September 27, 1886. Revelation to Pres. John Taylor. My son John, you have asked me concerning the new and everlasting covenant and how far it is binding upon my people; Thus saith the Lord, all commandments that I give must be obeyed by those calling themselves by my name unless they are revoked by me or by my authority, and how can I revoke my everlasting covenant, for I the Lord am everlasting, and my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor done away with, but they stand forever. Have I not given my word in great plainness on this subject? Yet have not great numbers of my people been negligent in the observance of my law and the keeping of my commandments, and yet have I borne with them these many years and this because of their weakness, because of the perilous times, and furthermore, it is now pleasing unto me that men should use their free agency in regard to these matters; nevertheless, I the Lord do not change and my word and my covenant and my law do not, and as I have heretofore said by my servant, Joseph, all those who would enter into my glory must and shall obey my law. And have I not commanded men, that if they were Abraham's seed and would enter into my glory, they must do the works of Abraham; I have not revoked this law nor will I, for it is everlasting , and those who will enter into my glory must obey the conditions thereof. Even so, Amen.

September 1, 1934. After reading some expressions in a letter ascribed to A. W. Ivins in which the foregoing revelation is referred to as an unsigned scrap of paper--a so-called revelation--the words of a man which were never submitted to the people of the Church and are not binding, etc., I went up and talked with my sister Nellie E. Taylor, plural wife of John W. Taylor to learn what she knew about it. She says John W. referred to the circumstances on several occasions and told how his father was in hiding at the home of John Woolley at Centerville the night it was received. That Lorin Woolley was on guard in the next room and witnessed a strange light under Pres. Taylor's door. Next day a message was sent to those of the Apostles then at home to meet Pres. T. at Centerville. Bro. Geo. Gibbs arranged for a sheep wagon well closed in and drove them up. John W. was asked to stand guard in the adjoining room. He said the revelation was submitted and received. The original was brought to the Temple, but as there was danger of the temple being raided, it and other records were hidden by Wm. Salmon. This copy was later given to John W. who asked his brother-in-law, Rodney Badger, to place it in a safety box at the bank where he worked. It was later returned to John W. Taylor, who kept it in his office. While in this office, Ellen Sanberg was his secretary. He married her as a plural wife. After John's death Ellen kept the revelation and worked for L. N. Stohl, who persuaded her to let him make photographic copies of it.

Nellie says that one night after his death, John W. came to her with a troubled look on his face and it was made known to her that he was concerned about this revelation--the one given to John Taylor. Nellie went to Mill Creek and Ellen reluctantly surrendered it. Nellie took it to Frank Y. Taylor and asked that he deliver it to the Church historian. Frank delayed and some inquiry was made about it. Nellie again saw him about it and Frank decided to surrender it but instead of taking it to the historian's office, he took it to Pres. Grant and asked him if it was genuine and in the handwriting of his father. Pres. Grant said it was. Bro. Taylor asked how he could get around it. "I am not going to try to get around it," replied Pres. Grant.

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When President Taylor received this revelation at the home of John W. Woolley at Centerville, he sent a messenger to Salt Lake asking those of the Presidency and Twelve who were there to meet him at Centerville. As extreme caution had to be observed to keep from betraying the whereabouts of Pres. Taylor to the officers who were hunting him, George F. Gibbs secured a sheep wagon and took them up in the evening. John W. Taylor was asked to stand guard in the front room and was not with them, but understood that the purpose of the meeting was to receive this revelation. To have presented this revelation in open conference in times like those in 1886 would have been fatal. A copy in Pres. Taylor's handwriting was taken to the Salt Lake Temple and when danger of raiding and confiscation increased, it with other sacred records was turned over to William Salmon to be placed somewhere to be safe. This revelation was delivered to John W. Taylor and for a time was in the custody of Rodney Badger in a deposit box at the Utah National Bank but was finally returned to John W. Taylor. Some time before his death John W. was in business and Ellen Sanberg was his secretary. He married her as his sixth wife. After his death in 1916 Ellen took possession of the document. She went to work for L. N. Stohl at the Beneficial Life and he got the revelation and made photographic copies of it. Soon after this the events occurred as related above.

The revelation given to President Taylor Sept. 27, 1886, is as well authenticated as any we have, and is just as sacred and just as true. It is from the Lord and set forth His mind and will at that time. It has been claimed by several that inasmuch as it never was presented to the Church it is not binding upon the Church. That simply announces that unless we in conference vote to accept a commandment of God, we are not required to keep that particular commandment. Which is not true. If God gave a commandment to 100 men and 60 of them rejected it, that would not affect the commandment. Of course, they couldn't obey the commandment till they heard it. This revelation could not be presented to the Church when it was received and by the time it could be presented, we had already acted in a way quite opposite to its injunctions, so it was not presented to the members in conference at all, but that does not change the revelation.

Anyone in the Church who refers to any one of these revelations received by President Taylor or Apostle or President Woodruff as "purported," "so called, " "pretended," or as scraps of paper not binding because they were never accepted by the Church or as being received when an Apostle, is sowing confusion for himself and the Church to reap.