James E. Talmage
Encyclopedia
James Edward Talmage born in Hungerford
, Berkshire
, England
, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1911 until his death in 1933.
in 1877. In Provo he studied the Normal Course at Brigham Young Academy, having as one of his teachers Karl G. Maeser
. He graduated in 1880.
In 1881, Talmage received a collegiate diploma from the Brigham Young Academy Scientific Department, the first such diploma to be issued.
His early predilection was for the sciences, and in 1882-1883 he took selected courses in chemistry and geology at Lehigh University
, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
.
Though a special student and not a candidate for a degree, he passed during his single year of residence nearly all the examinations in the four-year course and later graduated; and in 1883-1884 he was engaged in advanced work at Johns Hopkins University
, Baltimore, Maryland.
and the daughter of immigrants from Lancashire
, England. She started studies at the normal school
connected with Brigham Young Academy in 1885, when she was 16. She met Talmage due to his being one of her instructors. While at BYA, May was secretary of the Polysophical Society. After completing her course of normal study May took a job as a teacher in Kaysville, Utah
. A few months later, Talmage undertook a project to study the waters of the Great Salt Lake, since such matters at least theoretically related to mineralogy. Talmage's main reason for this journey, though, was to pursue a relationship with May, and five months later they were married.
Besides serving with Talmage when he was president of the European Mission and overseeing the Relief Society throughout the mission, Mrs. Talmage served for 40 years as a member of the General Board of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association of the LDS Church. Also while in Britain she oversaw the beginning of the YMMIA in that country.
Mrs. Talmage was a leader in the Utah Women's Suffrage Association, and was a delegate to the World Congress of Women held in connection with the Chicago World's Fair
in 1893.
James E. and M. May Talmage had eight children. Among their children was John Talmage, who wrote a biography of his father. Another of their children, Sterling B. Talmage (1889–1956), followed the example of his father and became a geologist.
and geology
at Lehigh University
and Johns Hopkins University
. He received a B.S. degree from Lehigh University in 1891. Talmage received a Ph.D. from Illinois Wesleyan University
for nonresident work in 1896.
Talmage was elected to life membership in several learned societies, and for many years was a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society
(London
), Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
(Edinburgh
), Fellow of the Geological Society (London), Fellow of the Geological Society of America
, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
, Associate of the Philosophical Society of Great Britain, or Victoria Institute
, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
.
Talmage taught science at Brigham Young Academy both before and after he went to study in the eastern United States. He was the president of Latter-day Saints' University until 1894 and then was president of the University of Deseret, now known as University of Utah
, from 1894 to 1897. From 1897-1907 Talmage was a professor of geology at the University of Utah.
In 1909 Talmage was serving as the director of the Deseret Museum
. He went to Detroit in November of that year to participate in diggings connected with general Scotford-Soper-Savage
relics craze that involved the finding of supposed ancient relics in much of Michigan. Talmage would go on to denounce these findings as a forgery in the September 1911 edition of the Deseret Museum Bulletin in an article entitled "The Michigan Relics: A Story of Forgery and Deception".
, The Great Apostasy
, The House of the Lord
, and Jesus the Christ. These volumes remain in print and are still widely read by Latter-day Saints. Other books include treatises on the origins of the Book of Mormon
, a dictionary of the Book of Mormon, and a brief history of Mormonism.
In 1911 the First Presidency of the Church learned that a photographer had gained unauthorized access to the Salt Lake Temple
, had taken numerous photographs of the interior, and was holding those photographs for ransom. Talmage suggested that the First Presidency commission its own photographs of the temple. Joseph F. Smith
, then President of the church, authorized Talmage to write an apology on the subject of the temple to accompany the publication of the photographs. Shortly thereafter the book titled "The House of the Lord" was published.
.
of the European Mission
of the LDS Church.
is named after Talmage. The University of Utah
College of Science is housed in the James E. Talmage Building.
Hungerford
Hungerford is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, 9 miles west of Newbury. It covers an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 5,559 .- Geography :...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1911 until his death in 1933.
Early life
Talmage grew up in Hungerford, England. He was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 10 on June 15, 1873. He moved with his family to Provo, UtahProvo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
in 1877. In Provo he studied the Normal Course at Brigham Young Academy, having as one of his teachers Karl G. Maeser
Karl G. Maeser
-Brigham Young Academy:When Maeser arrived at Brigham Young Academy in 1876 it was dying. Enrollment had declined since Warren N. Dusenberry had started the school a few months before. There were only 29 students at the time of Maeser's arrival....
