
and so many of the well-known leading Elders being absent from their
accustomed places, made the feeling of loneliness doubly oppressive.
But three of the quorum of Twelve Apostles were present--Lorenzo Snow,
Franklin D. Richards, Heber J. Grant. Daniel H. Wells, himself bowed
with the weight of 73 years was there; as was also the Patriarch of
the Church, John Smith. Angus M. Cannon, President of the Salt Lake
Stake, and A. O. Smoot of Utah Stake, together with Patriarchs Lorenzo
D. Young and Joseph B. Noble were seated in the second stand with the
Apostles. In the third were Presidents Jacob Gates, Horace S. Eldredge,
Seymour B. Young, Abraham H. Cannon of the first Council of Seventies,
and others. The members of President Taylor's family occupied the seats
immediately in front of the stands.
At fifteen minutes past 12, the services began by President Angus M.
Cannon reading the following letter written by President Taylor some
years before his death, in answer to one addressed by President Young
to him and the other Apostles asking them to give a written account of
how they wished to be buried:
"SALT LAKE CITY,
"November 17, 1873.
"_President Brigham Young_,
"DEAR BROTHER: Being asked to give a written account of the way I wish
to be buried, I present the following:
"I have no desire for any particular formula, but I should wish my
body to be washed clean, to be clothed in clean white linen garments
and robes, with shoes, apron and cap, etc.; to be laid in a coffin
sufficiently large to contain my body without pressure.
"Should I die here, let me be buried in my own lot in the grave yard.
Let the coffin be neat and comely, but plain and strong, made of cedar
or red wood, or of our own mountain pine; if of the latter, colored
or stained, and placed in an outer strong box, with a light cotton or
woolen mattress or bed and a convenient pillow for the head.
"The services such as prevail at the time among the Saints. A plain
slab may be placed over the body, and a stone at the head and feet, on
the stone to be given an account of my name, age and birth, as shall
suit the feelings of my family.
"Should I die in Jackson County, Missouri, let the above directions be
carried out as far as practicable.
"Respectfully your Brother,
"JOHN TAYLOR."
The choir and congregation united in singing the hymn by Wm. Clayton,
beginning:
"When first the glorious light of truth
Burst forth in this last age,
How few there were with heart and soul
T'obey it did engage!
Yet of those few how many
Have passed from earth away,
And in their graves are sleeping
Till the resurrection day."
The fourth verse of the hymn refers to the martyrdom of the Prophets
Joseph and Hyrum Smith, which, in view of the fact that these lines
were being sung as a requiem over the remains of their fellow martyr,
was doubly pathetic.
"Our Patriarch and Prophet, too,
Were massacred, they bled;
To seal their testimony
They were numbered with the dead.
Oh, tell me, are they sleeping?
Methinks I hear them say,
Death's icy chains are bursting--
'Tis the resurrection day!"
Bishop Millen Atwood offered the opening prayer; after which the choir
sang,
"Thou dost not weep to weep alone,
The broad bereavement seems to fall
Unheeded and unfelt by none,
He was beloved--beloved by all."
Apostle Lorenzo Snow was the first speaker. He read his text from
Paul's second letter to Timothy:
"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is
at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith."
The speaker then said:
"Paul, whose remarks I have just read in your hearing, was an apostle
of the Lord, our Savior. The man whose remains now lie before us was
also an apostle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of the
living God. And as Paul made this statement in regard to himself, so
also could be made a statement similar by President Taylor, whose
remains lie before us this afternoon.
"Paul, during his life, struggled and contended for the faith which was
once delivered to the Saints--those principles which pertain to the
exaltation and salvation of the human family; and he was willing to
make any sacrifice and go through every scene of difficulty and trouble
in order to accomplish this object, that his testimony in regard to
the Son of God and those principles that he had espoused might be
carried forth to the nations of the earth--to the whole human family.
He suffered imprisonment; he suffered the lash of his persecutors; he
suffered every indignity, and finally died a martyr to those principles
he so laboriously and so effectually carried forth among the human
family.
"So also we can say of President Taylor. Those principles made known
to him by the revelations of the Son of God as being of a divine
nature--principles that pertain to the interest and salvation and
exaltation of the human family--he carried forth to the various nations
of the earth: and he heeded not the difficulties that ensued, or that
were in his path of progress. He has shown to the world, he has shown
to the Latter-day Saints, he has shown to the angels and to the Lord
our God, his willingness, his determination, his resolution to do all
in his power to carry out and accomplish the work of the Most High God.
This he has done, and there lie his remains. He has left this world of
sorrow, of trials, of afflictions of every nature that the Saints have
to endure. He has gone to a better world. And it may be said of him
truthfully, as was announced to John the Revelator when upon the Isle
of Patmos, who was commanded to write what he heard by a voice from the
eternal worlds:
"'Blessed are they that die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the
spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow
them.'
