author
Matthias F. (Matthias Foss) Cowley
1858–1940
A prominent early leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served as an apostle during a turbulent period in church history. His life also reached into the next generation: he was the father of later apostle Matthew Cowley.
1 Audiobook
Cowley's Talks on Doctrine
by Matthias F. (Matthias Foss) Cowley
About the author
Born in Salt Lake City on August 25, 1858, Matthias Foss Cowley grew up in a Latter-day Saint family with deep pioneer roots. He became known as a preacher and church leader, and in 1897 he was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Cowley served in that quorum until 1905, when he resigned during the difficult years surrounding the church's retreat from plural marriage. Even so, he remained an important figure to many church members, and later accounts of his life often remember both his strong speaking style and the controversy that marked his career.
He died on June 16, 1940. Today he is remembered chiefly for his place in early twentieth-century Latter-day Saint history and for his family's continuing influence in the church, especially through his son Matthew Cowley.