-John Taylor became the third prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when he was 71 years old. Brigham Young died three years before John Taylor was sustained as president of the Church.
-John Taylor was born in Milnthorpe, England. He is the only latter-day prophet that was born outside of the United States.
-When John Taylor was a young man he had a vision when “he saw, in a vision, an angel. . . holding a trumpet to his mouth, sounding a message to the nations. The import of this vision he did not understand until later in life.” But it made him start looking for something more when it came to religion. He left the Church of England and became a Methodist exporter, or local preacher, and this continued when he migrated to Canada.
-John Taylor did not agree with many things taught by the Methodist Faith and this led to his dismissal as a preacher. John started a Bible study class instead.
-Parley P. Pratt came on a mission to Canada and met John Taylor. John Taylor said “If I find his religion true, I shall accept it, no matter what the consequences may be; and if false, then I shall expose it.” John Taylor closely compared Pratt’s teaching to the Bible and for three weeks John Taylor followed Parley P. Pratt around from “place to place.” Prophet John Taylors Conversion Story
-On May 9, 1836 John Taylor was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by his missionary, Elder Parley P. Pratt. Later in life John Taylor said: “I have never doubted any principle of Mormonism since.”
-John Taylor opened the mission in Ireland and had a lot of success with the people in Ireland. He baptized hundreds of people and assisted Saints in immigrating to Nauvoo.
-John Taylor was with the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in Carthage Jail. John Taylor started to sing the song “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” when at 5:15 pm the mob entered the jail and killed the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother. John Taylor was shot four times and a fifth bullet struck his pocket watch, it would have hit his heart but he was miraculously saved. It was not until the following day when his wounds could be dressed. John Taylors wounds from Carthage Jail
-John Taylor went on to serve another mission in the British Isles and gathered many Saints with him to the Salt Lake Valley. Then he served a mission to Paris and helped translate the Book of Mormon into French and then on to Germany where he helped supervise the translation of the Book of Mormon into German!
-1854-57 John Taylor presided over the Eastern Sates Mission
-In 1857 John Taylor returned home to Salt Lake City to prepare for the “Utah War.”
-1877 John Taylor became the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when the prophet Brigham Young died. He led by being the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but did not become the prophet until 1880 at age 71.
-On October 10, 1880 John Taylor became the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith as his counselors.
-In May 17, 1884 John Taylor dedicated the Logan Temple.
-On July 25, 1887 John Taylor died in Kaysville Utah. He was prophet of the Church for nearly seven years when he passed away. He is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
References:
“Who’s Who in the Doctrine and Covenants” by Susan Easton Black (p.315-317)
https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/landing/prophets-of-the-restoration/john-taylor?lang=eng