1886 Revelation
Given to President John Taylor September 27, 1886

My son John, you have asked me concerning the New and Everlasting Covenant how far it is binding upon my people.

Thus saith the Lord: All commandments that I give must be obeyed by those calling themselves by my name unless they are revoked by me or by my authority, and how can I revoke an everlasting covenant, for I the Lord am everlasting and my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor done away with, but they stand forever.

Have I not given my word in great plainness on this subject? Yet have not great numbers of my people been negligent in the observance of my law and the keeping of my commandments, and yet have I borne with them these many years; and this because of their weakness—because of the perilous times, and furthermore, it is more pleasing to me that men should use their free agency in regard to these matters. Nevertheless, I the Lord do not change and my word and my covenants and my law do not, and as I have heretofore said by my servant Joseph: All those who would enter into my glory must and shall obey my law. And have I not commanded men that if they were Abraham’s seed and would enter into my glory, they must do the works of Abraham. I HAVE NOT REVOKED THIS LAW, NOR WILL I, for it is everlasting, and those who will enter into my glory MUST obey the conditions thereof; even so, Amen.

Official Church Statement

In the “Official Statement” from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, signed by Heber J. Grant, A.W. Ivins and J. Reuben Clark, Jr., “First Presidency,” the words are as follows:

“It is alleged that on September 26-27, 1886, President John Taylor received a revelation from the Lord, the purported text is given in publications circulated apparently by or at the instance of this organization (Fundamentalists).
“As to this pretended revelation it should be said that the archives of the Church contain no such a revelation; the archives contain no record of any such a revelation, nor any evidence justifying a belief that any such a revelation was ever given. From the personal knowledge of some of us, from the uniform and common recollection of the presiding quorums of the Church, from the absence in the Church archives of any evidence whatsoever justifying any belief that such a revelation was given, we are justified in affirming that no such a revelation exists.”

If the revelation to John Taylor was not then in the archives of the Church, it is because it had been taken out from the archives of the Church, in order to make the statement, for each of the brethren had been familiar with it and knew that it was in existence. These three men signed the false statement with full knowledge of its falsity and with the intent of deceiving the Saints. To make the deception more complete, A. W. Ivins, one of the signers to the false statement, wrote one of our California friends as follows:

“The latter purported revelation of John Taylor (of 1886) has no standing in the Church. I have searched carefully, and all that can be found is a piece of paper found among President Taylor’s effects after his death. It was written in pencil and only a few paragraphs, which has no signature at all. It was unknown to the Church until members of his own family claimed to have found it among his papers. It was never presented or discussed as a revelation by the presiding authorities of the Church.”

Then without any apparent thought of corroboration of this statement with facts, Apostle Melvin J. Ballard stumbles into a trap and leaves Brother Ivins out on a limb, as follows:

“The pretended revelation of John Taylor never had his signature added to it but was written in the form of a revelation and undoubtedly was in his handwriting.” (Marriage—Ballard-Jenson Correspondence, p. 17.)

Thus the revelation is confirmed by two independent statements made by two leading Church officials, each of whom tried to destroy it.

The late B. H. Roberts, while Assistant Historian of the Church, stated to friends that he had seen, on more than one occasion, the original copy of this 1886 revelation, and knew that it was in the Church archives; and in his opinion it was genuine.

Lorin C. Woolley Statement

As further and ultimate proof of the existence of this revelation we quote a statement in extenso from Lorin C. Woolley, a bodyguard of John Taylor at the time the revelation was received, and who was given a copy of the same on the day it was written, as the statement indicates.

Statement of Lorin C. Woolley with reference to the revelation of 1886, on the subject of Celestial or plural marriage, given September 22, 1929: There were present Lorin C. Woolley, Daniel R. Bateman, John Y. Barlow, J. Leslie Broadbent and J. W. Musser. Prayer was offered by John Y. Barlow.

