[Second Counselor John Henry Smith [father] Diary] Salt Lake City
My son George Alberts wife Lucy W. Smith underwent an operation at the hands of Dr. Middleton to day in the L.D.S. Hospital. (1)
-- March 28, 1911; Tuesday
I attended a special meeting of the Twelve held in the temple from 10 A.M. to about 2.30 P.M. at which there were present Pres[ident] Francis M. Lyman, Elders Heber J. Grant, Hyrum M. Smith, Cha[rle]s. W. Penrose, Geo[rge]. F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney, David O. McKay, Anthony W. Ivins and Joseph F[ielding]. Smith Jr. Elder Geo[rge] Albert Smith was also with us for a short time but on account of his poor health was excused early.
We discussed the merits and demerits in Bro[ther]. John W. Taylor's case heard some weeks before. The final action taken and made unanimous by unanimous vote was excommunication for insubordination to the Church and the di[s]cipline thereof. It was shown that he had threatened the lives of two of the Apostles, F[rancis]. M. L[yman]. & J[ohn]. H[enry]. S[mith]. He had cursed one of the Apostles who has been sick for about two years [i.e., George Albert Smith] and attributed his sickness to that cause. He had disclosed and made improper use of a purported revelation of his father, Pres[ident]. John Taylor to the comfort of those who were opposed to the Church action in discontinuing the practice of plural marriage in the Church. He had characterized the action of the Church Authorities in relieving B[isho]p. Robinson of Colonia Dublan [Mexico] of his bishopric or presidency over the ward as one of the most unjust and unrighteous acts ever committed. He had confessed to having
authorized an elderly man a Patriarch (Wolf) of Canada to marry people in plural marriage. He confessed to having him self performed such marriages since the Manifesto. He would not deny that he had recently taken a plural wife but claimed that his rights were being encroached upon when we demand him to answer thus incriminating himself. He did not propose to make answers before this body of men that might incriminate him before the law. He had said he wanted nothing to do with any of the Twelve. Tho[ugh]t if to go to heaven meant to be associated with these he preferred to not go there or words to that effect. He had been dropped from the Council of the Twelve five years ago because he was out of harmony with the First Presidency and the Twelve but had never done anything to put himself in harmony since but on the contrary had lent comfort to the enemy and had not tried to influence others to be quieted and sustain the Presidency. He told us in council that we could take it
for granted he had a new plural wife. We need not go to the trouble to hunt up evidence, that we could do in his case as we deemed best, that he did not care. I called on Pres[ident] Lyman in the early eve and he told me he had presented to the First Presidency our decision in the J[ohn]. W. Taylor case and our action and that the President said he did not see how we could have done less. (2)
-- Mar 28, 1911
Quorum of Twelve Apostles excommunicates John W. Taylor for marrying plural wife in 1909 and for justifying it by 1886 revelation. His is last excommunication of general authority appointed in nineteenth century and first excommunication of general authority with service in twentieth century. (3)
-- April 4, 1911; Tuesday
Met with Twelve in Temple [David O.] McKay and George Albert [Smith] absent.... (4)
-- Sunday, April 16, 1911
[Second Counselor John Henry Smith [father] Diary] Salt Lake City
I had dinner at [wife] Josephines. My son Geo. Alberts Wife came home from the Hospital today. She is now suffering from the Milk leg. (1)
-- Tuesday, April 18, 1911
[Second Counselor John Henry Smith [father] Diary] Salt Lake City
I spent part of the afternoon in the Office.
I paid my son George Albert on Account $100.00. (1)
-- May 11, 1911
[Quorum of Twelve] Twelve vote as compromise to deprive Matthias F. Cowley of right to exercise priesthood but not disfellowship him. This resolves two-day deadlock in which seven apostles want to give him no punishment, whereas quorum president Francis M. Lyman and two others what to disfellowship Cowley for performing plural marriage up to 1905 resignation. Cowley regards this as second punishment (double jeopardy) he has received for same acts., which he insists he did by authorization of First Presidency. (5)
Footnotes:
1 - White, Jean Bickmore, Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith
2 - George F. Richards, Diary
3 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
4 - Charles W. Penrose, Diary
5 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower
LDS History Chronology: George Albert Smith
Mormon History Timeline: The life of George Albert Smith
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
