Alma O. Taylor
Encyclopedia
Alma Owen Taylor was the first person to translate the Book of Mormon
into Japanese. He served in the Japanese mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under Heber J. Grant
and Horace S. Ensign. He then served as the third president of the Japanese mission.
Taylor was born in Salt Lake City to Joseph E. Taylor and his wife Lisette Williams. He studied at LDS College (the predecessor of LDS Business College]] and then in Chicago at Harvey Medical College
's School of Embalming. He then returned to Salt Lake City where he became a mortician in the same firm as his father and some of his brothers.
Taylor was a fellow Ward member and friend of Heber J. Grant. This was a contributing factor to Grant recruiting Taylor to go with him to open the Japanese Mission in 1901. Louis A. Kelsch and Horace S. Ensign were the other two missionaries who went with Grant.
Taylor managed to translate at least one hymn into Japanese as well as the Book of Mormon. he also went to China to investigate the possibility of opening missionary work there but recommended against doing so. In 1909 Taylor returned to Salt Lake City. He then resumed work in the mortuary business with his brothers. In 1915 he married Eunice Angeline holbrook, who was an English professor at the University of Utah
. In 1923 they adopted a child, Richard Taylor. From 1939-1943 taylor served as president of the Intermountain Casket Company, but he dissolved the company in the later year due to a lack of resources caused by World War II
.
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
into Japanese. He served in the Japanese mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under Heber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained an apostle on October 16, 1882, on the same day as George Teasdale...
and Horace S. Ensign. He then served as the third president of the Japanese mission.
Taylor was born in Salt Lake City to Joseph E. Taylor and his wife Lisette Williams. He studied at LDS College (the predecessor of LDS Business College]] and then in Chicago at Harvey Medical College
Harvey Medical College
Harvey Medical College was a co-educational night school in Chicago, Illinois that offered training in various medical fields.Harvey Medical College was one of over 20 medical schools that opened in Chicago between 1890 and 1910, but unlike many of these it offered a real education and was not just...
's School of Embalming. He then returned to Salt Lake City where he became a mortician in the same firm as his father and some of his brothers.
Taylor was a fellow Ward member and friend of Heber J. Grant. This was a contributing factor to Grant recruiting Taylor to go with him to open the Japanese Mission in 1901. Louis A. Kelsch and Horace S. Ensign were the other two missionaries who went with Grant.
Taylor managed to translate at least one hymn into Japanese as well as the Book of Mormon. he also went to China to investigate the possibility of opening missionary work there but recommended against doing so. In 1909 Taylor returned to Salt Lake City. He then resumed work in the mortuary business with his brothers. In 1915 he married Eunice Angeline holbrook, who was an English professor at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. In 1923 they adopted a child, Richard Taylor. From 1939-1943 taylor served as president of the Intermountain Casket Company, but he dissolved the company in the later year due to a lack of resources caused by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Sources
- bio of Taylor connected with BYU pub. of his Missionary diaries
- Reid L. Neilson. "Alma O. Taylor's fact-finding mission to China". in BYU Studies, Vol. 40, no. 1, p. 177-203
- LDS Church News, Sep. 8, 2001, "Centenial in Japan".