"In a few verses before those that contain this vision it says an angel
was seen passing swiftly through the midst of eternity, coming down
to the earth bearing the gospel of the Son of God, to be declared to
every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. This message our
dear, beloved brother has sought, during a part of his life covering
a period of fifty years, to carry forth to the nations of the earth.
And during this period it is well known to the Latter-day Saints, the
sufferings, the trials, the afflictions, and the blood that he spent in
announcing and carrying forward these principles of life and salvation
to the world of mankind. He truly fought a good fight. He has finished
his course; 'and henceforth,' his spirit could well proclaim, 'there is
laid up, for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them
also that love his appearing.'
"Of course we feel the affliction; we feel the sad stroke. The
Latter-day Saints feel that they have lost a friend; that we have lost
a mighty counselor; that we have lost one of the greatest men that
have stood upon the earth since the days of the Son of God--a man
whose virtue, whose integrity, whose resolution to pursue the path of
righteousness is known, and well known.
"Now, we could apply this passage of scripture to many others who have
gone before; they have fought the good fight and kept the faith to
the end; and they have finished their course, and they now sleep in
peace in the spirit world, and the influence of their grand doings and
great accomplishments in the path of righteousness, extend over the
land of Zion. The Latter day Saints feel those beautiful and glorious
influences. Our hearts are made glad to contemplate their virtues,
their fidelity, their faithfulness, their glorious integrity.
"This our beloved brother has not only been a father and friend to
his wives and to his children--to his numerous family; he has been a
faithful friend also to the world of mankind, which at some future
period, though it may be for a thousand years to come, they will
distinctly understand. He has stood firm to those principles that are
a light to the world, that are a light to the human family. And did
the world understand President Taylor and his motives during the last
fifty years of his pilgrimage among the children of men, they would
feel differently towards him than they do. Those who put themselves
in the attitude of enemies to the Latter-day Saints and the servants
of God, do so because they don't comprehend us; they don't understand
our hearts, and don't understand our willingness to sacrifice in order
to lay a plan or to carry out measures by which salvation may come to
them also. We dedicate our lives which we hold as not dear to us, in
order that the world may understand that there is a God in the eternal
worlds; in order that they may understand that God has something to do
at the present time with the affairs of the children of men. The world
is passing into feelings and opinions of infidelity. Even among the
Christian portion of the human family, thousands and tens of thousands,
though they are not willing to confess it because of being unpopular,
do not believe that God has anything to do with the children of men. We
have to stand forth and make sacrifices in order that that belief and
knowledge may come to the children of men. That is the case with our
beloved brother, President Taylor. He has shown himself willing to make
sacrifices before he would deny or turn his back upon those principles
that, when people understand them, lead them to the path of knowledge,
of salvation and of immortality.
"Well, it is so ordered that one man's death, or the death of a dozen,
though they stand in the highest positions in the Church, does not
stop this work. The Latter-day Saints have advanced to that wisdom
and that intelligence and that understanding, that this does not
materially affect their interest. The kingdom of God moves forward.
It is not dependent upon one man or a half dozen men. It was thought
by some in the days of Joseph that this Church could not prosper
except Joseph guided its destinies; and when the time came that he
was to pass away from this world as a martyr, into the spirit world,
the Saints throughout the kingdom of God were greatly agitated. It
was something unexpected. They hardly knew how things would then
move. The responsibility then devolved upon the quorum of the Twelve
Apostles; and through the blessings of God upon them and the spirit of
inspiration that dwelt in their bosoms, and under the guidance of the
Almighty, the kingdom moved forward. And so in regard to the time when
our beloved Brother Brigham Young was called from this state into the
spirit life. He passed away almost unexpectedly. The Saints were hardly
prepared for it. And yet the kingdom of God moved forward. The duties
of guidance were still upon the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
"The Lord has seen proper now to call our beloved brother, President
Taylor, away from these scenes of suffering, these scenes of martyrdom;
and the Church still moves forward.
"Notwithstanding the duties and the obligations devolve again upon
the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, for the third time, through the
blessings of the Almighty and the spirit of inspiration that will be
upon them as it always has been, the Church will move forward. We are
gaining that experience that each man and each woman knows what his or
her duty is; and they know the foundation upon which this kingdom and
Church is founded; they know the foundation upon which each individual
is established; and they know that God reigns over the children of men
and over the affairs of the Latter-day Saints. They feel, now, perhaps,
different to what they generally feel when circumstances of this kind
occur. They feel more calm, more assurance in the providences of the
Almighty.
"And so in regard to the beloved family of President Taylor. Of course
they cannot but feel--and it is well that they do feel--that they have
lost a parent, a father, a guide, to direct and counsel. But still
there is nothing in the way of their progress, any more than there
is in the way of the progress of the kingdom of God. They can move
forward, and it is their duty to move forward in order that the word of
the angel may be fulfilled which said: 'Blessed are the dead which die
in the Lord henceforth; yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from
their labors and their works do follow them.
