The Great Apostasy (book)
Encyclopedia
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 (LDS Church).
Talmage wrote his book with the intention that it be used as a teaching tool within the LDS Church's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association
and the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association
. The book is "in many ways quite derivative" of B. H. Roberts's 1893 Outlines of Ecclesiastical History. The book has been described as "the most recognizable and noted work on the topic" of Latter-day Saint views of the Great Apostasy.
The Great Apostasy has gone through many editions and continues to be published by Deseret Book
, a publishing company owned by the LDS Church, and "is regularly referenced today" within the LDS Church. Along with Talmage's other classic works Jesus the Christ and Articles of Faith
, The Great Apostasy is one of the few non-scriptural books that full-time LDS Church missionaries
are encouraged to study.
James E. Talmage
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 from 1911 until his death in 1933....
that summarizes the Great Apostasy
Great Apostasy
The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to describe a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, especially the Papacy, because it allowed the traditional Roman mysteries and deities of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus and idol worship back into the church,...
from the viewpoint of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Talmage wrote his book with the intention that it be used as a teaching tool within the LDS Church's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association
Young Men (organization)
The Young Men is a youth organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
and the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association
Young Women (organization)
The Young Women is a youth organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. The book is "in many ways quite derivative" of B. H. Roberts's 1893 Outlines of Ecclesiastical History. The book has been described as "the most recognizable and noted work on the topic" of Latter-day Saint views of the Great Apostasy.
The Great Apostasy has gone through many editions and continues to be published by Deseret Book
Deseret Book
Deseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
, a publishing company owned by the LDS Church, and "is regularly referenced today" within the LDS Church. Along with Talmage's other classic works Jesus the Christ and Articles of Faith
Articles 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 is one of the few non-scriptural books that full-time LDS Church missionaries
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
are encouraged to study.
External links
- The Great Apostasy, archive.org on-line reader copy of the first edition
- The Great Apostasy, archive.org PDF copy of the first edition
- The Great Apostasy, archive.org TXT copy of the first edition