Lorin C. Woolley related the following:

While the brethren were at the Carlisle residence (in Murray) in May or June of 1886, letters began to come to President John Taylor from such men as John Sharp, Horace Eldredge, William Jennings, John T. Cain, Abraham Hatch, President Cluff and many other leading men from all over the Church, asking the leaders to do something, as the Gentiles were talking of confiscating their property in connection with the property of the Church.

These letters not only came from those who were living in the plural marriage relation, but also from prominent men who were presiding in various offices in the Church who were not living in that relation. They all urged that something be done to satisfy the Gentiles so that their property would not be confiscated.

George Q. Cannon, on his own initiative, selected a committee comprising himself, Hyrum B. Clawson, Franklin S. Richards, John T. Caine and James Jack, to get up a statement or manifesto that would meet the objections urged by the brethren above named. They met from time to time to discuss the situation. From the White home, where President Taylor and companions stopped, after leaving the Carlisle home, they came out to father’s. George Q. Cannon would go and consult with the brethren of the committee, I taking him back and forth each day.

On September 26, 1886, George Q. Cannon, Hyrum B. Clawson, Franklin S. Richards, and others met with President John Taylor at my father’s residence at Centerville, Davis County, Utah, and presented a document for President Taylor’s consideration.

I had just got back from a three days’ trip, during most of which time I had been in the saddle, and being greatly fatigued, I had retired to rest.

Between one and two o’clock P.M. Brother Bateman came and woke me up and asked me to be at my father’s home, where a manifesto was to be discussed. I went there and found there were congregated Samuel Bateman, Charles H. Wilkins, L. John Nuttall, Charles Birrell, George Q. Cannon, Franklin S. Richards and Hyrum B. Clawson.

We discussed the proposed Manifesto at length, but we were unable to become united in the discussion. Finally George Q. Cannon suggested that President Taylor take the matter up with the Lord and decide the same the next day.

Brothers Clawson and Richards were taken back to Salt Lake. That evening I was called to act as guard during the first part of the night, notwithstanding the fact that I was greatly fatigued on account of the three days’ trip I had just completed.

The brethren retired to bed soon after 9 o’clock. The sleeping rooms were inspected by the guards as was the custom. President Taylor’s room had no outside door. The windows were heavily screened.

Some time after the brethren retired and while I was reading the Doctrine and Covenants, I was suddenly attracted to a light appearing under the door leading to President Taylor’s room, and was at once startled to hear the voices of men talking there. There were three distinct voices. I was bewildered because it was my duty to keep people out of that room and evidently someone had entered without my knowing it. I made a hasty examination and found the door leading to the room bolted as usual. I then examined the outside of the house and found all the window screens intact. While examining the last window, and feeling greatly agitated, a voice spoke to me saying, “Can’t you feel the Spirit? Why should you worry?”

At this I returned to my post and continued to hear the voices in the room. They were so audible that although I did not see the parties I could place their positions in the room from the sound of their voices. The three voices continued until about midnight, when one of them left, and the other two continued. One of them I recognized as President John Taylor’s voice. I called Charles Birrell [Footnote: Charles Birrell was also a bodyguard of the brethren and was to take the second shift in watching on this night.] and we both sat up until eight o’clock the next morning.

When President Taylor came out of his room about eight o’clock of the morning of September 27, 1886, we could scarcely look at him on account of the brightness of his personage.

He stated, “Brethren, I have had a very pleasant conversation with Brother Joseph (Joseph Smith).” I said, “Boss, who is the man that was there until midnight?” He asked, “What do you know about it, Lorin?” I told him all about my experience. He said, “Brother Lorin, that was your Lord.”

We had no breakfast, but assembled ourselves in a meeting. I forget who opened the meeting. I was called to offer the benediction. I think my father, John W. Woolley, offered the opening prayer. There were present at the meeting, in addition to President Taylor, George Q. Cannon, L. John Nuttall, John W. Woolley, Samuel Bateman, Charles Wilkins, Charles Birrell, Daniel R. Bateman, Bishop Samuel Sedden, George Earl, my mother, Julia E. Woolley, my sister, Amy Woolley, and myself. The meeting was held from about 9 o’clock in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, without intermission, being about eight hours in all.