"And this family of President Taylor's, if they prepare themselves,
can go onward notwithstanding they have lost their head. The road
is still clear. They still have the counsels of the Holy Spirit, to
which they are entitled, for guidance and direction, and they can
move forward in the path of wisdom and knowledge, and in all those
beautiful qualifications that make a Latter-day Saint; and they can
prepare themselves, so that the words of the angel may be fulfilled.
Elder Taylor's works follow him. His labors, so far as his family are
concerned, follow him. Well, I have occupied sufficient time. There
are a number here that we wish to speak. I ask God in His mercy to
bless the family of President Taylor, that the Holy Spirit of life
may be upon them, and that they may have consolation in their hearts.
Their parent is now dwelling in glory, having a crown of righteousness
upon his head; and he will be there to welcome them as they pass off
one after another from this into the next world and to take them by
the hand. God bless the family of President Taylor, God bless the
Latter-day Saints; God bless the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on whom
rests the responsibility of moving forward the interests of the kingdom
of God. God bless the authorities of the Latter-day Saints and bless
the honest in all the world of mankind, is my prayer, in the name of
Jesus. Amen."
Apostle Franklin D. Richards followed Apostle Snow:
"Beloved fellow-mourners: On occasions of this kind, when the great men
whom God has raised up for our guidance, are released from their labors
in this low estate and called to another of a higher and more glorious
character, it appears to me suitable that we should spend a little
time and dwell upon their virtues, their excellent examples, and those
high, dignified traits of character which they have shown forth unto
us as the exemplars of that which is right and proper before all good
people, and which is most acceptable to God and the angels of heaven.
We are called upon to part with one of God's noblemen--a brother, a
father, a husband and a true friend to all that is praiseworthy among
mankind. Many of the points of his character and of the transactions of
this great and good man have already been noticed in the prints, and
it is to be hoped that a correct, competent and creditable biography
of his life may be given to the Saints and to the world, that his
true character as a man of God may be known as a standing and abiding
testimony to the whole human family. I, therefore, cannot--neither can
any of us today--enter largely into a consideration even of the most
important features of the busy and very profitable life which he has
spent. But I wish to notice two or three of the prominent traits of
his character, which as a fellow-laborer in the gospel, I have come
personally to know.
"President Taylor was a man who could not get down to grovel with the
low-lived, the vicious, the ribald, nor any who indulged in the follies
and vanities of mortal life. When the gospel found him, he was aspiring
from the measure of grace that existed among the most devout religious
worshipers, and hungering and thirsting for something nobler and
better; and the testimony of the glorious truths again revealed came to
his ears by the Elders of the Church, and soon by the blessed testimony
of the Prophet Joseph.
"Brother Parley P. Pratt had the distinguished honor to sound the
gospel of Jesus Christ in his ears. He was the instrument to lead him
into the Church of Christ. Brother Pratt found in him that right heart,
and that open hand by which he was led to go right forward in the
truth, and the new wine in the old vessel did no harm. President Taylor
was a man bold and daring for the truth. He knew no fear. I recollect
well when he and I were on our missions in Europe together, he labored
in France--on the coast of infidel France--if I mistaken not in Havre.
[1] He labored in that vicinity diligently; and at one time a number of
religious divines combined together to put down this heresy, as they
term it. President Taylor, with that boldness which ever characterized
him, consented to meet a whole pack of them, all that were willing
to conspire together to silence and turn away the testimonies from
reaching the hearts of the people. I recollect well my feelings when in
Liverpool at the time. Morally speaking it was like Paul when he writes
about fighting wild beasts at Ephesus. He withstood them and he brought
forth the truth, and souls were given him as the fruit of his labors;
an interest was awakened, and some were gathered out. His labors were
continued and incessant until he obtained a translation of the Book of
Mormon in the French language.
"President Taylor was a man who in his bearing and nature was onward
and upward. Who that is before me ever heard him indulge in ribaldry
or light and trifling and vain conversation? He was always looking
forward, from the moment he embraced the gospel, for a higher platform
upon which he could climb, and raise until he could go back, a son of
God, and associate as he did here upon the earth, with the prophets
of the Most High. There were but very few men that attained the warm,
personal relation that he attained to and maintained most successfully
with the Prophet Joseph Smith till he died, and the story of that
personal affection was consummated by the bullets he received in
Carthage jail with the Prophet when he was slain. President Taylor
was himself disabled. In the scene that he then passed through he
experienced all that pertains to martyrdom. He never suffered greater
pain, or more severe pain than he experienced in the jail with the
Prophet Joseph. But it was not appropriate for him to give up the ghost
then. He had to wait another forty years, that he might show forth his
magnanimity, his Priesthood and his fervor, and be a blessing to God's
people in these valleys of the mountains.
