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Donation from Clyde James Hayes, grandson of Peter James Sanders; 4 October 1996.
Originals restricted. Photocopies for patron use.
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Peter James Sanders, son of Sondre Ostensen Sanders and Anna Jorgensen, was born 1 April 1871 in South Cottonwood, Utah. He grew up in Murray, Utah. He married Janet Laurence Dick on 16 November 1892 in Manti, Utah, and they settled in Murray. Six years later, Sanders received a call to serve as a missionary in the Northern States Mission and served from 1898-1900. Upon his return he taught school in West Jordan. He spent most of his life as a teacher and educator. On 16 December 1900, Heber J. Grant set Sanders apart as bishop of the Grant Ward in Murray. Sanders served in this capacity until 1903. In August 1901, Peter Sanders' wife passed away from complications after childbirth, leaving Sanders with three children. He married Ida Stephensen on 11 June 1902. In the years following the debate with James Curtis, Sanders moved his family to Nephi, where he became the Juab County Attorney and later served in the Utah State Legislature. He died 15 June 1948 in Nephi, Utah.
James Frank Curtis was born 26 January 1875. He served in many capacities in the RLDS Church including an elder, seventy, and as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve from 1909-1938. In 1938 he was released as an apostle and was ordained an evangelist. During his lifetime Curtis baptized over one thousand people into the RLDS Church. He held over fifty public debates regarding the beliefs of the RLDS Church. Curtis died 15 December 1966 in Spokane, Washington.
The debates between Peter James Sanders of the Mormon Church and James Frank Curtis of the Reorganized Mormon Church were held 4-7 Aug. 1908 in the Murray Opera House in Murray, Utah. The collection includes transcripts of the debates and biographical information regarding Sanders and Curtis.
The issues covered in the debates include the succession in the leadership of the Mormon Church following the death of Joseph Smith (1805-1844), the first president of the Mormon Church, and Mormon doctrinal issues including: priesthood authority, polygamy, and the plurality of Gods.
The transcription of the Peter James Sanders and James Frank Curtis debates was produced from stenographic notes taken by Willima M. Bay.
ORIGINAL RESTRICTED.
Debate Topic: Resolved that Joseph Smith III, president of the Reorganized Church, is the legal successor to his father to the presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Curtis: Discusses three occasions when Joseph Smith III was anointed or called to be the successor to Joseph Smith, Jr.; LDS Saints did not finish the Nauvoo Temple and were rejected along with their baptisms for the dead; revelation of Jason W. Briggs; character defense of William Smith and William Marks.
Sanders: Rights of presidency passed to the firstborn are only found in the Aaronic Priesthood and the office of Patriarch, not the presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood; refutes Joseph Smith III's anointings and succession along with the character of William Smith, William Marks, Lyman Wight, and Mr. Whitehead; refutes Jason W. Briggs's revelation; LDS Church doesn't like the contention that such debate causes.
Curtis: Contention is good, Jude 1:3; priesthood lineage; Abraham received Melchizedek Priesthood from fathers; defense of William Smith's character along with Jason W. Briggs and William Marks; building of Nauvoo House and rejection of the LDS Church for not completing the temple in a certain time.
Sanders: Issue of contention; discussion of lineage; quotes D&C 124, Millennial Star, and Tullidge's history; priesthood ordination procedures; William Mark's character; temple work--refutes issue of LDS Church being rejected; discussion of Joseph Smith III's ordination to lead RLDS Church.
Debate Topic: Resolved that Brigham Young is the legal successor of Joseph Smith, the Prophet.
Sanders: Twelve questions asked to James Curtis which prove that the lesser priesthood cannot ordain to the higher priesthood; Peter, James, and John ordained Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to be apostles; the Saints following Joseph Smith's death voted to follow the Twelve Apostles; quotes from the D&C and the History of the Church showing how the Quorum of the Twelve hold the keys of succession; Brigham Young ordained president of the Church, 5 December 1847; comparison of succession procedures of Brigham Young and Joseph Smith III; William Mark's lack of authority to ordain a prophet; Brigham Young received the mantle of Joseph Smith; William Smith's character; lesser priesthood can not ordain to the higher priesthood.
Curtis: Law of succession; no revelation given that says Brigham Young is Joseph's successor; question of ordination--who ordained Brigham Young as president of LDS Church?; uses a Brigham Young statement to prove he couldn't be Joseph's successor; after Joseph's death, the Saints voted to follow the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and not to reorganize the 1 st Presidency, which Young later did; quotes Joseph F. Smith's statements from the Reed Smoot hearing about the presidency of the Church; if Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were ordained by angels, why did they get ordained again on 25 June 1832 at the Amherst Conference?; lesser priesthood can ordain to the higher priesthood; Joseph F. Smith's statements in the Young Men's Manual about high priests and seventies ordaining each other; in the Book of Mormon, Alma the Elder ordains Alma the Younger to succeed him as president of the Church; mantle of authority did not go to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, false prophets; Brigham Young taught false doctrines: Adam God theory, polygamy, rebaptism, plurality of gods.
Sanders: William Smith's character; impossible for lesser priesthood to ordain the higher priesthood; Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood, then baptized each other, and later were ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood; John the Baptist acted under the direction of Peter, James, and John; on 6 April 1830 the congregation accepted Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as teachers, same thing happened to Brigham Young after Joseph died; Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery ordained elders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Joseph held the keys, one of which was polygamy; keys were given by ordination to Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles by Joseph Smith; defense of plurality of gods, including a quote by Joseph Smith; rebuttal of Adam God theory; temple work; refutes James Curtis's issue of the immaculate conception; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are Joseph's successors; refutes Alma the Elder giving the presidency to Alma the Younger; Zion is in North and South America, Joseph Smith talk 6 April 1844; refutes blood atonement; goes over nine of the twelve questions he introduced earlier in the debate.
Curtis: Refutes the issue of plurality of gods since this issue wasn't published until after Joseph's death; Pearl of Great Price is not a valid source on plurality of gods; quotes Paul from the Inspired Version (RLDS), and the book of Revelation to disprove plurality of gods; sealing power wasn't given to Brigham Young; can't accept Joseph Smith's statements on polygamy since the History of the Church was revised by Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles fell away from the Church when they practiced polygamy and they did not inherit Zion in Missouri; RLDS Church has Zion; discusses Adam God theory and Brigham Young's character; immaculate conception; blood atonement; Alma the Younger did have the Melchizedek Priesthood according to the Book of Mormon; definition of Zion as Missouri; succession of Joseph Smith III; William Marks not excommunicated from the LDS Church.
Photocopies of Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune articles covering the debates.