J. Edward Decker Papers
COLL MSS 210
Collection processed by: John L. Powell
Register created by: John L. Powell
Date: May 13, 1998
Updated by: Matthew Stiffler
Date: May 14, 2003
Updated by: Clint Pumphrey
Date: February 22, 2007
Size: 98 linear feet
Biographical Note:
J. Edward Decker is the founder of Ex-Mormons for Jesus (later changed to Saints Alive In Jesus) and is probably best known for his 1980 film The God Makers.
Decker joined the Mormon Church in 1957 while attending Utah State University in Logan, Utah. He was an active member of the Church for twenty years. But Decker had a change of heart and became an evangelical Christian. Decker asked for his name to be removed from the records of the Mormon Church. A High Council Court was held on October 21, 1976 in Bellevue, Washington which excommunicated him.
Decker organized Ex-Mormons for Jesus Evangelistic Association in 1978. In August of 1979 it issued a position statement in which the organization is described as "a Christian non-profit corporation founded upon the call of God to witness Jesus Christ to the Mormon people."
Ex-Mormons for Jesus has often been criticized for being merely a negative attack on Mormonism. This negative, anti-Mormon, image results from the self described "primary function" of the ministry to prove that there is a difference between Mormonism and traditional Christianity. The root of the Ex-Mormons for Jesus message is that Mormons are not Christians. They see this negative aspect of their ministry as only preparatory for the positive message of evangelical Christianity. In order to emphasize the positive side of the ministry Ex-Mormons For Jesus changed its name to Saints Alive In Jesus.
Saints Alive is not a Church. They believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, and the Trinity is centered on the divine mission of Jesus Christ as the savior of mankind. Based upon this, the role of Saints Alive is to take the gospel to Mormons.
Scope And Content:
The papers of Ed Decker, which document the organization Saints Alive In Jesus, cover the years 1978-1991 and are divided into three parts: subject files, correspondence and office files.
The subject files consist of the files created by Decker on various subjects relating to evangelical Christianity, Mormonism and Freemasonry. The original filing order, alphabetical by subject, has been maintained.
The correspondence files have been arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Letters from Mormon missionaries to Ed Decker have been filed separately.
The office files, which contain records on chapters and film contracts, itineraries and membership lists have been maintained in the original filing order. Papers relating to The God Makers are filed here. This includes "Journey to Kolob" the first draft of what eventually became the God Makers. The financial and other records of the Christian Embassy 1985-1987 as well as Mormon temple clothing and masonic regalia, are also included.
Three boxes of tracts and booklets from Saints Alive in Jesus and other affiliated ministries, including one of Decker’s most famous tracts “To Moroni with Love,” are located in this collection.
The collection includes a large number of video and audio tapes relating to the Saints Alive ministry. Audio cassette tapes of speakers at the Capstone and various other seminars and conferences. The Ex-Mormons for Jesus national conventions 1979 and 1981. Cassettes of SAIJ radio broadcasts. Reel-to-reel tapes of “Let's Dialogue” radio program. Walter Martin, Bob Larson, Bob Witte, Greg Bretz, Ben Torres, Chuck and Dolly Sackett, Derek Prince, Vern Cavin, Dave Hunt, Kenneth Copeland, Dick Baer, Hal Lindsey, Jim Witham, Wally Tope, Bonnie Morris, Kenneth E. Hagin, John MacArthur, Kay Trimble, Wes Walters, Ron Carlson. Audio tapes of the Mormon temple ritual recorded in the Provo temple in 1982.
Of interest to researchers may be other Ed Decker print material that is housed in Special Collections, but not within this collection. There are a number of published books. There is also a corresponding Ed Decker photograph collection (P0344), which contains photos of Ed Decker and protests at the Mormon Church Administration Building in Salt Lake, in addition to slides that correspond to the audio presentations in Box 157 as well as the scripts in Boxes 32 and 38 of this collection.
