Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times
| Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times |
|
|---|---|
| Theology | |
| Governance | Hierarchical |
| Headquarters | Colonia Le Baron, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Founder | Joel LeBaron |
| Origin | 21 September 1955 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Separations | Church of the Firstborn (Rival entity founded by Ross Wesley LeBaron, December 1955. By 1962 its missionary work subsumed to a degree into that of the Fulness of Times') Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God (founded by Ervil LeBaron, 1972) Informal schisms: Unknown |
| Number of followers | "A few hundred" in Chihuahua and as many in the Salt Lake City area to, perhaps, 1,000 |
| Other name(s) | Church of the Firstborn, or "LeBaron group" |
| Publications |
Thus Joel taught. 1983. Thus saith the Lord. 2008. |
| Church of the Firstborn (Ross Wesley LeBaron's and mutually rival successors) |
|
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Originally Salt Lake City, Utah (present headquarters disputed) |
| Founder | Ross Wesley LeBaron |
| Origin | December 1955 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Number of followers | Unknown. (Note: Includes a hundred or more in Collier group; additional number in Green group) |
| Other name(s) | "Order of God," "Collier group," "Green group" etc. |
| Publications | Doctrine of the priesthood. vols. 1–18 (+?). |
| Official website | Church-of-the-Firstborn.org |
| Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God |
|
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Los Molinos, Baja California, Mexico |
| Founder | Ervil LeBaron |
| Origin |
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Separated from | Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times |
| Number of followers | Unknown, may have a few adherents in Los Molinos, Baja California, and elsewhere |
The Church of the Firstborn (or, the "LeBaron order") is a grouping of competing factions of a Mormon fundamentalist religious lineage inherited, adherents believe, by a polygamous Latter-day Saint family community that had settled in Chihuahua, Mexico, by Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr. by 1924. Factions accepting leadership succession by some of Dayer senior's sons self-describe as members of the Church of the Firstborn without a legally formalized organization. What became over time the most substantial faction is that of Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, often shortened as the Church of the Firstborn, which was founded in September 1955 by three of Alma's sons, Joel, R. Wesley, and Floren LeBaron. Since its founding, the order's most notable enclave has been within the jurisdiction of Galeana Municipality, Chihuahua. The LeBarons christened the LeBaron ranch Colonia Le Barón in the 1950s. Especially in more recent years, it is a minor segment of the order that engages in the actual practice of polygamy. A substantial fraction of residents residing on and nearby order members' landholdings at Colonia LeBaron are not affiliated with the order, many of them identifying themselves on census reports as Roman Catholic and most of the remainder as evangélico (Protestant).
The LeBaron family, led by Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr., affiliated with the leadership of Mormon fundamentalist leader Joseph White Musser beginning in 1936. In June 1944, five of Dayer LeBaron's sons, Alma Jr., Benjamin T., Ervil, Ross Wesley, and Joel, were excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for teaching and practicing plural marriage. For the next 11 years, a number of LeBarons associated themselves to various degrees with Rulon C. Allred's Apostolic United Brethren.
On December 9, 1957, Dayer's son Ben T. LeBaron said, wrote Samuel W. Taylor a letter saying that Ben believed himself to have received the birthright from his father and also believed Ben was to be the One Mighty and Strong of Joseph Smith's 1832 prophesy, sent to redeem LDS people from spiritual bondage.
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