The Life of John Taylor: Third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
History
The Life of John Taylor: Third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches; Taylor, John, 1808-1887
There was a beautiful harmony in the character of his mind and the
lineaments of his person. If the habitation was splendid, the inmate
was worthy of it. His noble form and bearing were but the outward
expression of the spirit within. A universal benevolence, powerful
intellect, splendid courage, physical as well as moral, a noble
independence of spirit, coupled with implicit faith and trust in
God, a high sense of honor, unimpeachable integrity, indomitable
determination, and a passionate love of liberty, justice and truth
marked the outlines of his character--in short, the elements were
"So mixed in him, that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world--'This is a man!"'
President Taylor believed absolutely in the universal Fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of man. From that grand cardinal doctrine sprang
his liberal views as to the hand dealings of God with His children. He
despised anything that savored of narrow-mindedness or bigotry. Who
does not remember with what scorn he treated the spirit which led the
man to pray:
"Lord, bless me and my wife,
My son John and his wife,
Us four, but no more. Amen."
"I think sometimes," he would remark, "that as a people we are a good
deal sectarian in our feelings, and it is necessary for us occasionally
to look at the pit from whence we were dug, and the rock from whence
we were hewn. We are all too ready to cry out, as the sectarians do in
their different orders:
"'The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord,
The temple of the Lord are we!'
"We say we are the children of God. That is true, we are. We are sparks
struck from the blaze of His eternal fire. But what of the rest of
the world--whose children are they? They are also the children of our
Heavenly Father, and He is interested in their welfare as He is in
ours; and as a kind, beneficent Father towards His children, He has
been seeking from generation to generation to promote the welfare, the
happiness and the exaltation of the human family.
"We sometimes talk about the hand of God being over us. Of course it
is, and will be over us for ever, if we will only serve Him, for He is
always true. But His hand is over the nations of the earth also. He is
interested in the welfare of this nation, and all other nations, and
all other peoples, as well as in our welfare.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account