. He graduated in 1880.
In 1881, Talmage received a collegiate diploma from the Brigham Young Academy Scientific Department, the first such diploma to be issued.
His early predilection was for the sciences, and in 1882-1883 he took selected courses in chemistry and geology at Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
.
Though a special student and not a candidate for a degree, he passed during his single year of residence nearly all the examinations in the four-year course and later graduated; and in 1883-1884 he was engaged in advanced work at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Baltimore, Maryland.
Family
Talmage married Merry May Booth (1868–1944), who was normally called May, on June 14, 1888. May was a native of Alpine, UtahAlpine, Utah
Alpine is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9555 at the 2010 census. Alpine has been one of the many quickly-growing cities of Utah since the 1970s, and especially the 1990s. It is located on the...
and the daughter of immigrants from Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. She started studies at the normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
connected with Brigham Young Academy in 1885, when she was 16. She met Talmage due to his being one of her instructors. While at BYA, May was secretary of the Polysophical Society. After completing her course of normal study May took a job as a teacher in Kaysville, Utah
Kaysville, Utah
Kaysville is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 20,351 at the 2000 census, and 25,820 as of the 2008 estimates.-History:...
. A few months later, Talmage undertook a project to study the waters of the Great Salt Lake, since such matters at least theoretically related to mineralogy. Talmage's main reason for this journey, though, was to pursue a relationship with May, and five months later they were married.
Besides serving with Talmage when he was president of the European Mission and overseeing the Relief Society throughout the mission, Mrs. Talmage served for 40 years as a member of the General Board of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association of the LDS Church. Also while in Britain she oversaw the beginning of the YMMIA in that country.
Mrs. Talmage was a leader in the Utah Women's Suffrage Association, and was a delegate to the World Congress of Women held in connection with the Chicago World's Fair
Chicago World's Fair
Chicago World's Fair may refer to:*World's Columbian Exposition of 1893*Century of Progress Exposition of 1933...
in 1893.
James E. and M. May Talmage had eight children. Among their children was John Talmage, who wrote a biography of his father. Another of their children, Sterling B. Talmage (1889–1956), followed the example of his father and became a geologist.
Academic career
Talmage studied chemistryChemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
at Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
and Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. He received a B.S. degree from Lehigh University in 1891. Talmage received a Ph.D. from Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University is an independent undergraduate university located in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856...
for nonresident work in 1896.
Talmage was elected to life membership in several learned societies, and for many years was a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society
Royal Microscopical Society
The Royal Microscopical Society is an international scientific society for the promotion of microscopy. RMS draws members from all over the world and is dedicated to advancing science, developing careers and supporting wider understanding of science and microscopy through its Science and Society...
(London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
), Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society
Royal Scottish Geographical Society
The Royal Scottish Geographical Society is a learned society founded in 1884 and based in Perth. The Society has a membership of 2500 and aims to advance the science of geography worldwide by supporting education, research, expeditions, through its journal , its newsletter and other publications...
(Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
), Fellow of the Geological Society (London), Fellow of the Geological Society of America
Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. The society was founded in New York in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchcock, John R. Proctor and Edward Orton and has been headquartered at 3300 Penrose...
, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
, Associate of the Philosophical Society of Great Britain, or Victoria Institute
Victoria Institute
The Victoria Institute, or Philosophical Society of Great Britain, was founded in 1865, as a response to the publication of On the Origin of Species and Essays and Reviews. Its stated objective was to defend "the great truths revealed in Holy Scripture .....
, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
.
Talmage taught science at Brigham Young Academy both before and after he went to study in the eastern United States. He was the president of Latter-day Saints' University until 1894 and then was president of the University of Deseret, now known as University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, from 1894 to 1897. From 1897-1907 Talmage was a professor of geology at the University of Utah.
In 1909 Talmage was serving as the director of the Deseret Museum
Deseret Museum
The Deseret Museum was an institution dedicated to spreading knowledge in Salt Lake City, Utah.It was originally opened as the "Salt Lake City Museum and Menagerie" by John Willard Young....