"At another time when President Taylor was laboring in New York, he
went to work and with faith, and the co-operation of such brethren as
he could find, established a paper, and published it in New York--one
of the most successful enterprises of the kind that was ever undertaken
in the last days. Some of the papers of New York undertook to run him
out, thinking New York belonged to them. They dared President Taylor
to an investigation. He proposed to meet as many of them as pleased
to attend; but he was ready with so magnanimous a heart and so full
a hand, that they declined the opportunity to meet him. I cite these
instances of the high moral bravery that President Taylor possessed
anywhere, everywhere and at all times in behalf of the truth while
traveling and laboring in various countries. This has been his spirit
and feeling. And while he has been of this magnanimous character, he
has always entertained a most profound regard for legitimate authority.
No man delighted more to receive and obey the counsel of those over
him. This he did with the Prophet Joseph although some of the counsels
given him, tested him and many of his brethren to the innermost soul
and to the veritable life itself. President Taylor always delighted
to serve the people. It was a notable trait in his character that he
was not addicted to hankering after money. Many men could discover a
sovereign or a half eagle a long way farther off than he could. He
sought for the riches of eternal life. Blessed be God, he is rich
in the possession of the knowledge he attained, and the skill and
integrity which he exercised, and the authority with which he was
entrusted until he has taken his departure and gone hence.
"President Taylor entertained the most profound regard for the
superiority of the principles of the American government as embodied in
the holy constitution, and the just laws of the land. I recollect well
when the news arrived of the passage of those laws which have lately
engaged the attention of the people, how with what consideration he
sat down and conversed with myself and others upon that subject, and
how he carefully and prayerfully adjusted the affairs of his household
in a way that, in the honesty of his heart and the magnanimity of his
soul, he felt that no man nor no government could take exceptions to.
He felt to place himself in conformity with the law. He would rather do
that than that any issue should arise. He therefore gladly bade family,
kindred and friends _adieu_ and went into retirement, went where, under
certain circumstances he could still serve his brethren, still counsel
them in the ways of life, still advise them as a man who was entrusted
with the keys of eternal life to the human family, and this he did,
blessed be God! until the day of his death. And it will be pleasant
to some who are present to know that President Taylor has not died
of organic disease. He has died from the legitimate consequences of
confinement, of limitation from exercise, just as everybody else would
do if they were limited and could not get exercise. Their candle would
go out from want of oil; the fires of their life would go out for want
of fuel. He has attained to the age of four score, and the Lord has
permitted him to finish his days in this, and to a great degree, happy
manner, notwithstanding the unfavorable circumstances which surrounded
him.
"When we recount the activity of his life, when we contemplate the
dignity of his character and of his course, and how exceptional it has
been, what an example it is for us! Should we not be tending upward too
and continually so?
"But President Taylor, by the blessing of God was placed in a position
in which he was not only a father and protector to his family, but
God made him a great benefactor to many of the human race. There are
numbers here today before me, who have been brought from distant
lands--lands where poverty and want looked them in the face--and they
have been brought to this land where there is room for enterprise and
industry, whereby multitudes of the poor have come to have homes and
the comforts of life around them. President Taylor has exercised this
discretion and this authority with a liberality that was becoming
a saint of God, and there are few in the Church more intimately
acquainted with these facts than myself, and I wish to testify to them.
A great man and a good man has fallen--fallen not from grace, not from
any virtue, or any adornment of mortal life, but his mortal body is
laid down that his spirit may go hence.
"And we are together in meeting, we are in his presence, though we may
not discern it. God is bringing to light many wonderful developments
of science, so much so that men are constructing eyes that they can
look at the distant planets and tell their surface, and tell their
distances, and comprehend those things that lie at very remote
distances in space.
"And these things are made after the pattern of the human eye. Shall He
who made the human eye not see? We are taught in the revelations that
some men can see into the future. But God is able and He has power to
see us continually. We are in His presence continually, and we ought
never to forget it.
"He who has made the ear, shall He not hear? Behold! men are already
learning to talk to others at a distance of many hundreds of miles. If
men can do this by the limited knowledge they possess, is it not true
that greater things shall yet be revealed?
"Jesus said to marvel not at certain things; for the day shall come
when all they that are in their graves shall hear His voice and live.
We lay our bodies down, but it is as true to science as it is to
revealed religion that these bodies shall be brought forth by the power
of that resurrection which was attained to by Jesus, and though the
wicked may scoff and the fool may say in his heart, 'There is no God,'
Saints know their foolishness.
"Now, then, my dear friends, my brethren and sisters--friends and
relatives of President Taylor--I feel thankful that I have been favored
with an acquaintance of so great and noble a household. There are few
households, indeed, in Israel or on the earth that are as honorable as
that of President Taylor. My dear young brethren and sisters, endeavor
and ask God to help you to strive to emulate those glorious qualities
of your dear father, who has gone before you, as he has written in
the song--for President Taylor, be it known, was a writer, he was an
author and a poet and there are very few productions more exalted and
ennobling and dignified than the one he composed, and which he used to
sing with great _eclat_, beginning,
"'The seer the seer, Joseph the seer,
I love to dwell on his memory dear,
The chosen of God and the friend of men,' etc.
