Articles of Faith (Classics in Mormon literature) [Hardcover]

James Talmage (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 537 pages
• Publisher: Deseret Book Co (June 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877478384
• ISBN-13: 978-0877478386
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,206,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keystone Work in Mormon Religious Exposition, December 7, 2005

By 

Mark Lee (Woodruff, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Articles of Faith (Missionary Reference Library) (Paperback)

The LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - Mormons) church was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr. who went on in 1842 to compose a sketch of his young church for John Wentworth of the Chicago Democrat at the latter's request for information about the church on behalf of a friend. The letter contained thirteen succinct statements of faith which the LDS church has subsequently adopted as canonical in a work called "The Pearl of Great Price." While the LDS deny having conventional creeds, they generally acknowledge that Joseph Smith's "13 Articles of Faith" generally present a good synopsis of their faith, and it was a development of this synopsis that James Talmage, LDS apostle and geologist by training, embarked upon in the current work, "The Articles of Faith."

Talmage was one of the great thinkers of the LDS church (along with B.H. Roberts and John Widtsoe) who, in the very late 19th century and early 20th century articulated a maturing LDS doctrine in a way that has become fairly normative even for modern LDS people. While the early "Lectures on Faith" and similar doctrinal adventures have been put aside, Talmage's works persist as a vital testimony to his importance. Talmage was a systematic expositor and excellent writer. His works can be difficult to read due to his extensive vocabulary. Still, other more modern LDS leaders like Bruce McConkie who followed and often repeated Talmage's footsteps later in the late 20th century, obviously followed the patterns set out by Talmage.

In this book, the ministry of Joseph Smith is reviewed, and a foundation of Smith as a "true prophet" is constructed. Talmage recognized that the rest of the book hinged on the validity of Smith's status as "true prophet." Following that, Talmage treats the very nature of God which diverges from the God of mainstream Christianity significantly. He goes on to set up the LDS paradigm with regard to the nature of man and the "Fall of Adam," and how that Fall is remedied in the "Atonement and Salvation" available through Jesus Christ. LDS soteriology doesn't find a better spokesman than Talmage. Next the two main "principles of the gospel," "faith and repentance" are treated, followed by the first two "ordinances" (similar to "sacraments"); baptism and "the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost," the LDS confirmation. Next, the emblematic nature of the LDS celebration of "the Lord's Supper" is detailed (the LDS deny any "substantiation" in the tokens of the bread and water). A very important chapter on religous authority follows. The LDS claims to a literal "line of authority" from God's heavenly ministers to Joseph Smith, then from him to all others is a feature of the faith claims. Along with that, the LDS claim to have a restoration of the offices of the primitive Christian Church. This is the weakest part of this great work, as Talmage explains the various offices (the LDS have many multiple High Priests who also serve simulaneously in other capacities e.g. Bishop, Seventy without regard for the message of Hebrews in which the office of High Priest was finally filled in Jesus Christ, the perfect, ultimate High Priest). In any event, Talmage goes on to briefly treat spiritual gifts before getting to a very interesting part on LDS scripture (which includes the Bible - with caveats - the "Book of Mormon" - claimed to be a record of God's people in the ancient America's and Christ's visit here, the "Doctrine and Covenants" - revelations from God to modern LDS leaders, and "The Pearl of Great Price" - a collection of shorter documents dealing with Abraham, Moses, creation, the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ in the LDS church, and the "Articles of Faith"). A feature of the LDS faith includes ongoing revelation from God through living prophets, which Talmage treats. Next, Talmage talks about the dispersion and gather of Israel. "Israel" to the LDS can mean "ethnic/religous Jews," "the lost tribes," "the descendants of the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon" (then believed to be Native Americans), and the modern LDS church itself. This "gathering" reflects a dispensationalism in the LDS theology, ultimately resulting in a "new Jerusalem" which will be in Missouri - a sister city to the older, historical, renewed Jerusalem. Christ will reign personally on the earth in this wonderful future. The LDS accept a corporeal resurrection. The book ends with chapters on religious tolerance and the importance of submission to secular authority. Like my fellow Catholics (I grew up LDS but have since converted), the LDS are not afraid to be involved in politics or social aims that meet religious ends. And finally, the LDS believe in a practical Christianity. It's little wonder that one of the favorite LDS epistles in the Bible is that of James. (While the LDS are criticized for not being "Christian," usually on theological bases, as a practical matter their daily lives are either indisguishable from or even superior to their "Christian" brothers.)

