Comments on: Samuel P. Cowley: A Simple Man

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:43:11 +0000

Thanks, Curt, I hadn't seen that yet. I just put a link in the sidebar and here to make it easier for readers to find.

By: Curt A.

Curt A. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:54:41 +0000

Don’t miss the great article about Sam Cowley in today’s Deseret News Utah section.

By: John Willis

John Willis — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:56:08 +0000

Moses Thatcher left the Quorum in 1895 over conflict with the first prsidency over the politcal manifesto which stated that all general authorities had to get permission form the first presidencey to run for public office. Thatcher felt ,with some justification that the politcal manifesto was designed by the Republican first presidency to keep democracts like himself from running for public office. B.H Roberts came close to leaving the quorum of the 70 but was persuaded by Heber J. Grant to sign the Political Manifesto
Thatcher also had serious health problems both physical and mental including a morphine addiction.

John W. Taylor and Matthias Cowley were not sustained at the October 1904 conference when the second manifesto was issued by Joseph F.Smith which ended officially sanctioned Plural Marriage in the mainstream LDS Church. Taylor and Cowley had pushed continued plural marriaged in the era after the 1890 manifesto and had taken additional plural wives themselves. They were not the only ones doing this. Joseph F. Smith had authorized personally numerous plural marriages in the 1890-1904 time period( a good example of this would be the marriage of Christian Eyring and Caroline Romney in 1903. Camilla Eyring, duahger of Christian and his first wife would latter marry Spencer W. Kimball. Christian Eyring is also the grandfather of Henry Eyring of the current first Presidency.)

However Taylor and Cowley were the most prominent members of the Quorum in 1904 who had pushed post manifesto plural marriages. As you indicated because of their continued support for plural marriage Taylor was excommunicated and Cowley was disfellowshiped.

Matthew Cowley , Samuel’s half brother told the moving story of how when he was about to be married and was living in Washington D.C. and was planning to marry his wife outside of the Temple and be sealed later because of finacial costs . His father heard of this and was quite distressed and somehow raised the funds for them to come to Utah and be married in the Temple. Matthew told how his father wlaked him and his bride to the Temple gates and had to stop and watch them go in as he was still disfellowshiped and unable to go in the Temple.

By: Steve C.

Steve C. — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:54:01 +0000

Threadjack warning: Clark, if you find that source, I’d be interested in reading it. An interesting part of Church history.

By: Clark

Clark — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:21:40 +0000

Threadjack warning: I remember reading that Mattias Cowley, Moses Thatcher, and John W. Taylor left the Q of 12 over polygamy, but it was really a voluntary, calculated move in which they agreed to serve as scapegoats for the plural marrages performed after the manifesto, with the understanding that they’d be restored to their former standing after the storm blew over. John W. Taylor, of course, never came back, so maybe it wasn’t so calculated. If only I could remember a source….

By: Maurine

Maurine — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:36:32 +0000

Wonderful story that needs to be told and retold. I love what the Assistant Director Harold Nathan said, “And yet Sam Cowley was one of the simplest men I ever knew. He was greatly simple. He was simply great.”

By: Steve C.

Steve C. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:59:23 +0000

Not only was Samuel Cowley’s half-brother, Matthew, an Apostle, his father Mathias Foss Cowley was also an Apostle but resigned in 1905 over the polygamy issue. Mathias’ priesthood was suspended in 1911; however, he was restored to full membership in 1936, about a year and a half after he dedicated Samuel’s grave. I’ve also come across some information indicating that Mathias traveled to Europe sometime during the 1930s and spoke to missionaries. Just a few tidbits about the family.

By: Velikiye Kniaz

Velikiye Kniaz — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:10:47 +0000

Correction on #9

Sentence 7 should read;

“…these criminals WHO ATTEMPTED TO totally URSURP…”

Regrettably, my mind is often a paragraph ahead of my typing.

By: Hunter

Hunter — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:41:44 +0000

What an interesting life, and so sad that it ended so young.

Steve Jones said that he “returned to SLC where he was public defender for a time.” That’s very interesting that he would fight on “both sides” of the law (prosecution and defense). He must have been a very talented man.

By: Velikiye Kniaz

Velikiye Kniaz — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:39:25 +0000

RE: #5
I can verify that Brother Curt’s quote from the caption is a statement of fact. Not only did women dip their handkerchiefs in Dillinger’s blood but some men were also seen to do the same with their popcorn. These gangster’s were both feared and admired (in a perverse way) by some people in the city of Chicago. These few citizens viewed them as if they were the ‘romantic’ highwaymen of the 18th & 19th century. Of course, they were nothing of the sort. They were cold blooded killers whose only thought was for themselves. Brother Cowley’s death was that of a very good God fearing man who took a stand before these criminals totally usurped the city government and held the whole populace captive to their extortion and other rackets. He was not the only casuality, there were others, and in a few cases, family members of those agents. We could conceivably finds ourselves is a similar situation in the not too distant future if the Mexican drug cartels continue to infiltrate the United States and bring their violence and bloodshed to our cities. We will need many more righteous men (and women) of quiet courage and relentless vigilance of Brother Cowley’s caliber if our peace, freedom and sovereignty are to be maintained. ~end of threadjack~