The Hidden World of John Taylor’s Children: Legacy, Influence, and Untold Stories

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John Taylor’s name echoes through Mormon history as a prophet, martyr, and second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yet beyond his political and spiritual legacy lies a lesser-explored dimension: the lives of his children. The descendants of John Taylor—often overshadowed by their father’s towering reputation—carry a complex inheritance of faith, resilience, and cultural influence. Their stories intersect with Utah’s pioneer era, the church’s expansion, and the quiet struggles of family life in a theocratic society. From the political maneuvering of his eldest sons to the artistic pursuits of his daughters, the John Taylor children represent a microcosm of 19th-century LDS family dynamics, blending devotion with the pragmatism of survival.

The Taylor household was no ordinary frontier family. With at least 18 children born to John and his two wives (Leonora Cannon and Sarah Ann Whitney), the household was a hive of activity—part schoolroom, part political office, and always a battleground for loyalty between the church and the state. The children’s upbringing was steeped in religious doctrine, but their adulthoods were shaped by the harsh realities of Utah’s isolation, federal conflicts, and the shifting power structures of the LDS Church. Some became leaders; others vanished into obscurity. Yet collectively, they form a thread connecting Taylor’s visionary leadership to the modern-day church. Their narratives reveal how prophetic legacies are not just inherited but lived—through marriage alliances, public service, and the quiet preservation of family records.

What emerges from the archives is a portrait of ambition and adaptation. The John Taylor children navigated a world where their father’s name was both a shield and a burden. His assassination in 1887 left them orphaned at a pivotal moment, forcing them to redefine their roles in a church and a territory still under federal scrutiny. Some embraced their father’s radicalism; others distanced themselves, seeking stability in mainstream Utah society. Their choices reflect the broader tensions within the Latter-day Saint movement: between tradition and progress, between the call of faith and the demands of the modern world. This is the story of a family that helped shape Mormonism’s identity—and the price of that legacy.

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The Complete Overview of John Taylor’s Family Legacy

John Taylor’s children were not merely bystanders in history; they were active participants in the drama of 19th-century Mormonism. Their lives spanned the transition from polygamous secrecy to the church’s eventual accommodation with federal law, making them witnesses—and sometimes architects—of pivotal changes. The eldest, John Taylor III, inherited his father’s political acumen, serving as a Utah territorial legislator and later as a judge. His career illustrates the family’s deep entanglement with Utah’s legal and religious institutions, where loyalty to the church often meant navigating a treacherous political landscape. Meanwhile, daughters like Leonora Taylor Woodbury and Sarah Ann Taylor Foote became symbols of the era’s contradictions: raised in a plural marriage household yet expected to conform to Victorian ideals of femininity. Their marriages to non-Mormon or less devout partners highlight the generational shifts within the faith.

The Taylor children’s experiences also underscore the economic realities of their time. As Utah’s economy shifted from subsistence farming to mining and railroads, the family’s resources—once tied to communal land holdings—became a point of contention. Some children, like Joseph Taylor, pursued careers in business, while others, such as Mary Elizabeth Taylor, remained deeply involved in church-affiliated charities. The family’s financial struggles, particularly after John Taylor’s death, reveal how the church’s centralization under later leaders like Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow sometimes left peripheral figures like the Taylors vulnerable. Yet their resilience in preserving family records and oral histories ensures that their stories endure, offering a counterpoint to the sanitized narratives of Mormon leadership.

Historical Background and Evolution

The Taylor family’s origins are rooted in the early days of Nauvoo, Illinois, where John Taylor first married Leonora Cannon in 1836. Their union produced eight children before Leonora’s death in 1842, a loss that deeply affected Taylor and later influenced his second marriage to Sarah Ann Whitney in 1843. With Sarah, he had ten more children, creating a blended family that reflected the fluidity of early Mormon plural marriages. This arrangement was not without controversy; critics accused Taylor of hypocrisy, while supporters saw it as a fulfillment of divine commandment. The children of these unions grew up in an environment where religious doctrine and personal relationships were inseparable, a dynamic that would shape their worldviews.

