Monday, October 22, 2018

John Taylor's April 28, 1883 Revelation and Contingent Foreknowledge

In an unpublished revelation of John Taylor dated April 28, 1883, commanding the reconvening of the Salt Lake School of the Prophets, we read the following:

These things belong to my Priesthood; but more properly to the School of the Prophets, who should be made acquainted with my laws. Let the School of the Prophets be organized, even all such as are worthy, but if they are found unworthy they shall not have a place in my school, for I will be honored by my Priesthood; and let my laws be made known unto them as may be deemed expedient. (Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883 [ed. Devery S. Anderson; Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2018], 461, emphasis added)

What is rather striking is the constant use of conditional language (“let” and “if”), which is rather suggestive, not of exhaustive, but contingent foreknowledge, at least in the theology of this particular revelation.

For a discussion of this and other unpublished revelations of John Taylor, see:


Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Christopher C. Jones “John the Revelator”: The Written Revelations of John Taylor