Series Description:
Box/Item. Series
1-42. Subject files
43-95. Correspondence
96-139. Office files
140-162. Audio Tapes
163-172. Additional Subject files and Office Files
1-10. Cases
1-327. Video Tapes
1-80. Reels
Subject Files
Box 1
Fd 1 Abortion
Fd 2 Acts 17 - Index to Counter cult Resources
Fd 3 Adam/God - File 1
Fd 4 Adam/God - File 2
Fd 5 Adam/God - File 3
Fd 6 Adam/God - File 4
Fd 7 Adam/God Doctrine
Fd 8 Adamson, Jack “The Treasure of the Widow’s Son”
Fd 9 Advertising
Fd 10 American Bible society
Fd 11 A Most Convincing Witness Revisited
Fd 12 Anderson, Dennis “What you should know about the L.D.S. (Mormons)”
Fd 13 Anderson, Jack
Fd 14 Angels
Fd 15 Angels and Women Novel Seola by J.G. Smith
Box 2
Fd 1 Anti Anti-Mormon Literature
Fd 2 Anti Ex-Mormons For Jesus Efforts
Fd 3 Apologetics - Apologetic Research Coalition, ACR/Tyndale Symposium
Fd 4 Apologetics - Doctrine and Covenants
Fd 5 Apologetics - Edwards, John Wallace “Takes Another Look At Anti-Mormon
Gracers”
Fd 6 Apologetics - Gigson, Stephen W. “Seeing through the transparency of the Godmakers”
Fd 7 Apologetics - Griffith, Michael T.
Fd 8 Apologetics - Mormon
Fd 9 Apologetics - Stakes West Publishing co., list of Research Material
Fd 10 Apologetics - “What the Mormons say”
Fd 11 Apostasy - Mormon Argument
Fd 12 Assemblies of God
Fd 13 Archer, Maurine “Rainbows of the Soul” poems
Fd 14 “Authority: It’s Use and Abuse”, Floyd McLung Jr.
Box 3
Fd 1 Baer, Dick
Fd 2 Baptism for the Dead
Fd 3 Baptize Now Plan - California Arcadia Mission
Fd 4 Baum, Garn - Orem Cherry Packer
Fd 5 Biblical Archaeology - J. Steven Smith Corresp. with Hugh Nibley on Nag Hammad
Fd 6 Biblical Archaeology Review - World History Chart
Fd 7 Bible - Lost books
Fd 8 Bicentennial Commission
Fd 9 Blacks and Mormons
Fd 10 Blevins, Kent
Fd 11 Blood Atonement
Fd 12 Books of Abraham facsimilies
Fd 13 Book of Mormon - Archaeology File 1
Fd 14 Book of Mormon - Archaeology File 2
Fd 15 Book of Mormon - Archaeology File 3
Fd 16 Book of Mormon - Archaeology File 4
Box 4
Fd 1 Book of Mormon - Archaeology
Fd 2 Book of Mormon - Archaeology, John L. Sorenson Letter
Fd 3 Book of Mormon - Archaeology, “Archaeology and the Book of Mormon,” slide present.
Fd 4 Book of Mormon - Charles Anthon response
Fd 5 Book of Mormon - Name games
Fd 6 Book of Mormon - Problems
Fd 7 Book of Mormon “Spirit Writing” by Scott C. Dunn
Box 5
Fd 1 Bookstores
Fd 2 Brazil
Fd 3 B.Y.U.
Fd 4 Brooke, Tal “When the World Will be as One: The coming of the New World Order...”
Fd 5 Brown, Rosemary
Fd 6 Bucher, Robert W.
Fd 7 Business Fraud in Utah
Fd 8 Cartoons
Fd 9 Catholic Church
Fd 10 Census 1980 - Advance Reports
Fd 11 Chick, Jack
Box 6
Fd 1 Chile - File 1
Fd 2 Chile - File 2
Fd 3 Chile - Newspaper Clippings
Fd 4 China State Construction Engineering Corps
Fd 5 Christian Inquirer
Fd 6 Church of Armageddon
Fd 7 Churches - Directories
Fd 8 Churches - Labels
Fd 9 Churches - Supporting
Fd 10 CIA/FBI
Fd 11 Claudin, William A.
Fd 12 Cleaver, Eldridge
Fd 13 Coe Family
Fd 14 Computer
Fd 15 conference Locations
Fd 16 C.O.N.S.E.R.V.E. Corporation
Fd 17 Constitution
Box 7
Fd 1 Copyright Protection R34
Fd 2 Cozad, Adrian “Why I Recorded the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony”
Fd 3 Crowther, Duane S. “Recognizing Techniques of Deception In Anti-Mormon Literature.”
