The Manifesto still unsettled John W. Taylor, who had been called to the Quorum of the Twelve shortly after Heber. After the death of his father, President John Taylor, John W. had found a purported revelation about marriage among the prophet’s papers. The revelation, dated September 27, 1886, seemed to suggest to John W. that the commandment to practice plural marriage would never be revoked.

Although the revelation had never been presented to the Quorum of the Twelve or accepted as scripture by the Saints, John W. believed that it was the word of God to his father. Yet he knew revelation was continuing and ongoing, addressing new situations and problems as they arose, and John W. had faith that God had spoken to Wilford as well. “I know that the Lord has given this manifesto to President Woodruff,” he said, “and He can take it away when the time comes, or He can give it again.”

More apostles shared their feelings about the Manifesto the following day. Like John W. Taylor, John Henry Smith was still struggling to accept it. “I am willing to sustain the president in issuing the Manifesto, although I am a little at sea as to the wisdom of its having been issued,” he said. “My fears are that the Manifesto will do us, as a people, more harm than good.”