FAIR HOT SPOTS

FAIR Blog
Thoughts and commentary from the apologetic frontlines.

Polygamy Resources
Questions about polygamy and the Mormons? Find your answers here.

Bible vs. the Book of Mormon
A common-sense review of the anti-Mormon video from Living Hope Ministries.

The Truth About "The God Makers"
Classic, line-by-line examination of this anti-Mormon film and book.

DNA and the Book of Mormon
Does DNA evidence disprove the Book of Mormon?

Mormons and Masonry
How did Freemasonry figure into the early development of the Church.

FAIR Topical Guide

Topical Guide, by Title

Guide Home > Doctrinal Issues > Deity > Jesus Christ > Historical Information About Jesus

Additional Topics

The following are additional topic areas related to Historical Information About Jesus. If there is a bracket number after the topic, that number indicates how many actual articles there are related to that subject. If the link for the topic is not live, it simply means the topic is a 'planned area' for future growth.

Ensign Articles

These articles cited below provide information on the topic of this page. The Ensign is one of the official publications of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When you click on one of the article links below, you are whisked to the article found in the archives of the Church's Web site.

S. Kent Brown and C. Wilfred Griggs, "The Messiah and the Manuscripts," Ensign, September 1974, 68. What Do Recently Discovered Documents Tell Us about Jesus?

Other Resources

The resources listed below are related items available on the Web that should be of interest. These links are to information not located on the FAIR Web site.

Michael R. Ash, April 6. Is it official LDS doctrine that Christ was born on April 6?

W. Reid Litchfield, "The Search for the Physical Cause of Jesus Christ�s Death," BYU Studies (1997-8) Using both modern medical knowledge and Gospel accounts to study Jesus� death increases our appreciation for the Atonement. The physical cause of the death of our Lord has occupied the minds and fueled the pens of medical theorists and theologians for centuries. The search for the answer to this diagnostic dilemma has left a windfall of literature and theories that is of tremendous interest to students of the life of Jesus Christ. This essay will review of some of the more prominent theories on the physical cause of the death of Christ: the ruptured heart theory, the asphyxia theory, the cardiovascular collapse theory, the aspiration theory, and the fatal syncope theory. Each of these theories has its merits, along with its probable flaws. I will also address and reject the theory that Jesus did not die on the cross but rather was resuscitated by his followers and then feigned resurrection.

Truman G. Madsen, "The Olive Press," BYU Speeches (9 May 1982) Truman Madsen looks at the symbolism of the olive press as related to Christ's suffering at Gethsemane. (PDF file; also available in MP3 from the "Multimedia" section of the Topical Guide)

Stephen E. Robinson, "The Noncanonical Sayings of Jesus," BYU Studies (1996-7) In 1889 a German scholar named Alfred Resch caused a minor stir in the world of biblical scholarship with the publication of his book Agrapha: Aussercanonische Evangelienfragmente (Agrapha: Extracanonical gospel fragments). For his book, Resch had drawn together and classified, from patristic authors, variant readings of New Testament manuscripts, apocryphal books, and elsewhere literally hundreds of sayings or variations on those sayings attributed to Jesus of Nazareth but not found in the New Testament Gospels. Until that time, almost no one had been aware of the large number of such noncanonical sayings that had been preserved, and most had subscribed in one degree or another to the principle of non in thora, non in mundo, that is, if it is not contained in the canonical Gospels, Jesus did not say it.

W. John Walsh, Why Was Jesus Never Married?.

FAIR is not owned, controlled by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All research and opinions provided on this site are the sole responsibility of FAIR, and should not be interpreted as official statements of LDS doctrine, belief or practice.

If you like what FAIR does and you agree with our mission, we invite you to support FAIR in any way you are able. You can make a donation, or visit our Membership page for additional support ideas. FAIR only succeeds through the efforts of our gracious volunteers.

Last Updated September 28, 2008
Copyright © 2007 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research. All Rights Reserved.
No portion of this site may be reproduced on any other Web site or in any other print publication
without the express written consent of FAIR. You may freely link to this information, however, or you
may print out copies to give to others, provided this copyright notice is included in your printout.

You can send comments/suggestions using our contact page.