Fd 4 Cults - Billy Graham - Defining Cults
Fd 5 Cults - Bible Students
Fd 6 Cults - General
Fd 7 Cults - Rajneesh
Fd 8 Cults - Local Church
Fd 9 Cults - Community Chapel
Fd 10 Cults - General
Fd 11 Cults - Newspaper Clippings
Fd 12 Cults - Symposium, San Diego 1982
Fd 13 Cults - Martin, Walter, “The New Cults”
Fd 14 Curses
Fd 15 Dann, Moshe Dr.
Fd 16 Dead Sea Scrolls
Fd 17 Decker, Dennis
Fd 18 Decker, Jeff
Fd 19 Decker, John - Application for Rhema...
Fd 20 Decker - Excommunication Letter
Fd 21 Decker - License to Minister
Fd 22 Derek’s Notes - Irenaeus/Oriegen
Fd 23 Demon Possession
Fd 24 Dewitt, Aaron
Fd 25 Dewitt Letter Responses
Fd 26 Dialogue - This People
Fd 27 Didache: The Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles
Fd 28 Difference
Box 8
Fd 1 Directory - Utah Churches and Related Institutions
Fd 2 Directory - Washington D.C., 1984
Fd 3 Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Fd 4 Donors
Fd 5 Duck Book
Fd 6 Dungeons and Dragons
Fd 7 Economics
Fd 8 Elliot, Peter - RLDS
Fd 9 Endorsements
Fd 10 Ensign Articles
Fd 11 ERA
Fd 12 Eternal Progression
Fd 13 Eternal Security
Fd 14 Evangelist - Jimmy Swaggart on Mormonism
Fd 15 Ex-Mormon Correspondence - File 1
Fd 16 Ex-Mormon Correspondence - File 2
Fd 17 Ex-Mormons for Jesus - Original Advertisement Copy
Fd 18 Exorcism of Demons
Fd 19 Exponent II - 9:4
Box 9: Excommunication Files
Fd 1 Asking for Excommunication - Sample Letter
Fd 2 Ed Decker to Victor L. Brown
Fd 3 Excommunication Letters - McConkie Letter - Neely Court
Fd 4 Gossett, William Pratt
Fd 5 Master - Excommunication
Fd 6 Resignation Letters File 1
Fd 7 Requests to have name removed
Fd 8 Requests to have name removed
Fd 9 Requests to have name removed
Fd 10 Requests to have name removed
Box 10
Fd 1 Ex-Reorganized Latter-Day Saints
Fd 2 Ex-Reorganized Latter-Day Saints
Fd 3 Ex-Reorganized Latter-Day Saints
Fd 4 Ex-Reorganized Latter-Day Saints
Fd 5 Falwell, Jerry - The Moral Majority
Fd 6 Feilds, Stan
Fd 7 Fiery Darts File
Fd 8 Films
Fd 9 Finland
Fd 10 First Vision
Fd 11 Fitzgerald, John W.
Fd 12 Form Letters - File 1
Fd 13 Form Letters - File 2
Box 11: Freemasonry
Fd 1 Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry
Fd 2 Booklets of Masonic Lodges
Fd 3 Decker, Edward
Fd 4 Deseret Language
Fd 5 Epperson, Ralph
Fd 6 Freemasonry
Fd 7 Freemasonry File 1
Fd 8 Freemasonry File 2
Fd 9 Freemason’s Guide to the Symbolic Degrees
Fd 10 Grand Chapter of Tennessee Royal Arch Masons
Fd 11 Great Teachings of Masonry, Haywood, H.L.
Box 12: Freemasonry
Fd 1 Hogan, Mervin B. “The Founding Minutes of Nauvoo..”
Fd 2 Masonic Manual and Code - Free and Accepted Masons of Georgia
Fd 3 Masonic Information Misc.
