1. 1. Bruce R. McConkie (1915-85) was a prominent conservative Mormon theologian, author, and Church leader (First Council of the Seventy, 1946-72; apostle, 1972-85) of the last half of the twentieth century.
2. 2. These quotations are from Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. (1965; rpt., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1977), 1:94; and “Bible Dictionary” in the LDS edition of the King James Bible (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979), 717.
3. 3. James E. Talmage (1862-1933) was a prominent Mormon scientist, educator, theologian, and apostle (1911-33) during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Unless otherwise indicated, all references in this study are from James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1915, first printing), with page numbers cited parenthetically in the text.
4. 4. Thomas G. Alexander, Mormonism in Transition: A History of the Latter-day Saints 1890-1930 (Urbana: University of Illinois, 1986), 279.
5. 5. James Harris, ed., The Essential James E. Talmage (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1997), xxvii.