"He who had all these qualifications as a man here among us, is a
great exemplar to all Israel, and a worthy instructor to my young
brethren and sisters. I beg you to heed the counsels he has given,
heed the testimonies he has left on record, and strive to follow the
same, so that by-and-by, when you return to clay, he will be ready to
welcome you to Zion's shore. He has gone to prepare a place for you.
Be not discouraged. Be not afflicted. We mourn President Taylor's
absence. We will lose his counsel. We cannot well spare such men. We
need such men in the Church to establish righteousness and preach the
gospel and build up Zion on the earth. You and I feel the loss--all
Israel feel it. We are all mourners on this occasion. I feel to say,
then, that while we bid President Taylor _adieu_, let us send with
him congratulations. Oh what a joyful reception will be given him
yonder, when he will shake hands with Joseph again, with Hyrum and
Brigham, with Parley and Orson, and George A. and Willard, and all of
the brethren of the Twelve! Why there is nearly a quorum of the Twelve
Apostles to establish and carry on the work which we here but begin.
"My dear brethren and sisters, may the spirit of the gospel, the spirit
of the Gods be with all those who seek to know and obey the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ, to keep His commandments and to walk in His
statutes and ordinances continually."
"May the Lord help us to cultivate and to follow the examples of so
great and glorious men. May we acquire their virtues and like them
seek more abundantly to become Saints of God; seek to stand without
rebuke in this untoward generation; seek to overcome all evil, that we
may ultimately gain the reward of the faithful. This is my desire, my
purpose and my labor with you all, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."
Apostle Heber J. Grant said:
"I feel that it is much more appropriate that those men who have lived
almost a life time with President Taylor should be the speakers on this
occasion. However, inasmuch as I have been requested to make a few
remarks, I will willingly do so. I can say of President Taylor that he
lived a faithful, honest and conscientious life; that he did all that
was in his power for the advancement of the work of God upon the earth.
He has been a faithful Latter-day Saint, and no more can be said of any
man. * * He has lived unto a good old age. He has filled up the measure
of his creation, and there is no man but can say that he has been true
to his own conscience. No matter what has been the obstacle before him,
he has never faltered. He has always been firm and steadfast in walking
in the path of duty. May God bless his family. May God bless the
Latter-day Saints everywhere, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen."
Counselor Daniel H. Wells was the next speaker:
"I agree with the psalmist who said: 'I shall be satisfied when I
arise in His likeness.' The Lord Jesus Christ has brought light and
redemption into the world for the benefit of the human family, from the
creation of the world to the redemption of every creature worthy of
eternal life.
"President Taylor espoused this cause [referring to the work of the
Lord in the last days] because he had the light of truth burning within
him when it was first made known to him. He lived a fearless, noble
and God-like life--let those who still live seek to emulate his noble
example. President Taylor has been a friend to himself, a friend to his
family, a friend to this people and a friend to God. He has been the
champion of human rights, the champion of liberty, truth and freedom.
He has lived a noble, useful life, full of honor and credit to himself
and family, a satisfaction to the people and a glory to God. I take
pleasure in bearing this testimony to the faithfulness and devotion
of President Taylor, to his integrity to God and the love of his
people. I knew him to be a man determined to do right, to see justice
administered, truth upheld, and honor sustained among this people. He
has lived to see this people pass through many changes. He sought to
maintain the right in every instance, for which there are great and
glorious crowns in the eternal worlds reserved for him."
He prayed for the divine providential care to rest upon the family of
those who are called to mourn his absence, that they may follow in his
footsteps, and ever cherish the love they now have for their father and
husband, and that it may grow stronger and become brighter with the
lapse of time, and that those remaining may live to meet him in his
glorious and exalted estate.
Brother Wells bore his testimony that Mormonism is true, that Joseph
Smith, Brigham Young and John Taylor were prophets, seers and
revelators of the Church of Jesus Christ in the last dispensation. And
as the people of God have twice before been called upon to part with
their leader, and have survived, and the work been strengthened, so
now God will raise up men who will continue it where President Taylor
has left off, until shall become mighty and powerful over all the
earth. * * The speaker extolled the example of the revered and honored
President, and commanded all who would be great to follow in his path.
He bore his testimony to the existence of God, the power of His work,
having no fear of its final destiny; trusted all would fulfill the
obligation incumbent upon them, and as President Taylor had kept his
first estate, come here on earth, kept his second estate, and had now
gone to the spirit world, so may those of his family, his brethren and
all Israel do likewise--prove their integrity to God and finally meet
the reward of an exaltation in His presence.
President A. O. Smoot:
"It is nearly forty-nine years since I first became acquainted with
President John Taylor, whose remains now lie before us. I first knew
him as a distinguished and successful missionary. I next knew him in
the troubles of Missouri, in what are termed the wars of Missouri.