Fd 4 Masonic Rituals
Fd 5 Masonry Letter
Fd 6 Masonry - Sweden
Fd 7 Medal of Honor - Masonic Connection
Fd 8 Order of the Anaranth
Fd 9 Royal Order of Jesters
Box 13: Anti-Freemasonry
Fd 1 A Ritual of Freemasonry by Avery Allyn
Fd 2 Freemasonry: The Cult of Cults
Fd 3 Grady, Lee “The Power Behind Freemasonry”
Fd 4 Hogan, Mervin B.
Fd 5 “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ not ‘Mah Haw Bone’” - Anonymous Article
Fd 6 Lutheran Stand Against Freemasonry
Fd 7 Morgans Freemasonry Exposed and Explained
Box 14: Freeman Institute
Fd 1 Freeman Institute - File 1
Fd 2 Freeman Institute - File 2
Fd 3 Freeman Institute - File 3
Fd 4 Freeman Institute - File 4
Fd 5 Freeman Institute
Fd 6 Freeman Institute
Fd 7 Freeman Institute
Fd 8 Freeman Institute - John Birch Society
Fd 9 Freeman Institute - Mormon Plan for America
Fd 10 Freeman Institute - United Order Publications
Box 15
Fd 1 Fraser, Gordon - Publisher
Fd 2 Fraternities
Fd 3 Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International
Fd 4 Friberg, Arnold “The Prayer at Valley Forge”
Fd 5 Garments - Robes of the Holy Priesthood
Fd 6 Garn, R. Jay
Fd 7 Gaylon, H.V.
Fd 8 Glass Looker
Fd 9 Geneology
Fd 10 Glint (Gospel Literature International) Portuguese Translations of Decker Tracts
Fd 11 Godhead
Fd 12 God Makers - Award of Merit
Fd 13 God Makers - Jeremiah Films
Fd 15 God Makers - Transcripts
Fd 16 God - Mormon Doctrine
Fd 17 God “The Development of the Mormon Jehovah Doctrine,” 1830-1916
Box 16
Fd 1 God’s Helper - Adam
Fd 2 Golden Plates Story
Fd 3 “Good Mormons”
Fd 4 Gothard, Bill
Fd 5 Government Lists - Mormons in Federal Government
Fd 6 Graham, Billy - Secret Formula
Fd 7 Hansen, Evan
Fd 8 Harvest House Publishers
Fd 9 Haywood, Trevor - Biblical Inerrancy
Fd 10 Headship
Fd 11 Heavenly Mother
Fd 12 Hell Upon Earth - Reprint of 1884 book
Fd 13 Helland, Dean
Fd 14 Helland, Dean
Fd 15 Holiday
Fd 16 “Holiness to the Lord” - a Mormon Temple worker asks some questions
Fd 17 Holy Spirit
Fd 18 Home Teaching - Seattle Washington Stake Plan
Fd 19 Hunt, Dave
Fd 20 Hunt, Dave “Journey to Kolob”
Fd 21 Hunt, Cave - The Cult Explosion
Box 17: Hoffman, Mark
Fd 1 News clippings
Fd 2 News clippings
Fd 3 News clippings
Fd 4 News clippings
Fd 5 News clippings
Fd 6 News clippings
Box 18
Fd 1 Inerrancy of the Bible
Fd 2 Insurance Benefits - West
Fd 3 Intercristo
Fd 4 Islam
Fd 5 Israel - B.Y.U. Jerusalem Center
Fd 6 Israel - B.Y.U. Jerusalem Center
Fd 7 Israel - B.Y.U. Jerusalem Center
Fd 8 Israel - B.Y.U. Jerusalem Center
Fd 9 Israel - File 1
Fd 10 Israel - File 2
Fd 11 Israel - File 3
Fd 12 Israel - File 4
Fd 13 Issaquah Bible Fellowship - Faith, Hope, and Love
Box 19
Fd 1 Jehovah’s Witness - File 1
Fd 2 Jehovah’s Witness - File 2
Fd 3 Jehovah’s Witness - File 3
Fd 4 Jehovah’s Witness - File 4
Fd 5 Jesus Only - Cult
Box 20
Fd 1 Jewish Heritage - The Messiah
Fd 2 Judaism
Fd 3 Judaism
Fd 4 KANN Christian Radio
Fd 5 Kelly, Tom
Fd 6 Kimball, Spencer W. - Obituary