--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 2 number: 8 published: 1899-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "The Articles of Faith," *Improvement Era* 2, no. 8 (June 1899): 623–624.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera28unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera28unse start_page: 623 end_page: 624 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1899-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera28unse publication_year: 1899 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1899, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Articles of Faith THE ARTICLES OF FAITH. A SERIES OF LECTURES ON THE PRINCIPAL DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, BY DR. JAMES E. TALMAGE. This book of some four hundred and ninety pages of matter, ihe latest addition to religious home literature, is composed of twenty-three lectures on the thirteen Articles of Faith, with an introductory lecture on theology in general and on Joseph Smith the Prophet. The greater number of these addresses were originally delivered before the theology class of the Church University and other Church organizations engaged in theological study. In arrangement of subject matter and size the work is issued on the plan of Roberts' Outlines of Ecclesiastical History, conveniently paragraphed, with side-heads, and copious notes at the close of each chapter. The review questions for each lecture, however, for class work exercise and review, are inserted in an appendix and followed by a useful subjective index. The addresses are presented now in this form by request and appointment of the First Presidency, thus making the volume practically official, the object being to have it used as a text book in the various educational institutions of the Church. The discussion of the Articles of Faith gives the well-known author a first-class opportunity to present the leading principles of the Gospel as taught by the Latter-day Saints. He does it in a most readable manner. In the treatment of the subject the author has succeeded admirably in setting forth a smooth and plain statement of facts and doctrine in the history and belief of the Latter-day Saints, such as will find ready 624 IMPROVEMENT ERA. acquiescence with the believer, because of the spirit of simplicity and truth in which it is made; and, on the other hand, because of its freedom from aggressive argument, will elicit but little opposition from unbelievers. As a text book in the hands of theological teachers, it will prove one of the most useful works in the Church. The scope of investigation has been very extended, and the best facts and thoughts from contemporaneous works, and from the Holy Scriptures, bearing upon the subject in hand, have been selected, condensed, and interwoven, until every page is a rich depository of information, with numerous indices pointing to the extensive fields from which its choice kernels have been gathered. The book is perhaps the freest from errors in print of any of the Church works, but this typographical perfection is unhappily marred by the very awkward and inartistic arrangement of the preface and list of "contents." — E. H. Anderson.