James E. Talmage papers
James E. Talmage (1862-1933)
On this date in 1911, James E. Talmage was called as an Apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in this capacity until his death on July 27, 1933, at the age of 70. Elder Talmage has become renowned among members of the LDS Church and beyond for his detailed and enlightening expositions on the doctrines of the Church, creating some of the fundamental and most read works for study among Latter-day Saints, including Jesus the Christ, which will celebrate its 100th year of publication in 2015.
L. Tom Perry Special Collections is proud to house the James E. Talmage papers (MSS 229), which includes thirty volumes of personal journals and four pocket diaries; school notes, notebooks, examinations, and memorabilia from student days in England and America; lectures, notes, and administrative material from his years as a teacher and President of the University of Utah, as well as assignments completed by his students during that period; research notes on scientific and religious topics; material related to his work as a consulting geologist and mining engineer; material from scientific and scholarly societies of which he was a member; and papers from his time as director of the Deseret Museum. The collection also includes some correspondence, both official and personal; newspaper articles dealing with the Mormon religion and Elder Talmage’s work in the LDS Church ; and other materials related to Elder Talmage and his family.
Other collections related to Elder Talmage and his family housed here include:
- James E. Talmage photographs (MSS P 21)
- Merry May Booth Talmage papers (MSS 1607)
- James E. and Merry May Booth Talmage letters (MSS 8324)
Feel free to explore these collections online, and look for more posts throughout next year on events related to James E. Talmage coming to Special Collections as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Elder Talmage’s seminal work Jesus the Christ in 2015. Hey, maybe even start a new Christmas tradition and read or re-read this important work. What better way to celebrate Christmas then by learning more about He whose birth we celebrate this time of year!