Show MEN OF THE TRE HOUR some are bom born great come some achieve greatness and rome some have great greatness nees thrust upon them JOHN TA TAYLOR Y MR THE 81 X esson 01 MIJA T N 01 na the mormon among the keople and in ill congress is fast assuming the excited phase which always precede a course of action when action has been long delayed whatever mr may bo be the disposition of the question the portrait and bio biography dagliy of the present head of afie church roust must be of interest elder john taylor the successor to brigham young as the president of tho the church of jesus christ of latter day sainte saints moro more generally known as mormons cormons Mor mons was born in ih Milli tharp county ot of westmoreland england november 1st ast 1808 in his boyhood lie received the advantage vanta goof of abood a good sound english education and in early manipod mani manhood tod joined the methodist church and mime became a local preacher in tb that at sect in his twenty fourth year lie emigrated to canada to join his fathers afi lc family who hall preceded him two year years shortly after hia his arrival he lie married miss ais leonora cannon a manx lady who was fetn residing ding in in canada as the companion of the wife of the governor Gov governor einor ot of the province this lady now deceased was the aunt of lion geo Q can annon delegate to congress from fron utah mr taylor soon became bedame locally conspicuous as a religious 10 teacher and reformer in toronto ro and was associated with a body of thou thoughtful gotful me men and women who were dissatisfied with tho the existing forms of religion and seeking bible truth by all legitimate mea means ns in this stole state of inquiry airy parley P pratt ono one of tho the T twelve P elve apostles of the latter da day v sainte zai ut Q visited toronto which visit resulted in mr and mrs taylor and a number of their friends and associates being being baptized baptized mr tailor was very shortly y afterwards ordained an ail elder der and before long it appointed to preside over the churches in that region in a short time elder taylor visited the mair Mody of the church to which he be had alicd himself in kirtland ohio here he be became conspicuous for his zeal and courage lit in defending the tenets of mormonism a and hid bis strong personal friendship friendship for the prophet joseph smith lie le went with the church to missouri where ho lie was ordained one of the twelve apo apostles lles he ile s uffie red with his co religionists the I miseries that attended the expulsion of the mormons cormons Mor mons from that state in 1888 he ile took a prominent pat past in th alie c organization reorganization re of the fugitive saints in illinois and in the building of the city of nauvoo there he lie became the editor of the official journal of the church the times and seasons and also of a political weekly paper entitled the nauvoo neighbor he was associated in the city government government overn ment asa as a counselor and was judge advocate general and chaplain Ch with rank of colonel in chavalla aValli the nauvoo a legion when tho two brothers I jos aph and smith were confined prisoners boners in the carthage jail elder taylor ni lor stayed with them LQ aa a fri friend end and visitor when they cereas were assassinated he lie was present and was himself shot in four places by the mob for some months his life trembled in the balance and lie bocar carria one ball in his lis body to this day when the cormons mormons Mor Marn mons ions were exiled from nauvoo elder taylor accompanied them to the blis missouri river F from rom that point he NN was as sent with two others by the council of the twelve apostles on oil a mission to england to re regulate the business affairs of the church in that land leaving his family camped on tho the river river and ekpo expo exposed ed to all the deprivations and annoyances ine incidental identa to their situation lie departed in answer to this call from which he returned the year year following 1847 when allen he lie found his hi family encamped at winter quarters about sis six miles miler above where omalia now stands he ile then as oneo one oc the apostles took a ct part in the orani or organization ani and guidance of the companies of expatriated saints who followed tho the pione rs under Brig brigham hara youn young a in their toilsome tuil some and perilous journey across the plains and tho the rocky rock mountains ho ilo was also among themma the mot energetic in the formation of the mormon battalion of men who enlisted to servo as volunteers in the war with i etli mexico iio ito arrived in ill salt lake city in 1847 and lias has since be been ell conspicuous p i chous in tho the councils of the ms church li in utah he ile haa has also been on several preaching missions to foreign lands chief amon among which was one one of the earliest to great britain those to prance france and germany from 1849 to 1852 when he lie arranged for and superintended super intended the translation of the book of mormon into the french and german language languages and in later years in tho the L eastern states when he published p u blis lied the mormon monnon newspaper in new york at home for fur a it number of years lie was speaker of the T territorial errit orial of representatives was twice elected territorial superintendent of Sch schools iole and also acted as probate judge in utah county when V hen brigham I died in 1877 elder taylor Taylore stood auni too by seniority at the head of tho the council of the apostles Ap ostlee and consequently was dejacho head of the church for nearly three years the apostles regulated abed the aft affairs hirs of the church when the first F arst presidency was re appointed and elder taylor waa was elected President with geo acan cannon and joseph P F smith as his counselor counselors this is the position he be holds today to day iio ile has also been elected trustee in trust for the church and holds a prominent position j tion as president or director in in most of or the business concerns in abich the church hasan interest t president taylor lias has been in his time and is now for his bl age a handsome man he ile is of dah dark complexion about frix feet high a of commanding mandill presence erect carriage and great great natural dignity he ile is by many considered the finest pulpit orator in his church he ile lias has pit always been noted for great independence pen dence ot thou thought lit and action uncompromising compromise ng determination and great will power his ilis zeal and fiery eloquence 10 bence made him a marked man mail in in t the T ee earlier years of his association with the mormon peee e ilia ili policy thua thus far during F is presidency has been marked for its conservative character he ile lias enunciated no new doctrines proposed no innovations but deter carried out the policy of liis his predecessors besides his numerous auti duties M president taylor lias has writ written a number of works on oil the tenets of his big churchard Chur chand is at present engaged on oil three or four doctrinal trea treaties tim the most elaborate of which is an examination into the doctrine of the atonement of our lord tard and savior jesue christ |