Talmage generally includes in his works copious endnotes, and this work is no exception. Not for the faint of heart, nor for the dabbler, this is a work for the student of LDS theology who wants to understand what the LDS believe. It does not disappoint, and I suppose Talmage's contributions to LDS thinking will persist and he'll always be thought of as an LDS theological luminary.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good book, but get hardcover instead, May 14, 2007

By 

Mr. Cole W. Stapp - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Study of the Articles of Faith : Being a Consideration of the Principal Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Missionary reference library) (Paperback)

the book i got was physically trashed because it was an old little missionary one, which is good if you serve in Africa and it will get ruined anyhow. If you live in a nice place and/or value your books, get a hardcover one

5.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE "CLASSIC" MISSIONARY REFERENCE LIBRARY WORKS, March 8, 2011

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Articles of Faith (Missionary Reference Library) (Paperback)

James Edward Talmage (1862-1933) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) from 1911 until his death in 1933. This book was first published in 1899.

Here are some quotations from the book (page numbers are from the 537-page 1979 edition):

"The evidence of divine authority in the work established by Joseph Smith... may be summarized as follows: 1. Ancient prophecy has been fulfilled in the restoration of the Gospel... 2. He received by direct ordination and appointment... authority to minister in the various ordinanaces of the Holy Priesthood. 3. His possession of the power of true prophecy, and of other spiritual gifts... 4. The doctrines he proclaimed are true and scriptural." (Pg. 16-17)

"(About the Nicene Creed) It would be difficult to conceive of a greater number of inconsistencies and contradictions expressed in words as few." (Pg.48)

"(T)he scriptures record numerous ordinations ... without specific statement concerning the imposition of hands or any other details. Such instances do not warrant the conclusion that the laying on of hands was omitted; and in the light of modern revelation it is clear that the imposition of hands was a usual accompaniment of ordination..." (Pg. 182)

"The Latter-day Saints base their belief in the authenticity of the book (of Mormon) on the following proofs: 1. The general agreement of the Book of Mormon with the Bible... 2. The fulfillment of ancient prophecies accomplished by the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon. 3. The strict agreement and consistency of the Book of Mormon with itself. 4. The evident truth of its contained prophecies. 5. Corroborative testimony furnished by archaeology and ethnology." (Pg. 273-274)

"That this union of the two records (the Bible and the BOM) was to be a characteristic of the latter days is evident from the prediction of an event which was to follow immediately... the gathering of the tribes from the nations among which they had been dispersed." (Pg. 277)

"The fulfillment of this prediction (from Isa 29:11-12) is claimed in the presentation of the transcripts from the plates... to the learned Professor Charles Anthon, whose reply, almost in the words of the text, has been cited in the last chapter, and in the delivery of the book itself to the unlettered youth, Joseph Smith." (Pg. 278)

"Among the most significant of the (scientific) discoveries respecting the aboriginal inhabitants, are the following: 1. That America was peopled in very ancient times... 2. That the continent has been successively occupied by ... at least two classes, or so-called races... 3. That the aboriginal inhabitants came from the East... 4. That the existing native races of America form a common stock." (Pg. 283)

"The true account of the origin of the Book of Mormon was rejected by the public in general, who thus assumed the responsibility of explaining in some plausible way the source of the record. Many vague theories... were put forward; of these the most famous, and indeed, the only one that lived long enough in public favor to be discussed, is the so-called 'Spaulding story.'" (Pg. 502)