I next knew him as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. I knew him
as a journalist in Nauvoo, as editor of the Nauvoo _Neighbor_ and
other periodicals. I knew him in crossing the plains from Winter
Quarters to this city. I knew him as a distinguished Legislator in the
councils of the Legislature of the Territory of Utah. I have known
him in adversity, I have known him in prosperity, and in a great many
capacities have I been familiar with Brother Taylor for forty-nine
years. And in all the positions which I have known him to occupy, he
has been eminently faithful and has filled them with ability and with
unflinching integrity to the kingdom of God on the earth.
"We have come here to mourn with those who mourn, and we in reality
have occasion to rejoice as well as to mourn. Brother Taylor has filled
up the measure of his days in usefulness, and has never been known to
waver, or to flinch, or to murmur, or to complain of his hardships. He
stood up for the right. He supported the truth at home and abroad, for
the salvation of the human family, and we have occasion to rejoice that
he has thus filled up the measure of his days in usefulness.
"While we have reason to mourn his absence for the loss of his
usefulness among the Latter-day Saints, as has appropriately been said
others will be raised up in the midst of the people of God that will be
qualified to magnify the callings and positions which he has filled,
and the calling he filled at the time of his demise, and they will
do honor to Israel as he has done. I do not feel to mourn for him as
a man, and it is to be hoped that we may all be so happy as to pass
the ordeal with the stars of honor with which he has done and with as
little reflection of wrong, or of wrong-doings, either by friend or
foe, as Brother Taylor has passed it. May it be our happy lot so to
do. And I hold that we should not cleave to life longer than we are
useful. God bless all those who are faithful in Israel. It is true this
departure of our beloved President is a bereavement to his family and
to all Israel. It is an occasion for mourning, and yet that mourning
may be tempered with joy. I do not wish, my brethren and sisters, to
detain you, or to enter into details in relation to his character.
History gives this.
"Eulogy is not required in the case of President Taylor. History will
tell his life, and his doings and his devotion to God and His kingdom
upon the earth. May the comfort of the Holy Spirit rest upon the
mourners.
"May the comforting influence rest abundantly upon them that they may
feel to acknowledge the hand of God and to profit by Brother Taylor's
example in life."
Lorenzo D. Young and Joseph B. Noble, Patriarchs in the Salt Lake and
Davis Stakes respectively, made remarks, bearing testimony to the
excellent character and nobility of soul of the deceased President.
Angus M. Cannon, President of the Salt Lake Stake, was the last
speaker. He said:
"It is with feelings of solemnity that I arise before you on this
occasion. In looking upon the remains of our late President, it brings
to my memory many of his noble traits and actions. My acquaintance with
him dates back a little over forty years ago, when I was a child, and
when he brought the gospel to my parents. I have been familiar with
his record from that day to this. When nigh unto death with leaden
missiles, received through his integrity to the Prophet of Almighty God
and his brethren and the servants of the Most High, he stood immovable,
determined to maintain the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"If I ever abided in the truth--nourished and cherished by his
testimony and God like qualities--within me, it has been under his
divine instructions and by the aid of his holy example and by his
self-denial and the integrity that he has exhibited for the testimony
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"I saw him last in enfeebled health, and when I asked him if he would
have me bear a message to his loved ones--to his family, his wives and
his children--he said, 'Yes, say unto them I remember them always. I
love them individually, and never cease to plead with God for them. And
although I am feeble now, I hope soon to be better.'
"He has been relieved from his pains. He sleeps in God; and I can
imagine seeing the portal of heaven open through which he has entered.
I see Joseph, I see Hyrum, I see the Patriarch, the father of Joseph,
I see Don Carlos, [2] Samuel [3] and Heber, [4] Brigham, [5] Willard,
[6] David Patten, [7] Jedediah [8] and George A., [9] and as he is free
with them and in their society, I can imagine and rejoice in the joy
and counsels and power of God that they who have gone exhibited, which
they are now enjoying and which will animate and strengthen the hands
and comfort the hearts of those brethren who remain.
"And I tell you this day that the work of God will roll on with
greater rapidity than it has ever done, and God will be glorified.
His servants' hands will be strengthened and Jesus' testimony will be
maintained.
"Brother Taylor took the testimony that Joseph gave him, that Jesus
delivered unto Joseph, that God bade Joseph to listen to from the lips
of his beloved Son--and he bore those tidings to foreign lands, and
made our hearts tingle with the words which he there enunciated. I say
the joy and rejoicing with which President Taylor has met with his
co-laborers beyond the veil, surrounded with apostles of Jesus Christ,
is great.
