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John Taylor (November 1, 1808 – July 25, 1887) was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1877 until his death in 1887. A native of England, he is the only LDS president not born in the United States.
John Taylor in Southern Victory
John Taylor was a political and religious leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Utah.[1] During the Second Mexican War, with the support and encouragement of Confederate President James Longstreet, he orchestrated a rebellion against the United States, which was put down by the US Army almost immediately.[2] Utah remained under martial law for the duration of the war, with General John Pope as governor. Pope ordered a manhunt for Taylor but the Mormon President was never found.
Before the actual outbreak of war and rebellion, Taylor had several interesting conversations with former President Abraham Lincoln. Taylor initially believed that Lincoln was in Utah at the behest of his fellow Republican, U.S. President James G. Blaine, and hoped that Lincoln would take a warning to Blaine to stay out of the affairs of the Mormons.[3] Lincoln denied any real ties to Blaine several times, but Taylor refused to believe the former president.[4]
This brief contact came back to haunt Lincoln when the U.S. Army arrived. General Pope came to believe that Lincoln knew something about the rebellion, and placed Lincoln under house arrest for duration of the rebellion.[5]
Literary Comment
Taylor's final fate is never revealed.
References
| Religious titles (OTL) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Brigham Young |
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1877–1887 |
Succeeded by Wilford Woodruff |
