Summary
Summary of Jesus the Christ
Key ideas
Key idea 1
Faith guides an orderly account
James E. Talmage approaches the life of Jesus as both a scholar and a believer. Drawing mainly on the four Gospels, he also uses the Book of Mormon and other scriptures of his church. History, geography, and Jewish customs give the events a setting.
He does not set out to test whether the Gospel stories are true. He treats them as history and seeks to explain them. His central concern is who Jesus claimed to be, and why that claim matters.
Key idea 2
The mission begins before birth
Start free to read
Key idea 3
A divine calling takes human shape
Start free to read
Key idea 4
The ministry opens with a test
Start free to read
Key idea 5
The teaching asks for changed hearts
Start free to read
Key idea 6
Opposition makes faith more distinct
Start free to read
Key idea 7
Kingship is joined to humble service
Start free to read
Key idea 8
Gethsemane stands at the center
Start free to read
Key idea 9
One mission connects the whole account
Start free to read
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
For readers of faith who love an ordered, learned account of the life of Christ, and anyone curious about how Latter-day Saints understand his life and mission.
What this book is
Jesus the Christ is a study of the life of Jesus, written by James E. Talmage and published in 1915. Talmage was an English-born scientist and teacher who became a leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He wrote the book at the request of the church's leaders, and he did much of the work in a room of the Salt Lake Temple, away from his usual duties.
The book follows the story of Jesus from before the world began to the promise of his return. Talmage draws mainly on the four Gospels, and he also uses the Book of Mormon and other scriptures special to his church. He adds history, geography, and the customs of the Jewish world, so that the scenes have a place and a time. Throughout, he reasons like a scholar and believes like a witness. He wants the reader to see who Jesus claimed to be, and why that claim matters.
You will not find a modern critical biography here. You will find a careful, orderly account that treats the Gospel stories as true history and tries to explain them. In this summary, we walk through its main movements, from the Savior's place before the creation to his work among the people of his own day, and then to the longer story that Talmage tells beyond the New Testament. Let us begin with the setting of the book itself.
In this summary
- 1A scientist writes about the SaviorFree
- 2Christ existed before the world began
- 3The birth and boyhood of Jesus
- 4Baptism, temptation, and the ministry begins
- 5The teacher, the parables, and the miracles
- 6Growing conflict and a confession
- 7The last week in Jerusalem
- 8Gethsemane, the cross, and the empty tomb
- 9Beyond the Gospels: Americas, apostasy, and return
Key point 1 of 9
A scientist writes about the Savior
James Talmage was an unusual author for a book about Christ. He trained as a geologist and chemist, and he served as president of the University of Utah and later of the Latter-day Saint University. In 1911 he was called as an apostle of his church. A few years later the First Presidency asked him to write a clear and full study of the life and mission of Jesus.
Talmage began the work in 1914. To write without interruption, he took a room in the Salt Lake Temple and worked there on many days, often long hours. The book was finished within about a year and printed in 1915. It has been in print ever since, and it remains one of the most widely read books among Latter-day Saints.
His training shows in the way he writes. He sets out his subject in forty-two chapters, in an orderly way, and he gives footnotes and references to scripture and to ancient writers. He cites Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first century, to give background to events in Palestine. He discusses the languages, the coins, the roads, and the political rule of Rome and Herod. The effect is of a teacher laying out a map before a journey.
Talmage is also plain about his purpose. He does not write as a doubter who wants to test the Gospels. He writes as a believer who wants others to understand them better. When the Gospels differ in detail, he tries to fit the accounts together into one continuous story.
For a modern reader, this is useful to know. The book is a work of devotion, written with learning. It treats the miracles, the birth of Jesus to a virgin, and the resurrection as real events, and it gives its reasons. It speaks to people who already honor Christ and want to know him better, and to those who wish to see how one faith tradition tells the whole story.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
- Nothing to pay today · Renews every year
- We email you before you pay
- Cancel online in two clicks
Check yourself
How does Talmage approach the Gospel accounts?
Right. “He writes as a believer who wants others to understand them better.”Not quite. “He writes as a believer who wants others to understand them better.”
What does Jesus seek beyond outward obedience?
Right. “He wants a changed heart, and he proves his message by his care for the poor, the sick, and the outcast.”Not quite. “He wants a changed heart, and he proves his message by his care for the poor, the sick, and the outcast.”
Why does Talmage give Gethsemane such importance?
Right. “Talmage argues that the agony in the garden was the central act of the atonement, when Jesus took upon himself the sins and sorrows of all people.”Not quite. “Talmage argues that the agony in the garden was the central act of the atonement, when Jesus took upon himself the sins and sorrows of all people.”
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 316,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 21 h 5 min
- Listening time35 h 5 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about Jesus the Christ
What is Jesus the Christ by James Talmage about?
It is a detailed study of the life and mission of Jesus, from his existence before the world through his birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. It ends with the history of the church after the apostles and the promised return of Christ.
Why did James Talmage write Jesus the Christ?
The leaders of the Latter-day Saint church asked him to write a clear, full study of the life of Christ. He worked on it in 1914 and 1915, partly in a room in the Salt Lake Temple, and it was published in 1915.
Is Jesus the Christ an official book of the LDS Church?
It is not part of the scriptures of the church, but it has long been treated as a trusted study. Church leaders have recommended it, and it is widely used for personal reading and in teaching.
Is Jesus the Christ hard to read?
No. The book is laid out in forty-two orderly chapters that follow the life of Jesus from his birth to the empty tomb, so the story is easy to follow. Talmage also explains the places, customs, and people in each scene.
How is Talmage's view of Christ different from other Christians?
Talmage shares the core Christian belief in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He differs in teaching that the Father, Son, and Spirit are three separate beings, that the church fell into apostasy, and that it was restored through Joseph Smith.