"When I think of the glory that attends God's work, the increase of
His servants, the growth of Israel born in the everlasting covenant,
surrounded by these lofty crags and peaks, inspiring them with love
of liberty, I trust that from the ashes of our beloved President--who
obtained the title of Champion of Freedom and Liberty, the champion of
the people's rights--I trust that from his ashes may spring innumerable
champions who will stand in the image of their Maker, as has our
departed president, and that they may maintain the right and the rule
of truth of God as he has done. We can not sacrifice principle. We can
go to prison. We can endure death; we can separate ourselves from our
families, with the hope that we will have them eternally with God. But
we cannot forsake the work that He has assigned unto us. And I bear
testimony today that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Joseph was His prophet and sealed his testimony with his blood. Brigham
Young his successor, and also John His servant, have gone from the
earth, sealed their testimonies as Prophets, Seers and Revelators in
this generation.
"May God our Heavenly Father nourish His loved ones who remain with
us. May He inspire the hearts of His people that they may go on in
good works, emulating the example of our beloved President and perform
works that will exalt them to meet with him. May He cherish and nourish
the little ones who are left; may He bless them in health, give them
strength and enable them to follow in the footsteps of him whose body
now lies before us. May God grant that his wives may set such examples
and give such counsel to those of their children who remain that will
make them worthy to be received of him and be cherished in his bosom
eternally.
"And may God strengthen His Saints to maintain the rule of
righteousness, extend the principles of truth and enable us to bring
about greater good to humanity, that God may be glorified, His Church
strengthened, and that we, as His people, may be qualified for every
event in life, through Jesus Christ. Amen."
The choir sang the splendid anthem:
"Jerusalem, my glorious home."
The benediction was pronounced by Patriarch John Smith.
This closed the services in the Tabernacle. Although they had lasted
for two hours and a half, and many in the congregation had been sitting
in the building from early morning, there was no sign of weariness. The
most profound silence was maintained. Nothing was heard in the vast
building but the sweet strains of music, the voice of the speakers as
they recounted the noble deeds and virtues of the illustrious dead. A
spirit of profound sorrow brooded over that great congregation. Israel
sincerely mourned the departure of their great leader.
As the congregation slowly and mournfully left the Tabernacle the
funeral cortege was formed as follows:
Held's Cornet Band,
Pall Bearers--Twelve sons of the deceased, [10]
Hearse,
Ogden Brass Band,
Family,
Garfield Beach Band,
First Presidency,
Apostles,
Patriarchs,
First Seven Presidents of the Seventies,
Olsen's Brass Band,
Presidents of Stakes,
High Councilors,
Choir,
Presidencies of High Priests' Quorums,
Sixth Ward Silver Band,
Presidencies of Elders' Quorums,
Presiding Bishopric,
Provo Silver Band,
Bishops and Counselors,
Salt Lake City Band,
Presidencies of Teachers' Quorums,
Presidencies of Deacons' Quorums,
Committee of Arrangements,
Citizens in Carriages and on Foot.
The cortege was of great length, and splendid in its appointments.
It proceeded east on South Temple Street, to N Street, thence turned
north, and entered the cemetery at the upper gates.
At the grave a select choir sang with exquisite sweetness that most
beautiful and heaven inspired of hymns--
O, my Father, thou that dwellest
In that high and glorious place!
The dedicatory prayer was offered by Elder Richard Ballantyne, after
which the earthly remains of the great Apostle and President of the
Church of Jesus Christ were consigned to their temporary resting place,
pending the construction of a stone vault, and the immense throng
quietly and sadly dispersed.
Early in the morning of the 20th of August, the remains of President
Taylor were removed, in the presence of his family, from the first
grave to their permanent resting place. The sepulcher is of granite
rock slabs twelve inches in thickness firmly clamped and doweled
together with heavy bolts and rods of solid steel, thus forming a
chamber seven feet by four, and five feet in depth. This is inclosed by
a massive, solid cap-stone of the same material, eight feet six inches
by six feet, one foot thick and weighing four and a half tons. It is
secured in its position by a number of powerful steel rods, making a
structure almost impregnable.
There sleeps in peace the body of the fearless CHAMPION OF LIBERTY, and
the APOSTLE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Footnotes
1. It was in Boulogne ser-Mer and Paris that he labored principally
while in France, and it was at the former place he held the discussion
alluded to by Elder Richards.
2. A younger brother of the Prophet Joseph's, a most excellent young
man; he died in Nauvoo, 1841.
3. Samuel Smith, a brother to the Prophet.
4. Heber C. Kimball.
5. President Brigham Young.
6. Willard Richards, who was with President Taylor and the two Prophets
in Carthage Jail.
7. He was the Apostle that was killed at the battle of Crooked River,
in Missouri, 1838.
8. Jedediah Grant, Counselor to President Young.
9. George A. Smith, a Counselor to President Young.
10. Had it been possible, it would have been eminently proper for
the Twelve Apostles to have been the pall bearers, because President
Taylor had been so long identified with that organization; but this
was impracticable, as the most of the quorum were in exile. It was
therefore decided to select members of the family to act in that
capacity, and twelve of the seventeen sons present at the funeral were
chosen for that purpose.
Appendix
Family of John Taylor.
For an account of the ancestry of John Taylor, see Chapter 1.