President Taylor called the meeting to order. He had the Manifesto, that had been prepared under the direction of George Q. Cannon, read over again. He then put each person under covenant that he or she would defend the principle of Celestial or plural marriage, and that they would consecrate their lives, liberty and property to this end, and that they personally would sustain and uphold that principle.
By that time we were all filled with the Holy Ghost. President Taylor and those present occupied about three hours up to this time. After placing us under covenant, he placed his finger on the document, his person rising from the floor about a foot or eighteen inches, and with countenance animated by the Spirit of the Lord, and raising his right hand to the square, he said, “Sign that document? -- Never! I would suffer my right hand to be severed from my body first. Sanction it—never! I would suffer my tongue to be torn from its roots in my mouth before I would sanction it!”

After that he talked for about an hour and then sat down and wrote the revelation which was given him by the Lord upon the question of Plural Marriage (the text of which revelation is given above). Then he talked to us for some time, and said, “Some of you will be handled and ostracized and cast out from the Church by your brethren because of your faithfulness and integrity to this principle, and some of you may have to surrender your lives because of the same, but woe, woe, unto those who shall bring these troubles upon you.” (Three of us were handled and ostracized for supporting and sustaining this principle. There are only three left who were at the meeting mentioned—Daniel R. Bateman, George Earl, and myself. So far as I know, those of them who have passed away all stood firm to the covenants entered into from that day to the day of their deaths.)

After the meeting referred to, President Taylor had L. John Nuttall write five copies of the revelation. He called five of us together: Samuel Bateman, Charles H. Wilkins, George Q. Cannon, John W. Woolley, and myself.

He then set us apart and placed us under covenant that while we lived we would see to it that no year passed by without children being born in the principle of plural marriage. We were given authority to ordain others if necessary to carry this work on, they in turn to be given authority to ordain others when necessary, under the direction of the worthy senior (by ordination), so that there should be no cessation in the work. He then gave each of us a copy of the revelation.

I am the only one of the five now living, and so far as I know all five of the brethren remained true and faithful to the covenants they entered into, and to the responsibilities placed upon them at that time.

During the eight hours we were together, and while President Taylor was talking to us, he frequently arose and stood above the floor, and his countenance and being were so enveloped by light and glory that it was difficult for us to look upon him.

He stated that the document (referring to the Manifesto) was from the lower regions. He stated that many of the things he had told us we would forget and they would be taken from us, but that they would return to us in due time as needed, and from this fact we would know that the same was from the Lord. This has been literally fulfilled. Many of the things I forgot, but they are coming to me gradually, and those things that come to me are as clear as on the day on which they were given.

President Taylor said that the time would come when many of the Saints would apostatize because of this principle. He said “one-half of this people would apostatize over the principle for which we are now in hiding; yea, and possibly one-half of the other half” (rising off the floor while making the statement). He also said the day will come when a document similar to that (Manifesto) then under consideration would beadopted by the Church, following which “APOSTASY AND WHOREDOM would be rampant in the Church.”

He said that in the time of the seventh President of this Church, the Church would go into bondage both temporally and spiritually and in that day (the day of bondage) the one Mighty and Strong spoken of in the 85th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants would come.

Among other things stated by President Taylor on this occasion was this, “I would be surprised if ten per cent of those who claim to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood will remain true and faithful to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, at the time of the seventh president, and that there would be thousands that think they hold the priesthood at that time, but would not have it properly conferred upon them.”

John Taylor set the five mentioned apart and gave them authority to perform marriage ceremonies, and also to set others apart to do the same thing as long as they remained upon the earth; and while doing so, the Prophet Joseph Smith stood by directing the proceedings. Two of us had not met the Prophet Joseph Smith in his mortal lifetime and we—Charles H. Wilkins and myself—were introduced to him and shook hands with him.

(Signed) LORIN C. WOOLLEY.

