Matthias F. Cowley
Encyclopedia
Matthias Foss Cowley born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory
, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1897 until 1905. The town of Cowley
in Wyoming
is named after him. He was the father of Apostle Matthew Cowley
by Abbie Hyde. His son Samuel P. Cowley
, by his wife Luella Parkinson Cowley, was an FBI agent best known for his death at the hands of Lester "Baby Face Nelson
" Gillis in 1934.
who was removed from the Quorum at the April 1896 General Conference. Cowley was widely noted in the church for his talks on doctrine.
Cowley resigned from the Quorum, at the request of church president Joseph F. Smith
, on October 28, 1905 because his presence in the hierarchy undermined the church's position in the Reed Smoot hearings. Cowley was notorious for having widely performed marriages contravening the church's manifesto
prohibiting new plural marriage
. Earlier in April of the same year, Apostle John W. Taylor
had resigned for the same reason. In addition, with the death of Apostle Marriner W. Merrill
in early February of the next year, there were three vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve. In the April General Conference of 1906, three new apostles were called to replace them: George F. Richards
, Orson F. Whitney
, and David O. McKay
.
However, Cowley's name continued to be linked with plural marriage over the next several years. As late as the early 1920s, Cowley was meeting with excommunicated polygamists, the early Mormon fundamentalists beginning to coalesce at the Baldwin Radio Plant in Salt Lake City. But in the mid-1920s, Cowley broke all ties with the polygamous dissenters. His priesthood standing in the LDS Church was restored nearly twenty-five years after it had been taken - on April 3, 1936.
Cowley was never restored to his position in the Quorum of Twelve. On June 16, 1940, he died in his home in Salt Lake City, Utah
from uremia
resulting from kidney failure. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
.
On October 11, 1945, his son Matthew Cowley
was called to serve as an Apostle for the church.
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1897 until 1905. The town of Cowley
Cowley, Wyoming
Cowley is a town in Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 560 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cowley is located at ....
in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
is named after him. He was the father of Apostle Matthew Cowley
Matthew Cowley
Matthew Cowley was an American missionary and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1945 until his death...
by Abbie Hyde. His son Samuel P. Cowley
Samuel P. Cowley
Samuel P. Cowley was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who was killed in the line of duty in a gunfight with Lester Gillis in 1934 on Route 14 in Barrington, Illinois....
, by his wife Luella Parkinson Cowley, was an FBI agent best known for his death at the hands of Lester "Baby Face Nelson
Baby Face Nelson
Lester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s. Gillis was known as Baby Face Nelson, a name given to him due to his youthful appearance and small stature...
" Gillis in 1934.
Calling to the Twelve
Matthias Cowley was ordained an Apostle on October 7, 1897. He replaced Moses ThatcherMoses Thatcher
Moses Thatcher was an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
who was removed from the Quorum at the April 1896 General Conference. Cowley was widely noted in the church for his talks on doctrine.
Cowley resigned from the Quorum, at the request of church president Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, on October 28, 1905 because his presence in the hierarchy undermined the church's position in the Reed Smoot hearings. Cowley was notorious for having widely performed marriages contravening the church's manifesto
1890 Manifesto
The "1890 Manifesto", sometimes simply called "The Manifesto", is a statement which officially disavowed the continuing practice of plural marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
prohibiting new plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. Earlier in April of the same year, Apostle John W. Taylor
John Whittaker Taylor
John Whittaker Taylor was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was the son of John Taylor, the third president of the church...
had resigned for the same reason. In addition, with the death of Apostle Marriner W. Merrill
Marriner W. Merrill
Marriner Wood Merrill born in Sackville, New Brunswick, was a pioneering settler of Cache Valley and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
in early February of the next year, there were three vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve. In the April General Conference of 1906, three new apostles were called to replace them: George F. Richards
George F. Richards
George Franklin Richards was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from April 9, 1906 until his death...
, Orson F. Whitney
Orson F. Whitney
Orson Ferguson Whitney born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from April 9, 1906 until his death.-Early life:...
, and David O. McKay
David O. McKay
David Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
.
After the Quorum
Reports of Cowley's continuing involvement in new plural marriages led to his priesthood being suspended by the church on May 11, 1911. (This rare and virtually unique disciplinary procedure was used for Cowley because his former fellow apostles in the Quorum of Twelve disagreed over whether to leave him undisciplined or to disfellowship or even excommunicate him.)However, Cowley's name continued to be linked with plural marriage over the next several years. As late as the early 1920s, Cowley was meeting with excommunicated polygamists, the early Mormon fundamentalists beginning to coalesce at the Baldwin Radio Plant in Salt Lake City. But in the mid-1920s, Cowley broke all ties with the polygamous dissenters. His priesthood standing in the LDS Church was restored nearly twenty-five years after it had been taken - on April 3, 1936.
Cowley was never restored to his position in the Quorum of Twelve. On June 16, 1940, he died in his home in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
from uremia
Uremia
Uremia or uraemia is a term used to loosely describe the illness accompanying kidney failure , in particular the nitrogenous waste products associated with the failure of this organ....
resulting from kidney failure. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
Salt Lake City Cemetery
thumb|The northern section of the cemetery at night, looking towards Salt Lake CityThe Salt Lake City Cemetery is in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Approximately 120,000 persons are buried in the cemetery. Many religious leaders and politicians, particularly many leaders of The...
.
On October 11, 1945, his son Matthew Cowley
Matthew Cowley
Matthew Cowley was an American missionary and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1945 until his death...
was called to serve as an Apostle for the church.