110 years ago today - May 10, 1911

Former apostle Matthias F. Cowley is tried by the Council of Twelve Apostles. He is charged with performing post-manifesto plural marriages of questionable sanction. Cowley states: "[Late] President [George Q.] Cannon told me to do these things or I would never have done it." Cowley also states that when he asked Church President Lorenzo Snow for permission, Snow "simply told me that he would not interfere with Brother Woodruff's and Cannon's work [of authorizing plural marriages]." Cowley also makes the statement: " I am not dishonest and not a liar and have always been true to the work and to the brethren. I have always been true and faithful myself. We have always been taught that when the brethren were in a tight place that it would not be amiss to lie to help them out. One of the Presidency of the Church made the statement some years ago when I was in the presidency of one of the stakes of Zion in Idaho that he would lie like hell to help his brethren." The next day the President of the Twelve, Francis M. Lyman, writes their decision: "This day by unanimous vote of the Council of the Twelve Apostles it was decided that Matthias F. Cowley, for insubordination to the government and discipline of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be and he is hereby deprived of the right and authority to exercise any of the functions of the Priesthood."