Daniel R. Bateman, being present while the above experience was related by Brother Woolley, testified as follows: “I was privileged to be at the meeting of September 27, 1886, spoken of by Brother Woolley, I myself acting as one of the guards for the brethren during those exciting times. The proceedings of the meeting, as related by Brother Woolley, are correct in every detail. I was not present when the five spoken of by Brother Woolley were set apart for special work, but have on different occasions heard the details of the same related by Brother Lorin C. Woolley and John W. Woolley, and from all the circumstances with which I am familiar, I firmly believe the testimony of these two brethren to be true.”
Additional Corroborative Evidence

Items of special interest relative to the 1886 REVELATION. The following excerpts taken from the trial minutes of special meetings of the Twelve Apostles held in the Salt Lake Temple, February 22nd, and March 1st, 1911.

Those in Attendance were: Apostle John W. Taylor, President Francis M. Lyman and Apostles Heber J. Grant, Hyrum M. Smith, Charles W. Penrose, George F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney, David O. McKay, Anthony W. Ivins and Joseph F. Smith Jr.

President Francis M. Lyman presided and specifically informed Apostle John W. Taylor that he had been summoned to the trial, “TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.”

Apostle John W. Taylor: My father received a REVELATION which however was never presented to the Church, and I refer to this not because it was a REVELATION to my father; I don’t think a REVELATION because it came through him was any greater than one received through any other president of the Church, but because it seems to pertain to this question.

The REVELATION follows:

The REVELATION was read by Brother Penrose.

Apostle John W. Taylor: There are two things I am drawing your attention to. I am not in politics and very little in the Church, but I do this as a matter of privilege. This REVELATION is either true or it is false. Assuming that it is true, it seems to me that it would be better to offer leniency on the side of the Lord if you are going to offer any leniency, than on the side of politics....Brother Lyman what do you think of the REVELATION to my father?

President Francis M. Lyman: If you ask me if I believe in the plurality of wives, I would say that Ibelieve it is true and will always be so, but the Lord may suspend the practice of it, and how much of the responsibility remains with the people and with the government, I don’t know. I am living with my wives now all the time, but I don’t hold the Church responsible for it but shoulder the responsibility myself....I have no fault to find with the REVELATION.

Apostle Charles W. Penrose: Do you understand the free agency referred to in the REVELATION gives any one the privilege of taking a plural wife?

Apostle John W. Taylor: I take it that it refers to the individual and relieved the Church of the responsibility and placed the responsibility upon the individual.

President Francis M. Lyman: When did you find this REVELATION?

Apostle John W. Taylor: I found it on his desk immediately after his death, when I was appointed administrator of his estate....

President Francis M. Lyman: Do you think anyone can solemnize plural marriages with authority now?

Apostle John W. Taylor: I feel under certain circumstances they could, but it would depend on the circumstances.

President Francis M. Lyman: What conditions?

Apostle John W. Taylor: I fully explained that last time.

Apostle Charles W. Penrose: What are your views with regard to that REVELATION?

Apostle John W. Taylor: I am not the one to pass upon that REVELATION. I think you are the ones to do that.

Apostle Charles W. Penrose: What I desire to get at is as to how you view the matter, whether you have been guided by that in your case. You brought the REVELATION to us and it has never been accepted by the Church or presented to it.

Apostle John W. Taylor: I think the only thing to do is to go to the presiding priesthood of the Lord and get his idea on it and get him to inquire of the Lord what His mind is regarding it.

Apostle Charles W. Penrose: I don’t think Brother Taylor should come here and tell us what we need to do. But what I wanted to know is what he thought the President meant by the REVELATION, whether the man was placed upon his own responsibility by that REVELATION and the President and Church relieved of all responsibility or not.

Apostle Anthony W. Ivins: Do you know how extensively this REVELATION has been circulated in times past and has guided people in their actions in this regard?

Apostle John W. Taylor: Brother Joseph Robinson came to me and asked for a copy of it upon the suggestion of Brother Cowley and he got it from Brother Badger. Brother Joseph F. Smith Jr. also got a copy but I don’t know how many have got copies from these.