. He went to Detroit in November of that year to participate in diggings connected with general Scotford-Soper-Savage
Michigan relics
Michigan relics is a name for forged, supposedly ancient artifacts that were supposed to prove that people of an ancient Near Eastern culture had lived in Michigan, USA....
relics craze that involved the finding of supposed ancient relics in much of Michigan. Talmage would go on to denounce these findings as a forgery in the September 1911 edition of the Deseret Museum Bulletin in an article entitled "The Michigan Relics: A Story of Forgery and Deception".
Religious writings
He was the author of several apologetics religious books including The Articles of FaithArticles of Faith (Talmage)
The Articles of Faith: A Series of Lectures on the Principal Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an 1899 book by James E. Talmage about doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, The Great Apostasy
The Great Apostasy (book)
The Great Apostasy Considered in the Light of Scriptural and Secular History is a 1909 book by James E. Talmage that summarizes the Great Apostasy from the viewpoint of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, The House of the Lord
The House of the Lord
The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries, Ancient and Modern is a 1912 book by James E. Talmage that discusses the doctrine and purpose of the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, and Jesus the Christ. These volumes remain in print and are still widely read by Latter-day Saints. Other books include treatises on the origins of the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, a dictionary of the Book of Mormon, and a brief history of Mormonism.
In 1911 the First Presidency of the Church learned that a photographer had gained unauthorized access to the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
, had taken numerous photographs of the interior, and was holding those photographs for ransom. Talmage suggested that the First Presidency commission its own photographs of the temple. Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, then President of the church, authorized Talmage to write an apology on the subject of the temple to accompany the publication of the photographs. Shortly thereafter the book titled "The House of the Lord" was published.
Political involvement
Talmage also went to Washington D.C. to testify in the Smoot HearingsSmoot Hearings
The Reed Smoot hearings were a series of Congressional hearings on whether the United States Senate should seat U.S. Senator Reed Smoot, who was elected by the Utah legislature in 1903...
.
Religious offices
Talmage became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1911. From 1924-1928 Talmage served as presidentMission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the European Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
of the LDS Church.
Honors
The Mathematics and Computer Sciences Building at Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
is named after Talmage. The University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
College of Science is housed in the James E. Talmage Building.
Published works
- First Book of Nature (1888)
- The Domestic Science, a Book for Use in Schools and for General Reading (1891) online 1892 second edition
- Tables for Blowpipe Determinations of Minerals (1898)
- The Articles of Faith: A Series of Lectures on the Principal Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1899) online
- The Great Salt Lake, Present and Past (1900) online
- The Great Apostasy Considered in the Light of Scriptural and Secular History (1909) online
- The Story of Mormonism (1910) online 1920 seventh edition
- The House of the Lord: A Study of Holy Sanctuaries, Ancient and Modern (1912) online
- The Philosophy of Mormonism (1914)http://www.shields-research.org/General/LDS_Leaders/Q12/Talmage-James_E/Philosophical_Basis_Mormonism-Talmage2.PDF
- Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to the Holy Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern (1915) online
- Latter-Day Revelations: Selections from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deseret Book Company (1915)
- The Vitality of Mormonism, Deseret Book Company (1919) online
- Sunday Night Talks by Radio (1930)
- The Parables of James E. Talmage, comp. Albert L. Zobell, Jr. Deseret Book Company (1973)
- The Essential James E. Talmage, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1997, ISBN 1-56085-018-3
External links
- James E. Talmage Journal. Volume 1, 1924. Digital Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
- James E. Talmage Journal. Volume 2, 1924-1925. Digital Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
- James E. Talmage Journal. Volume 3, 1926. Digital Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
- James E. Talmage Journal. Volume 4, 1927. Digital Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
- James E. Talmage Journal. Volume 5, 1928. Digital Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
- James Edward Talmage, by Jeffrey S. Hardy, in Mormon Missionary Diaries. Digital Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
- James E. Talmage and the Nature of the Godhead: The Gradual Unfolding of Latter-day Saint Theology, Ricks, Brian William, Master Thesis, Brigham Young University, 2007.
- James Edward Talmage Utah History Encyclopedia.
- Seely, David R. Explaining the Temple to the World: James E. Talmage's Monumental Book, The House of the Lord. FARMS Review: Volume 12, Issue 2, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2000 pp. 415–26.
- Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: James E. Talmage