I have a few thoughts on Talmage’s book which I read after it was suggested to me by some missionary friends. I then reread the book a year later. The first thought is that Talmage’s strength is not in building an objective argument from the ground up. He certainly researched in an effort to find evidence comforting to those already holding the LDS position, but from an outsiders perspective it was not convincing. Let me list some of the reasons I was left feeling this way.
In order to effectively reach those that do not yet believe that a great apostasy took place, the author must make an argument illustrating that it is more reasonable to believe that an apostasy occurred than it is to believe that there was not an apostasy. Note that accomplishing this would only get the person to the point of believing that there was an apostasy, not that the LDS Church is the restoration of the true Christian church. Talmage begins to move his argument forward through the use of Scripture. To do this Talmage wisely and discriminately chooses passages that seem to indicate a falling away. He quotes Paul’s warning of wolves among sheep. He cites Paul’s comment to Timothy about the people of Asia turning away from him. He also references Amos chapter 8, and he provides evidence in the book of Revelation that only 7 churches remain worthy of receiving revelation from the Apostles.
Talmage’s shortcoming here is a lack of placing these statements in the context of the entire bible. Paul’s comment to Timothy about all of Asia turning, as Talmage would have it, toward apostasy is in direct contradiction with Talmage’s own observation about the seven churches in Revelation which were the Asian Churches. Talmage would have us believe that the churches turned away from the Apostle Paul over four decades before they were the only churches still worthy of Apostolic Revelation. Talmage’s use of Amos chapter 8 speaking of the great apostasy also falls short. Amos chapter 9 refers to the restoration that would occur after the events of Amos 8. In Acts chapter 15 the Apostle James quotes Amos chapter 9 as though the restoration has already taken place. Certainly if the Apostles of Christ interpreted Amos 9 in such a way, its meaning should not be twisted by later generations.
Talmage suffers similar troubles in his interpretation of extrabiblical Christian history. He blames Hellenistic influences for the Neo-Platonist idea of the Trinity. However, those he accuses of being swayed by these Neo-Platonists lived more than two centuries before Neo-Platonism came onto the scene. Certainly Hellenistic language was used to describe the Christian faith, but there is no evidence that doctrinal changes came about as a result. Talmage also quotes heavily from Gnostic sects highlighting the fact that the foretold apostasy was taking place. However, the early church declared these writings to be heretical. In comparison, the short history of the LDS faith has produced over 80 splinter groups, 46 of which are still in existence today. Would Talmage, or any other LDS scholar, consider the current LDS church to be experiencing a “Great Apostasy”? The standard to which Talmage holds the historical church must not be more stringent than the one he applies to his current church.
In the end Talmage produces evidence that he seeks to shape into a proof for the LDS idea of a great apostasy. Unfortunately his attempt lacks depth and scholarly scrutiny. As Stephen said, I have met many very intelligent members of the LDS church, and I refuse to believe that any of them would be convinced by such a book. If anyone can suggest another book that is more effective at providing a case for the Great Apostasy I would be willing to read it.