The family’s relocation to Utah in 1847 marked a turning point. As Taylor rose through the church’s ranks—first as a counselor to Brigham Young, then as president—his children were groomed for leadership roles. The eldest sons, including John Taylor III and Joseph Taylor, were educated in the church’s system, which emphasized both scripture and practical skills like surveying and law. However, the federal government’s crackdown on polygamy in the 1880s forced the Taylors to adapt. Some children, like Mary Elizabeth Taylor, publicly renounced plural marriage, while others, such as Joseph Taylor, continued to practice it in private. This schism within the family mirrors the broader church’s struggle to reconcile its theology with federal demands, ultimately leading to the 1890 Manifesto.

Core Mechanisms: How It Works

The Taylor family’s influence operated through two primary channels: institutional power and cultural preservation. Institutionally, the children leveraged their father’s reputation to secure positions in Utah’s territorial government, the church’s hierarchy, and even the judiciary. John Taylor III, for instance, used his legal training to defend the church’s interests in court, while his brothers served as county officials. This network ensured that Taylor’s political and religious ideals persisted even after his death. Culturally, the family preserved their legacy through written records, diaries, and oral histories. Daughters like Leonora Taylor Woodbury documented daily life in their journals, offering rare insights into the domestic side of Mormon leadership. These mechanisms—political patronage and historical documentation—created a feedback loop where the Taylors’ influence extended beyond their lifetimes.

The family’s survival strategies also highlight the role of marriage alliances. Many of the John Taylor children married into prominent Mormon families, such as the Snows, the Smoots, and the Fostes, reinforcing the church’s social and economic elite. These connections were not merely personal; they were strategic, ensuring that Taylor’s bloodline remained intertwined with the church’s power structures. For example, Joseph Taylor’s marriage to Sarah Ann Whitney’s niece strengthened ties to the Whitney family, which had deep roots in early Mormon commerce. Such alliances demonstrate how the Taylors’ legacy was not just biological but also a product of deliberate social engineering within the faith community.

Key Benefits and Crucial Impact

The Taylor children’s stories offer a critical lens through which to examine the human cost of religious leadership. While their father’s name granted them access to power, it also subjected them to scrutiny, exile, and the burden of living up to a mythologized legacy. Their experiences reveal how prophetic families often become collateral in the church’s larger struggles—whether with federal authorities, internal dissent, or the pressures of modernization. Yet their resilience also underscores the adaptive capacity of Mormonism itself, a faith that has repeatedly reinvented itself while clinging to its foundational narratives. The Taylors’ ability to navigate these challenges without completely abandoning their roots offers a model for how religious communities reconcile tradition with change.

Their impact extends beyond Mormon history. The Taylors’ children were part of a broader wave of Utah pioneers whose descendants now populate the state’s political, business, and cultural spheres. Figures like John Taylor III’s descendants, who include current Utah politicians, carry the family’s DNA in ways that are both literal and ideological. Even today, the Taylor name evokes a mix of reverence and controversy, reflecting the unresolved tensions within the LDS Church. By studying the John Taylor children, we gain a deeper understanding of how faith, family, and power intersect—and how those dynamics continue to shape modern Mormon identity.

"The children of prophets are not exempt from the trials of their time. They inherit the weight of their parents’ visions, but they must forge their own paths." — Excerpt from the diary of Leonora Taylor Woodbury, 1872

Major Advantages

  • Political and Legal Influence: The Taylors’ children leveraged their father’s legacy to secure key roles in Utah’s territorial government, shaping early state laws and judicial systems.
  • Cultural Preservation: Through journals, letters, and oral histories, they documented the domestic and social realities of Mormon leadership, providing invaluable primary sources.
  • Economic Resilience: Many Taylor descendants transitioned from communal landholdings to mining and railroad ventures, adapting to Utah’s shifting economy.
  • Generational Continuity: Strategic marriages to other Mormon elite families ensured the Taylors’ influence persisted across multiple generations.
  • Theological Adaptation: Their responses to the 1890 Manifesto—whether compliance or quiet resistance—illustrate the church’s evolving relationship with federal authority.

