I Peter Anderson, son of Anders Jacobsen and Kari Gulbrandson, was born in the Kingdom of Norway, in the Parish of Gran Hadeland, November 13, 1852. From early childhood it seemed that the destroyer was trying to get hold of me. At the age of four I fell into a deep well and was rescued … At the age of six years I fell into a deep lake and went right to the bottom … but somehow floated and scrambled ashore and was saved without any visible help.
The first eight years of my life were spent at home with my parents and I had many hardships to pass through on account of my parents being very poor, and suffered for want of food and clothing, and at the age of six had to go out from door to door to gather up a few necessities of life for the rest of the family … In the fore part of 1861 I was sent out to strangers to be taken care of, my parents being too poor to keep me at home, and for six years I passed through many hardships with those people. In the winter I slept in the stable and in the summer in some hay loft, and was neglected in every way by those having charge of me. At the age of thirteen I was herding sheep in the mountains …
In the winter of 1868 I started for a place called Ringerike, but did not know my destination when starting out on my snow skis. Going all day I came to a place called Hønefos. I worked (there) for six months, but in place of learning the trade of a dyer I was put on hauling ore from a mine to the railroad station. I finally left him and went and apprenticed myself to a country tailor ... for a year, but during that time was very restless, feeling that I wanted to get into the city, the Capital of Norway, and finally one day I gave up my employment and went to the city of Christiania. Having a sister in that city somewhere, my aim was to find her. I felt after I got to the city, that that was the height of my ambition, and my aim was to continue to learn my trade as a tailor … I worked at my trade as an apprentice boy for two and one-half years, and after that began to work as a journey-man tailor.
During all of these years I had never heard a Mormon Elder, and only once in a great while heard remarks made by others of Mormons. It did not take me long to make myself at home in my new lodging … The name of the family with which I lodged was Olson, and also a Mr. A. Hanson, who all belonged to the (Mormon)Church. Every night the family retired into an adjoining room, and this aroused my curiosity very much, I was not used to seeing anybody pray verbally, either morning or night, before.
One evening, after having retired, I asked my bedmate, who didn't belong to the Church, what kind of people they were. He told me Mr. Hanson would tell me about it and explain matters that I have never heard before. The next day was a day of preaching. At first I brought up all the arguments I could in opposition, but I was defeated every time, and finally I began to feel that there was something more in what the man told me than I had at first thought. I began to fill my heart with joy and gladness, for three weeks I was investigating very closely, and at the end of that time was quite ready for baptism, and on the 2nd day of November, 1872, I went down into the waters of baptism under the hands of an Elder by the name of Lauritz Christofferson, and on November 5th I was confirmed a member of the Church by Elder C. Shangaard and I felt exceedingly happy after having passed through those ordinances. I was certainly helped in this by Bro. A Hanson and also Elder O. J. Anderson, at present living in Castle Dale, Emery County, Utah.
I found it to be a wise thing to move out of the house and hence sought for another lodging place and found one with an Elder in the Church by the name of C.A. Christie. He being an active man in Church works, I soon became interested in the labors pertaining to a man's calling in the Church. Up to that time I had not seen the Book of Mormon. One day, in looking over a few books, I found the Book of Mormon and my curiosity was aroused immediately. Asking the Brother in the house about it, he told me that it was the book translated from the plates found in the Hill Cumorah by the Prophet Joseph. I at once threw down my work and began to read the Book of Mormon aloud to the workman and the family, and did not cease reading until I had it read throughout, every word of it, carefully and slowly. It took me nearly two days to accomplish the task, stopping only at meal time, etc. It gave me a stronger testimony of the truth of the Gospel and I became very firmly rooted in the faith, and never, for a single moment, from that day up to the present, have I ever doubted the truth of the great latter day work.
I was ordained a deacon on January 14th, 1873, and labored as a local missionary. I was ordained a priest on August 19th, 1873, and called to act as a district teacher in the city of Christiania Conference, and called to act as a regular missionary, and labored as such the greater part of my time in different parts of Norway until May, 1875. During my ministry I baptized a great number of people, many of whom have settled in Zion, and some of them are holding important positions in the church (including my own father).
On June 22nd, 1875, … I left Norway for Zion. I landed in Salt Lake City on July 22nd, 1875. I then went to Ogden, where I stayed for a short time, intending to work at my trade, but soon left for Salt Lake City and continued to work there at my trade.
