[James E. Talmage] In the evening I went to Farmington and sat with the high council in an advisory capacity, in the case of Lorin C. Woolley. The man himself was not present, and according to statements made before the council his absence was premeditated and deliberate. This act of contempt would have warranted the imposition of a penalty of disfellowshipment or excommunication, according to the rule and custom of the Church; but it was deemed advisable to hear the witnesses. There were three called, and each gave strong testimony, agreeing in every particular of importance, though no one of them had known that either of the others would be a witness, nor had they been together in connection with this case. Lorin C. Woolley, according tot he evidence presented, has persistently given out and declared that President Heber J. Grant and others of the General Authorities (including myself, according to one witness) have violated the rule of the Church against plural marriage and have taken wives during the recent past. After a patient hearing, conducted in the form prescribed, Lorin C. Woolley was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I remained for some time after the meeting answering questions asked by members of the high council, and returned home by night train.
[Source: James E. Talmage Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010]
Note: James E. Talmage was a lifelong monogamist. He married Merry May Booth on June 14, 1888. They had 8 children.
ReplyDeleteAdditional note:
ReplyDeleteTalmage never practiced plural marriage, though he was sealed polygamously to Zella Webb following her death in 1887. The Webb family were friends of the Talmages and James spoke of them frequently in his journals. Zella was burned in a fire and died as a result of her burns. Her mother asked that Zella be sealed to Talmage to help insure her a place in the Celestial Kingdom. This was done with May’s consent, and the sealing took place in 1891. The Talmages’ first daughter was even named Zella after Zella Webb.
Source: http://signaturebookslibrary.org/?p=14119
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