James Edward Talmage (1862–1933) was an Englishborn scientist and religious leader who served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1911 until his death. Born in Hungerford, England, he emigrated with his family to Utah in 1877 and began teaching at Brigham Young Academy at age sixteen.
Talmage pursued advanced studies in chemistry and geology at Lehigh University and Johns Hopkins University, receiving his Ph.D. from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1896. He served as president of the University of Utah and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and the Geological Society of London.
At the request of the First Presidency, Talmage wrote Jesus the Christ, completing much of it in a room set aside for him in the Salt Lake Temple. Published in 1915, it remains one of the most influential Latter-day Saint works on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. His other significant works include The Articles of Faith and The Great Apostasy.