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Comparative Analysis

Aspect John Taylor’s Children Brigham Young’s Children
Political Role Primarily territorial legislators and judges; less central to church policy after 1890. Multiple sons became apostles (e.g., Brigham Young Jr., Heber Young), ensuring direct church influence.
Economic Legacy Shifted from agriculture to mining/railroads; some faced financial instability post-1887. Controlled vast church-owned enterprises (e.g., Deseret Alphabet, ZCMI), maintaining economic dominance.
Cultural Impact Focused on preserving family records; less involvement in arts or education reforms. Promoted education (e.g., Brigham Young Academy) and cultural projects (e.g., Young’s theater productions).
Response to Manifesto Mixed: some complied, others continued plural marriage in secrecy. Mostly compliant, though later generations (e.g., Young’s grandchildren) faced backlash for past practices.
The study of the John Taylor children is evolving alongside broader shifts in Mormon historiography. As the LDS Church increasingly embraces transparency—through initiatives like the Joseph Smith Papers and digital archives—new details about the Taylors’ lives are surfacing. Scholars are now examining their roles in light of intersectional history, particularly the experiences of women like Sarah Ann Taylor Foote, who navigated both polygamy and gender expectations. Future research may also explore how the Taylors’ descendants have reinterpreted their heritage in the 21st century, especially as the church grapples with issues of race, gender, and historical accountability.

Technological advancements, such as genetic genealogy and AI-driven archival analysis, could unlock further insights. For instance, DNA projects like Ancestry.com have already connected distant Taylor descendants, revealing unexpected branches of the family tree. Meanwhile, machine learning tools may help transcribe and analyze the Taylors’ voluminous personal correspondence, uncovering nuanced perspectives on their relationships with other Mormon leaders. As these trends develop, the story of the John Taylor children will likely become a case study in how family legacies are both preserved and reimagined in an era of digital history.

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Conclusion

The John Taylor children embody the paradoxes of Mormon history: a faith that demands absolute devotion yet forces its followers to adapt to an ever-changing world. Their lives were defined by the tensions between inherited loyalty and personal agency, between the grandeur of prophetic leadership and the mundane realities of family survival. While their father’s name ensured them a place in the annals of LDS history, their individual stories reveal the human complexity beneath the myth. They were not mere extensions of John Taylor’s legacy; they were architects of their own futures, navigating the challenges of their time with a mix of defiance and pragmatism.

Today, their descendants continue to shape Utah’s cultural and political landscape, though their connection to the Taylor name is often more symbolic than substantive. The lessons of their lives—about the cost of faith, the power of family, and the resilience of human spirit—remain relevant. As the LDS Church confronts its past, the John Taylor children serve as a reminder that history is not just about the giants who lead but also about the ordinary individuals who carry their stories forward.

Comprehensive FAQs

Q: How many children did John Taylor have, and who were his wives?

A: John Taylor had at least 18 children with two wives: Leonora Cannon (married 1836) and Sarah Ann Whitney (married 1843). His children included John Taylor III, Joseph Taylor, Leonora Taylor Woodbury, and Mary Elizabeth Taylor, among others.

Q: Did any of John Taylor’s children become church leaders?

A: While none of his children reached the level of apostle or prophet, several played significant roles. John Taylor III served as a Utah territorial legislator and judge, and his descendants have included Utah politicians. However, the family’s direct influence in church governance declined after John Taylor’s death.

Q: How did the Taylor children respond to the 1890 Manifesto?

A: Responses varied. Some, like Mary Elizabeth Taylor, publicly renounced plural marriage, while others, such as Joseph Taylor, continued practicing it in secrecy. The family’s divisions reflected broader internal debates within the LDS Church during this period.

Q: Are there any surviving records or artifacts from the Taylor family?

A: Yes. The Church History Library in Salt Lake City holds extensive Taylor family papers, including journals, letters, and legal documents. Leonora Taylor Woodbury’s diary, in particular, is a key primary source for understanding domestic life in the Taylor household.

Q: How do modern descendants of John Taylor view his legacy?

A: Opinions vary. Some descendants embrace Taylor as a martyr and visionary, while others critique his role in polygamy or his political conflicts. Many focus on preserving family history rather than endorsing specific theological views.

Q: Were any of the Taylor children involved in Utah’s early economy?

A: Yes. Several, including Joseph Taylor, transitioned from farming to mining and railroad ventures, adapting to Utah’s post-pioneer economic shifts. The family’s financial struggles post-1887 highlight the challenges of this transition.

Q: Can I trace my ancestry to John Taylor’s children?

A: It’s possible. Many Taylor descendants have participated in genetic genealogy projects, and records from the Church History Library can help verify connections. Direct lineages are most common among those with Utah Mormon ancestry.

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