I was married the latter part of September, 1875, to Marie Olson Bonnerud in the Endowment House, the Sealing being performed by Daniel H. Wells, Wilford Woodruff being witness. During the winter the work gave out and I started a foot from Salt Lake City to Coalville through Parley's Canyon, and it took me three days to get there, encountering many hardships through snow, storms, etc. I started to work at my trade in Coalville … During the following summer, of the same year, I moved to Echo and set up a small shop of my own.
In General Conference October 6th, 1878, I was called to go on a mission to Scandinavia, and on October 8th I was set apart for that mission by Wilford Woodruff and Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff being mouth, in the Old Council House. I left home with several missionaries on October 21st and arrived in Copenhagen on November 20th. I was called by N.C. Flygare, President over the Scandinavian Mission, to labor in Norway, and started at once to my field of labor. The Lord blessed me wonderfully during the time I spent in the mission field in that Land. I had the privilege of baptizing many good and honest people in different parts of the land, but I was persecuted in several places and imprisoned, and at the time of my release was imprisoned in the city of Christiania and hence was prevented from going home in company with missionaries and saints. I was released from my mission July 8th, 1880, without a cent in my pocket, having labored for nearly two years in the land of Norway without having one cent sent to me from home, traveling entirely without purse or scrip during the whole time.
I worked at my trade in Echo until March, 1881, I then moved to Ogden with my wife and two children, Alice and Maggie. On August 1st I set up business of my own.
On August 8, 1883, I married Amelia Nilson as my 2nd wife in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. The persecutions of the Latter Day Saints at that time was very bitter, and the following year I had to hide her with friends until April 1885 then we had to leave Utah and go to San Francisco, Calif, where I was working at my trade. Sept. 23, 1885 I obtained work as a cutter for Mr. Lyons on Market St. and worked for him til Feb 1889, at a good salary. We again came back to Utah, and started business in Ogden but had a great deal of trouble on account of persecution against polygamy. I was arrested on two different occasions and liberated on Bonds, but the charges were finally dismissed.
On Nov. 20th my son Peter died and on the 23rd Maggie died and on the 26th my wife died and all were buried in the Ogden City Cemetery, it was a very trying time for me but I struggled through as best I could (They died from diphtheria). I want to bear my testimony that the Lord was my help and the Spirit of God my guide, in all my troubles I had to pull through.
I was ordained a Seventy by Samuel (?) and became a member of the 53rd Quorum. In the Spring 1894 I was asked to go on a mission to Scandinavia and on Feb 8th, 1895 left home to fill that mission, and arrived in Copenhagen, March 8th and was appointed by Pres. P. Sundival to go to Norway. My native Country. I traveled around in several of the branches, and in June of the same year was appointed to take charge of the mission in Norway, and during two years of a labor I had splendid success and good health. (During this mission I baptized my mother and two nephews, Peter and Andrew, sons fo my brother John.)
I left Norway in April for Copenhagen and later left for home I was appointed Captain of the Company going home, in all 16 Elders returning and 130 Saints. The trip across the Atlantic was a trying one, about half way across we had a great storm and the shaft broke. I called all the Elders together and we all took turns and called on the Lord to help and protect us, and in 30 min. the ship floated quietly on the water and for three days during the repairing of the broken shaft we had (note inserted by Martha Kenning: a piece of paper is torn out) and in 19 days we reached (?) all feeling fine. We arrived home in Ogden in May 1st. I at once took charge of my old business which was run down to nothing.
I am glad that I have filled 3 missions also 2 years in exile during my life. Acted as home missionary in Weber Stake for 2½ years and visited every ward in the stake. I was asked to be Asst. Supt. of the Sunday School, and later on Supt. of the Mutual in the ward, which position I held for 3 years.
During the following years I was set apart as a president of the 53rd Quorum of Seventies by E.G. Fjelsted and January 13 following was ordained a High Priest and set apart as 2nd Couns. to Bishop James Wotherspoon of the Ogden 3rd Ward. Was set apart as 1st Couns. to the president of the High Priest Quorum. Was member of the Tabernacle Committee having charge of the Tabernacle makings (?). Was defeated at the election by Wm. Glassman. Will say in passing I found that those who you think were your friends are in reality your enemies. And the experience is well worth the money spent. It added to my knowledge of what men are in general, but hold no grudge against them.

Edited from Peter Andersons hand written history by his great-grand nephew Bary Gammell.