3rd President
Served: 1880–1887
John Taylor was born 1 November 1808, in Milnthorpe, Westmorland, England. An 1832 immigrant to Toronto, Canada, he was a cooper and part-time Methodist minister. He and his wife, Leonora, joined the Church in 1836. Two years later, he became an apostle and enjoyed close association with Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.
John Taylor accompanied Joseph Smith to Carthage, Illinois, in June 1844 and was seriously wounded when Joseph Smith was killed. He was sustained as president of the Church on 10 October 1880.
During his administration, President Taylor established Mormon colonies in Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Canada and Mexico, oversaw the worldwide adoption of the Primary program for children and canonized the Pearl of Great Price as scripture. He died 25 July 1887, in Kaysville, Utah.