Apostle Anthony W. Ivins: You don’t know what inference was placed upon it in early times?

Apostle John W. Taylor: No, I don’t know.

Apostle Anthony W. Ivins: I ask this question because I have heard some of the brethren interpret this REVELATION in this way, and I would like to find out to what extent they had the endorsement of the Church in view of this REVELATION, and what was the reason these brethren went to Canada and Mexico. Do you know what they based their belief upon; as they seemed to be sincere. Whether it was from this REVELATION or from the President of the Church or from what grounds were taken that they could come in contact with the law of the land and still win out. I would like to know from Brother Taylor what he knows about this and if they were justified in it.

Apostle John W. Taylor: President Smith has come out on numerous occasions with the statement that there have been no marriages of a polygamous nature solemnized with the approval of the Church, since 1890. He stands at the head of this dispensation at this moment and has adopted that policy, and as far as Iam concerned I don’t want to come in conflict with President Smith on this proposition. I don’t know what others have taken from this REVELATION. If the REVELATION is true, it would certainly impress me that the Church was relieved of responsibility in this matter and the responsibility placed upon the individual.

Apostle Orson F. Whitney: Was it not the policy during your father’s administration to leave everything to the mind of the individual? I know this was the case with me when I went to inquire if I should take the test oath. I was told to exercise my own judgment. Also there is no authority as far as I can see, in that REVELATION, no authority given to man to exercise such authority in marrying any one, but the question of whether they should go into the relationship was left with the individual, as in President Young’s time men were commanded to go into it.

Apostle Charles W. Penrose: I feel that we should not express our own views on this REVELATION but should have Brother Taylor’s views if he will give them, if not we can get through with that question.

President Francis M. Lyman: The date of this REVELATION is September 1886, four years before the manifesto of President Woodruff and I remember at that time that President Taylor and all his brethren were very strongly entrenched in the principle of plural marriage. From 1880 to 1890 men were almost commanded to enter it, especially the officials of the Church. We were all pretty well engaged in this question. The change came in 1890 when president Woodruff felt the necessity that plural marriage should cease and after that he felt just as strong against it, as President Taylor had felt for it before. It was subsequent to this that President Smith made his declaration that the Church took no responsibility for the unlawful co-habitation of those in plural marriage and the performance of plural marriages. I would like to ask if you have encouraged others to take plural wives, or taken them yourself or if you think these brethren who have copies of this REVELATION have taken it as an encouragement, for instance Brother Robinson.

Apostle John W. Taylor: I will answer that by asking if anyone you have had here before you has ever said that I encouraged him.

President Francis M. Lyman: No one except Wolff, and you admit having encouraged him under the direction of a superior officer.

Apostle David O. Mckay: I would like to know who the man is that directed you to instruct Brother Wolff to marry a certain party.

Apostle John W. Taylor: I would not wish to take issue with the President of the Church or anyone who is at the head of the Church. I went to President Smith’s office the other day and had a three and one-half hour talk with him and John Henry Smith and he said that he had never authorized anyone to perform a plural marriage. I am not saying that he is the one to whom I refer, but I do not want to say any more on this point.

Apostle Hyrum M. Smith: I would like Brother Taylor to feel that we are not persuading him or any other man to do them harm but simply to get at the bottom of these matters. I feel that you are responsible for the circulation of that REVELATION.

Apostle John W. Taylor: I am willing to put in a supplemental answer to the effect that I have never married anyone without the endorsement and authority of the President of the Church and, if you desire, I will give the names of those I have married, but I think this would be unwise....

Apostle Charles W. Penrose: Under this purported REVELATION from your father do you think this authority is given to anyone to perform a plural marriage on their own free agency?

Apostle John W. Taylor: If a man had been authorized in any way by authority to perform a marriage, under that REVELATION he would be.

(Signed)

John W Woolley

Lorin C Woolley

Daniel Bateman

George Q Cannon

L John Nuttall