Wives.
Name. When Born. Where Born. When Died. Where died. Father's Name Mother's Name Marriage
Leonora Cannon Oct. 6, 1796 Peel, Isle of Man Dec. 9, 1868 Salt Lake City George Cannon Leonora Callister Jan 28, 1833, in
Toronto, Canada
Elizabeth Haigham Sept. 11, 1811 do Thos. Haigham Elizabeth Garret Dec. 12, 1843, in
Nauvoo, Ills.
Jane Ballantyne Apl. 11, 1813 Shildfield, Paich David Ballantyne Annie Bannerman Feb. 25, 1844, in
Earlston, Scotland Nauvoo, Ills.
Mary Ann Oakley March 20, 1826 Flat Lands, Long Ezra Oakley Elizabeth DeGroot April, 1845, in
Island, New York Nauvoo, Ills.
Sophia Whitaker Apl. 21, 1825 Blakedown, Worcest- Feb. 27, 1887 Salt Lake City Thos. Whitaker April 23, 1847, in
shire, England Winter Quarters, Iowa
Harriet Whitaker Apl. 21, 1825 do July 16, 1882 do Thos. Whitaker Dec. 4, 1847, in
Salt Lake City
Margaret Young Apl. 24, 1837 Westport, Fairfield Ebenezer Russel Margaret Holden Sept. 26, 1856, in
Co., Conn. Young Salt Lake City
Children.
Name. When Born. Where Born. When Died. Where died. Father's Name Mother's Name
George John Taylor Jan. 31, 1834 Near Toronto, Canada John Taylor Leonora Taylor
Mary Ann Taylor Jan. 23, 1836 Toronto, Canada Dec. 9, 1890 San Francisco do do
Joseph James Taylor June 8, 1838 Near Indianapolis, Ind. do do
Leonora Agnes Taylor June 1, 1842 Nauvoo, Ills. Sep. 10, 1843 Nauvoo, Ills. do do
Josephine Taylor March 15, 1846 Nauvoo, Ills. do Elizabeth Taylor
Thomas Edward Taylor Nov. 7, 1849 Salt Lake City, Utah do do
Arthur Bruce Taylor Oct. 9, 1853 do do do
Richard James Taylor Feb. 4, 1848 do do Jane Ballantyne Taylor
Annie Maria Taylor Oct. 21, 1849 do do do
David John Taylor Aug. 8, 1853 do Sep. 6, 1881 New York do do
Henry Edgar Taylor Dec. 26, 1849 do do Mary Ann Oakley Taylor
Mary Elizabeth Taylor Jan. 30, 1854 do Jan 16, 1859 Salt Lake City do do
Brigham John Taylor Aug. 8, 1858 do do do
Ida O. Taylor Sept. 6, 1860 do do do
Ezra O. Taylor May 20, 1863 do do do
Harriet Ann Whitaker Dec. 7, 1847 do do Sophia Taylor
Taylor
James Whitaker Taylor March 2, 1850 do June, 1851 Salt Lake City do do
Hyrum Whitaker Taylor Jan. 10, 1854 do do do
John Whitaker Taylor May 15, 1858 do do do
Helena Whitaker Taylor March 21, 1860 do April 10, 1870 Salt Lake City do do
Moses Whitaker Taylor March 9, 1862 do do do
Frederick Whitaker July 18, 1866 do do do
Taylor
Sophia Elizabeth July 14, 1849 do do Harriet Whitaker Taylor
Taylor
William Whitaker Sept. 11, 1853 do Aug. 1, 1884 Salt Lake City do do
Taylor
John Taylor March 19, 1855 do March 29, 1855 do do do
Ebenezer Young Taylor Feb. 25, 1860 do do Margaret Young Taylor
Frank Young Taylor Nov. 4, 1861 do do do
Leonora Young Taylor March 25, 1864 do do do
Robert Young Taylor March 2, 1866 do Sept. 30, 1867 do do do
Maggie Young Taylor March 15, 1870 do do do
Nephi Young Taylor Oct. 25, 1872 do do do
Mary Young Taylor Dec. 6, 1875 do do do
Abraham Young Taylor Dec. 12, 1878 do do do
Samuel Young Taylor Nov. 20, 1881 do do do
The grand children and great-grand children of President Taylor now
number upwards of one hundred, so that in addition to a name and a fame
for himself, he also is the founder of a family that is not likely to
perish while the earth shall stand; nor is it likely that he will ever
be without a man to stand before the Lord in the priests' office--a
thing esteemed by the ancients as one of the greatest blessings.
Transcriber's Note
In a couple of cases where the correct reading was clear, unmatched
quotation marks were corrected. An instance of "No. they" was changed
to "No. They" to match other instances in the same paragraph, and some
other obvious printer's errors (e.g. psss for pass, judical for judicial,
Tayor for Taylor, etc. etc.) were corrected.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Life of John Taylor, by B. H. Roberts