Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times
Encyclopedia
The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times is a Mormon fundamentalist sect
headquartered in northern Mexico
that was founded in 1955 by Joel LeBaron
and members of his family.
, had been involved with Mormon fundamentalist leader Joseph White Musser since 1936. In 1944, the LeBarons 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, the LeBarons associated themselves with Rulon C. Allred
's Apostolic United Brethren
in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
On 21 September 1955, Joel LeBaron
and his brothers Ross and Floren visited Salt Lake City, Utah
, and there organized the Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, with Joel being ordained President of the Church, with Floren as first counselor in the First Presidency
and Ross as head patriarch. Shortly thereafter, Joel reported being visited by nineteen former prophet
s, including Jesus
, Abraham
, Moses
, Elijah, and Joseph Smith, Jr. Joel LeBaron claimed his priesthood line of authority from his father Alma, who had been ordained by Alma's grandfather Benjamin F. Johnson
, who had received the priesthood from Joseph Smith. LeBaron invited Allred and his followers to join their new organization, but their invitation was rejected.
In early 1956, the LeBaron brothers returned to Chihuahua. Their father Alma and brother Ervil
became the fourth and fifth members of the new church; their mother Maude also eventually joined. Several months later, Ervil LeBaron published a pamphlet titled Priesthood Expounded, which became a foundational text for the church.
in Provo, Utah
, and outside the gates of Temple Square
in Salt Lake City. The church's pamphlet Priesthood Expounded and other tracts became instrumental in the conversion of nine LDS Church missionaries
of the church's French
Mission
to the LeBaron church, an incident that has been described as the "worst missionary apostasy in the history of the [LDS] Church".
In August 1972, Ervil LeBaron and his followers established the rival Church of the Lamb of God. Ervil began teaching his followers that he was the "One Mighty and Strong
" prophesied of in the Doctrine and Covenants
, and he prophesied that "Joel will be put to death". On 20 August 1972, Joel LeBaron was shot in the head by one of Ervil's followers. Joel was succeeded by his brother Verlan, who was killed in an automobile accident in 1981.
; San Diego, California
, Central America
, as well as a large number in Salt Lake City, UT.
Sect
A sect is a group with distinctive religious, political or philosophical beliefs. Although in past it was mostly used to refer to religious groups, it has since expanded and in modern culture can refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and...
headquartered in northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
that was founded in 1955 by Joel LeBaron
Joel LeBaron
Joel Franklin LeBaron was a leader in the Mormon fundamentalist movement in northern Mexico. He was murdered by a member or members of a rival church which was headed by his brother Ervil LeBaron.-Early life:...
and members of his family.
Establishment
The LeBaron family, led by Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr.Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr.
Alma Dayer LeBaron, Sr. was a Mormon fundamentalist who was the father of a number of leaders and church founders in Mormon fundamentalism.LeBaron was generally known as 'Dayer LeBaron' and was the grandson of Benjamin F. Johnson...
, had been involved with Mormon fundamentalist leader Joseph White Musser since 1936. In 1944, the LeBarons were excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for teaching and practicing plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. For the next 11 years, the LeBarons associated themselves with Rulon C. Allred
Rulon C. Allred
Rulon Clark Allred was a homeopathic physician and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, United States...
's Apostolic United Brethren
Apostolic United Brethren
The Apostolic United Brethren is a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist church within the Latter Day Saint movement. The sect is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
On 21 September 1955, Joel LeBaron
Joel LeBaron
Joel Franklin LeBaron was a leader in the Mormon fundamentalist movement in northern Mexico. He was murdered by a member or members of a rival church which was headed by his brother Ervil LeBaron.-Early life:...
and his brothers Ross and Floren visited Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, and there organized the Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, with Joel being ordained President of the Church, with Floren as first counselor in the First Presidency
First Presidency
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency was the highest governing body in the Latter Day Saint church established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1832, and is the highest governing body of several modern Latter Day Saint denominations...
and Ross as head patriarch. Shortly thereafter, Joel reported being visited by nineteen former prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
s, including Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
, Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, Elijah, and Joseph Smith, Jr. Joel LeBaron claimed his priesthood line of authority from his father Alma, who had been ordained by Alma's grandfather Benjamin F. Johnson
Benjamin F. Johnson
Benjamin Franklin Johnson was an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a member of the Council of Fifty....
, who had received the priesthood from Joseph Smith. LeBaron invited Allred and his followers to join their new organization, but their invitation was rejected.
In early 1956, the LeBaron brothers returned to Chihuahua. Their father Alma and brother Ervil
Ervil LeBaron
Ervil Morrell LeBaron was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, using the religious doctrine of blood atonement to justify the murders...
became the fourth and fifth members of the new church; their mother Maude also eventually joined. Several months later, Ervil LeBaron published a pamphlet titled Priesthood Expounded, which became a foundational text for the church.
Missionary work
The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times is one of the few Mormon fundamentalist churches to have engaged in active proselytization. While most of their efforts have been focused on attracting Mormon fundamentalists from other groups to join their group, missionaries of the church have preached and distributed tracts at the LDS Church strongholds of Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
in Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, and outside the gates of Temple Square
Temple Square
Temple Square is a ten acre complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square...
in Salt Lake City. The church's pamphlet Priesthood Expounded and other tracts became instrumental in the conversion of nine LDS Church missionaries
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
of the church's French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
to the LeBaron church, an incident that has been described as the "worst missionary apostasy in the history of the [LDS] Church".
Schism and murder
By 1962, Ervil LeBaron was the Presiding Patriarch of the church and number two in authority to Joel LeBaron. By 1967 he was teaching that he, not Joel, was the proper head of the church. Joel and other leaders of the church denounced Ervil and released him from his position.In August 1972, Ervil LeBaron and his followers established the rival Church of the Lamb of God. Ervil began teaching his followers that he was the "One Mighty and Strong
One Mighty and Strong
One Mighty and Strong is a person of unknown identity who was the subject of an 1832 prophecy by Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, echoing the words and prophecy of Isaiah 28:2. The One Mighty and Strong was said by Smith to be one who would "set in order the house of...
" prophesied of in the Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
, and he prophesied that "Joel will be put to death". On 20 August 1972, Joel LeBaron was shot in the head by one of Ervil's followers. Joel was succeeded by his brother Verlan, who was killed in an automobile accident in 1981.
Current status
The church continues to exist in Chihuahua. It has under a thousand members all together in Chihuahua; Los Molinos, Baja CaliforniaBaja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
; San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, as well as a large number in Salt Lake City, UT.
See also
- Factional breakdown: Mormon fundamentalist sects
- Benjamin LeBaronBenjamin LeBaronBenjamín "Benji" Franklin LeBaron Ray was an anti-crime activist and community leader in a fundamentalist Latter Day Saint community in Colonia LeBaron, Galeana, Chihuahua, Mexico, who had founded the advocacy group SOS Chihuahua...
- Mormon fundamentalism
- List of Mormon fundamentalist churches
- List of Mormon fundamentalist leaders