The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-01-14

THE SUCCESSOR OF BRIGHAM YOUNG.
The Mormon" question among the people ant
in Congress is fast assuming the excited phase
which always Precedes a course OF action. wher
action has been long delayed. Whatever may be
the disposition OF the question the portrait and
biography of the present head of the Church must
| he of interest.
Elder John Taylor the successor to Brigham
Young as the President of the Church of Jesus
Christ of the Iatter-day Saints, more generally
| known as Mormons, was born In Mlnthrop Coun
| ty Westmoreland England. November |, 1905 In
| his boyhood he received the advantages of good
| sound English education. and In early manhood
joined the Methodist Church. ard became a local
preacher in that sect. In his twenty-fourth year
he emigrated To Canada to join his fathers fam.
| lily who had preceded him two years. Shortly
after his arrival he married Miss LeOnOra Cannon
Manx lady, who was residing in Canada as a COM
panion of the wife of the Governor of the Prov
ince. This lady (now deceased) was the aunt OF
Hon George q, Cannon, Delegate to Congress from
Utah.
Mr.. Taylor soon became locally conspicuous as
religious teacher and refOTmer in Toronto, and
was associated with body of thoughtful men
and women who were dissatisfied with the exist
ing forms of religion. and seeking Bible truth by
all legitimate means. In this state of inquiry
Farley P. Pratt one of he Twelve Apostles OF the
Latter day Church visited Toronto. which visit
their friends aud associates being baptised. Mr.
Taylor was very shortly afterward ordained an
Elder; and before long appointed to preside over
the Churches In that region.
In shOrt time, Elder Taylor visited the main
body of the Church 10 which he had allied him
self, in Kirkland, o. Here he became conspicu-
Gus for his zeal and courage in defending the
tenets OF MormOnism,' and his strOug personal
friendship for the prophet, Joseph smith. He
went with the Church TO Missouri where ne was
ordained one of the Twelve Apostles He suffere
with his religioniss the miseres that I'd
the expulsion of the MormOns from the State in
a fnnl rae..ot l. -,
Zation of the fugitive Saints in Illinois, In the
building of the city of NauvoO. There ne became
editor of the official journal of the Church, the
raper. entitled the Nat 700 Neighbor. He
was associated in the cits government as
Counselor. and was Judge Advocate General ana
Chaplain, with rank of Colonel in the Nauvoo
Legicn; %Sda .,o 49,. ,o., , r
smith: were confined prisoners In the Carthage
Jail, Elder TAYLOR stayed with them friend
and visitor. When they were assassinated he was
present, and was himself shot in four places BY
the moo For some months his life trembled in
the balance, and he carries one ball in his BODY
10 this day. Wien the MOrmons were exi,ed
from Nauvoo Elder Taylor accompanied them to
the Missouri River. From that point he sent.
with two Others by the Council of the Twelve
Apostles, on a mission to England to regulate
the business affairs of the Church In that land
Leaving his family camped on the river and
posed to all the deprivations and annOyances in-
cidental TO their situation he departed In answer
to this call, from which he returned the year fol
lowing (lS47), when ne found his family
camped at Winter Quarters, about SIX miles
above where Omaha now stands. He then,
one OF the apostles took promine tpart in the
organization and guidance of the companies OF
expatriated Saints" who followed the pioneers
under Brigham Young in their tOilsome and per-
ilOus journey across the plains and the Rocky
Mountains He was also among the most ener-
getio in the formation of the Mormon Battalion
of 500 men who enlisted to serve as volunteers In
the war with Mexico. He arrived in Salt Lake
City in 1876. and has since been conspicuous In
the councils OF the Church in Utah.
He has also been on several preaching missions
10 foreign lanes; chief amopg which was one OF
the earliest to Great Britain those TO France and
Germany from 1919 TO 1852, when he arranged
for and superintended the translation of the Book
OF Mormon into the French and German Ian
guages, and In later years in the Eastern States
when he published the Mormon newspaper in
New York; At home for a number of years he
was Speaker of the Territorial House OF Repre-
sentauyes was twice elected Territorial Superin-
tendent of Schools and alst acted as Probate
Judge in Utah County
When Brigham Young died In 1877 Elder Tay-
or stood, by seniority, at the head OF the Council
for the Apostles. and consequently de facto
Apostles regulated the affairs of the Church,
when the first Presidency was re appointed ana
Elder Taylor was reelected President, with
George Q. Cannon and Joseph +. Smith as his
COunselOrs. This is the position he holds to-day.
He has also been elected Trustee in Trust for the
Church. and holds prominent position as Presi-
dent or Director in most or the business concerns
! in which the Church has an interest.
President Taylor has been in his tine. and is
now for his age, handsome man. Hell of dark
complexion, about six feet high, of commanding
presence, erect carriage aud great natural dignity
He Is by many considered the finest pu pit orator
In his Church. He has always been noted for
great Independence of thought and action. un-
compromising determination and great will pow
er. His zeal and fiery eloquence made him a
marked man I'm the earlier years of his associa-
tion with the Mormon people. His policy. thus
lar, during his Presidency, has been marked for
It's conservative character. He has enuneiaed no
new doctrines, proposed no innovations, but de-
terminedly carried out the policy of his preed.
cessOrs.
dent Taylor has written a number of works on
the tenets of his sect. and Is at present engaged
on three or four dOctrinal treatises the most elab
crate of which is IAN Examin alton into the Doc
| trine of the Atonement of Our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ"