We Cannot Tone It Down
John Taylor declared they 'cannot tone down' polygamy. He died in hiding, true to his vow. Six years later, the church abandoned the practice.
The following documents teachings on plural marriage that may be disturbing, particularly for women, survivors of religious trauma, or those affected by historical polygamy practices. These views are presented for historical accountability, not endorsement.
Audio coming soon
The Quote
“God has given us a revelation in regard to celestial marriage. I did not make it… They would like us to tone it down, change it, and make it applicable to the notions of the day. This we cannot do; nor can we interfere with the commandments of God to meet the persuasions of men… We have to stand by our covenants… Living, we will proclaim them. Dying, we will be true to them.” — John Taylor, JoD 25:309-310 (October 6-7, 1884)
Lyrics
[Intro - Spoken over soft organ]
October 6th, 1884
Salt Lake Tabernacle
General Conference
Church President John Taylor addresses the congregation
[Verse 1]
God has given us a revelation
Celestial marriage, I did not make it
They would like us to tone it down
Change it, make it fit the day
This we cannot do
Nor can we interfere with the commands of God
To meet persuasions of men
I cannot, I will not do it
[Chorus]
We cannot tone it down
We will stand by eternal truth
Living we will proclaim them
Dying we will be true
And all who sanction it say—
(Amen!)
And all who sanction it say—
(Amen!)
[Verse 2]
The federal marshals hunt the brethren
Hiding in the underground
But God has spoken, we have listened
His word cannot be drowned
They ask us to abandon
What heaven has decreed
But we cannot tone it down
For any earthly need
[Bridge - Spoken]
July 25th, 1887
President John Taylor dies in hiding
True to his word, true to his vow
"Dying, we will be true to them"
[Verse 3 - Slower, reflective]
Three years pass
Wilford Woodruff stands where Taylor stood
"The Lord has shown me by vision
What would happen if we did not stop"
October 1890
The Manifesto is read
The same congregation votes
"Amen" to what Taylor said was dead
[Final Chorus - Ironic weight]
We cannot tone it down
We will stand by eternal truth
Living we will proclaim them
Dying we will be true
And all who sanction it say—
(Amen)
And all who abandon it say—
(Amen)
[Outro]
Two Amens
Six years apart
The voice of the congregation
The voice of the church
What God commanded
Man revoked
We cannot tone it down
(We toned it down)
Historical Context
The Setting: October 1884 General Conference. Federal marshals are actively hunting polygamist leaders. John Taylor would spend his final years in hiding.
The Speaker: John Taylor — Third President of the LDS Church. He died July 25, 1887, in hiding, never having compromised on polygamy.
The Aftermath:
- 1887: John Taylor dies in hiding
- 1890: Wilford Woodruff issues the Manifesto, officially ending polygamy
- 1896: Utah achieves statehood
The Reversal
The same congregation that voted “Amen” to “we cannot tone it down” voted “Amen” to the 1890 Manifesto that toned it down.
“Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages… I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws.” — Wilford Woodruff, 1890 Manifesto
Lyric-to-Source Mapping
| Lyric | Source | Type |
|---|---|---|
| “God has given us a revelation” | JoD 25:309 | Quote |
| “Celestial marriage, I did not make it” | JoD 25:309 | Quote |
| “They would like us to tone it down” | JoD 25:309 | Quote |
| “Change it, make it fit the day” | JoD 25:309 (“applicable to the views of the day”) | Paraphrase |
| “This we cannot do” | JoD 25:309 | Quote |
| “Nor can we interfere with the commands of God” | JoD 25:309 | Quote |
| “I cannot, I will not do it” | JoD 25:309 | Quote |
| “We will stand by eternal truth” | JoD 25:309 (“principles of eternal truth”) | Paraphrase |
| “Living we will proclaim them” | JoD 25:309 | Quote |
| “Dying we will be true” | JoD 25:309 | Quote |
| “All who sanction it say Amen” | JoD 25:309 | Quote |
| “July 25th, 1887 / President John Taylor dies in hiding” | Historical fact | Historical |
| “October 1890 / The Manifesto is read” | Official Declaration 1 | Historical |
| “We toned it down” | Inversion of JoD 25:309 | Original |
Addressing Apologetic Responses
“The Manifesto was divine revelation”
Taylor said they “cannot interfere with commands of God to meet persuasions of men.” The Manifesto was a direct response to government pressure — the exact “persuasions of men” Taylor said could never change divine commands.
“Taylor died before the Manifesto; he kept his word”
Taylor spoke as Church President with congregational ratification. He spoke for the institution, not just himself. The same congregation that voted “Amen” in 1884 voted “Amen” to the opposite in 1890.
“He meant morally ‘cannot,’ not literally impossible”
Taylor invoked God’s name, asked for a sustaining vote, and made absolute declarations. When a Church President at General Conference does this, it functions as prophecy.
“Speaking as a man, not as prophet”
Church President at General Conference, speaking about canonized scripture (D&C 132), invoked “in the name of Israel’s God,” received congregational Amen, published in Journal of Discourses. If this isn’t prophetic teaching, nothing is.
The Congregational Vote
Both Taylor’s 1884 declaration and Woodruff’s 1890 Manifesto were presented to the congregation for a sustaining vote. Both received “Amen.”
This raises the question: Does the congregational vote reflect divine will, or institutional consensus? If God commanded polygamy as eternal truth, how could the same congregation legitimately vote to abandon it?
A tragedy of certainty.