Welcome
Welcome to the web home of The Historical Jesus and the Historical Joseph Smith, by Tom Hobson
The first book to package the searches for the historical Jesus and the historical Joseph Smith together into one concise volume! It's a book to be shared with any Latter-day Saint, or anyone who is thinking of becoming one.
Using tools of the historian that do not require faith, we will find out how can we know which of these two men we can trust to tell us the truth about God.
Announcements
From the book cover:
"Jesus of Nazareth, and Joseph Smith Jr. – two extremely important men to know! Using standard tools of the historian that do not require faith, we can identify undeniable facts on both men. What we’re looking for is trustworthiness and consistency. We want to know: can we trust these men to lead us to the one true God?"
(Along the way, we’ll also find some fascinating answers to questions like: Why and when did wine get taken out of the Latter-day Saint sacrament? How do we know whether important doctrines were taken out of the Bible? Do we possess genuine words of Jesus that are not in our Gospels? Were Jesus and Heavenly Father both polygamists? How do we know that the resurrection of Jesus was not a shameless con job?)
NOW ON SALE!
This book is now officially on sale at Barnes and Noble (print and Nook), Amazon (print and Kindle), and Books-a-Million, as well as thru local bookstores. (Click on link to site where you choose to purchase.)
People Who Have Read the Book in Advance:
“Dr. Hobson’s love for the LDS people shines through, and his expertise on both the historical Jesus and on Joseph Smith is hard to find in any other resource. Dr. Hobson has given the church a powerful gift with his careful research, clear writing, and Christ-like posture of truth and grace.” - Don Everts, author of God in the Flesh, Jesus With Dirty Feet, and co-author of I Once Was Lost.
“Tom Hobson applies his expertise in New Testament scholarly studies to deliver a probing evaluation of the evidence that supports the claims of Jesus compared to those of Joseph Smith. Far from being an anti-Mormon polemic, the analysis is free from any derogatory tone or sensationalist appeal. Instead, it is fair and objective, grounded in consistent standards of evidence. While this book will stretch the intellect with its careful logic, it is also engagingly written. In truth, it reflects the author's warm heart as well as his sharp mind.” - Ross Anderson, Teaching Pastor at Alpine Community Church, Ogden, UT, and author of Understanding Your Mormon Neighbor.
Our Radio Program!
As of February 26, 2023, Tom's radio broadcast "Biblical Words and World" on KUTR in Salt Lake City is now history. However, you can still download transcripts or audio of any program from those two years of broadcasts by going to Radio Archives (see above). You can also email Tom via the Contact link in the upper left of your home page.
Does God Change His Rules?
Why is a ham sandwich OK, but not gay sex? How much of God’s law was just for Israel, and how much of it is timeless and universal? Check out the author’s first book, What’s on God’s Sin List for Today?, at www.biblicalethic.org.
