The Articles of Faith

James E. Talmage's influential series of lectures on the Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Talmage prepared 24 lectures exploring Joseph Smith's Articles of Faith. The text is the Eleventh Edition, containing expanded notes and references. Topics covered include: Importance of theological study, What is Theology?, Extent of the Science, Theology and religion, Origin of the "Articles of Faith," Standard works of the Church, Joseph Smith, the Prophet, His parentage and youth, His search for truth and the result, First vision, Angelic visitations, Later developments, the martyrdom, Authenticity of his mission, God and the Godhead., The existence of God, Attested by general assent of humanity, Evidence of history and tradition, Evidence supplied by human reason, Evidence of direct revelation, The Godhead, a Trinity, Unity of the Godhead, Unauthorized dogmas refuted, Personality of each member of the Godhead, Some of the Divine attributes, Idolatry and atheism, Immaterialism a variety of atheism, God in nature, Transgression and the Fall., Man's free agency recognized by the Lord, Man's responsibility, Sin, Sins committed in ignorance, Punishment for sin natural and necessary, Duration of punishment, Refutation of the false doctrine of unending torment, Satan, his former position and his fall, Our first parents in Eden, The temptation and the Fall, Adam's wise choice, The expulsion from the Garden, The Tree of Life guarded, Results of the Fall, The Fall fore-ordained and essential, The blessed heritage of mortality, The Atonement, and Salvation., Nature of the Atonement, Reconciliation, A vicarious sacrifice, Voluntary and love-inspired, The atonement fore-ordained and fore-told, Extent of the atonement, General salvation, Individual salvation, Salvation and exaltation, Degrees of glory, Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial kingdoms, Faith and Repentance., Nature of faith, Faith, belief, and knowledge compared, Belief among the devils, The foundation of faith, Faith a principle of power, A condition of living faith, Faith essential to salvation, A gift from God, Faith and works, Nature of repentance, Conditions for securing forgiveness, Repentance essential to salvation, Repentance a gift from God, Not always possible to repent, Perils of procrastinating the day of repentance, Repentance beyond the grave., Baptism., Nature of the ordinance, Its establishment, The baptism of Adam, The special purpose of baptism, Fit candidates, Infant Baptism, History of this erratic practice, Pedo-baptism unsupported by the Bible, and forbidden by other scriptures, Baptism essential to salvation, The baptism of Christ, "To fulfil all righteousness", Importance of proper method in administering the ordinance, Derivation of the word "baptize," and early usage of the original, Immersion the only true mode, The sacred symbolism of the rite is preserved in no other mode, Immersion the only mode practised in early days, Baptism by immersion among the Nephites, Modern baptism, "Re-baptism" not a distinct ordinance, "Re-baptisms" recorded in scripture are few and exceptional, Baptism for the dead, Christ's ministry among the departed, The spirits in prison, Vicarious work of the living for the dead, Elijah's heavenly message, Temples, ancient and modern, The Holy Ghost., The promised Comforter, The Holy Ghost a Member of the Godhead, His distinct personality, His powers, His office in ministering to mankind, To whom given, Exceptional instances of His visitation before baptism, The ordinance of bestowal, Power of the priesthood requisite, Gifts of the Spirit, Laying on of hands characteristic of sacred ordinances, The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper., Meaning of the term Sacrament, The Lord's Supper, Institution of the ordinance among the Jews, Also among the Nephites, Fit partakers of the sacrament, Purpose of the ordinance, and associated promises, and The sacramental emblems.