Jacob Vidrine discusses LeBaron succession! You may have heard of Ervil, Joel, and Ross LeBaron. Who took charge after Alma Dayer LeBaron died? Check out our conversation….
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LeBaron Divide: Priesthood, Power, & Struggle for the Birthright
When the name LeBaron is mentioned in discussions of Mormon fundamentalism, often the first person who comes to mind is the notorious Ervil LeBaron, a murderer who had a hit list and was a murderer and died in jail. However, the complex history of the LeBaron family and their unique claims to priesthood authority—separate from most other fundamentalist groups like the FLDS, AUB, and Woolley-ites—reveals a fascinating succession crisis rooted deep in Nauvoo-era doctrine.
We will discuss how the LeBarons obtained their distinct authority and how their patriarch’s death fractured the family into multiple competing groups across Utah and Mexico.
Peculiar Lineage: Tracing Authority to Benjamin F. Johnson
Unlike the majority of fundamentalists who trace their authority back to the 1886 revelation received by John Taylor (the Woolley line), the LeBaron authority stems from a different source. This lineage is traced to Benjamin F. Johnson, a close friend of Joseph Smith and a member of the secretive Council of 50.
The LeBaron authority claim relies on the concept of the “fullness of the priesthood” or the “highest order of the priesthood,” authority that Joseph Smith introduced in Nauvoo. This highest order involved making men “kings and priests” and conferring the sealing power. Johnson, who emphasized his role as the “last living original member of the Council of 50,” taught that Joseph Smith authorized him to teach these keys—plural marriage, endowments, garments, and the second anointing—to others when led by the Holy Spirit.
This unique priesthood was considered “above the church,” creating an authority that “no tribunal in the church could control.” Johnson, near his death (circa 1903-1905), charged his grandson, Alma Dayer “Dayer” LeBaron Sr., to carry on this special family birthright and the work of the kingdom.Hesitant Patriarch and the Failed Succession
Dayer LeBaron Sr., born in 1886, entered into plural marriage in the 1920s and moved his family to Mexico to escape prosecution, spending the rest of his life carving out a homestead there. Due to his secretive nature (leading to the nickname “The Silent Prophet”) and the mental decline of his intended firstborn successor, Benjamin. Dayer was hesitant to teach his younger children about his specific authority claims.
By 1950, Dayer’s health was failing rapidly; he was bedridden, suffering from paralysis, and could barely communicate. This severe decline set the stage for a succession crisis, as Dayer maintained that he could not appoint a successor “until the Holy Ghost tells me who to appoint.”
The resulting conflict split the family authority claims into three main groups:
- Benjamin (Ben): The oldest son, who had experienced mental episodes and claimed to be “the one mighty and strong,” attempted to coax a blessing from his dying father, causing distress among the family.
- Joel LeBaron: One of the younger sons living in Mexico, Joel was told that the birthright was his “if I don’t give it to one of the other boys.” This vague pronouncement was hardly a solid foundation for leadership.
- Ross Wesley LeBaron (Wesley): The second oldest son, who spent most of his life ministering in Utah, had already received a patriarchal blessing from his father in 1950, conferring keys of the patriarchal order of priesthood (the keys restored by Moses, Elias, and Elijah in Kirtland.) Ross was prevented from traveling to his father’s deathbed in Mexico because he was under bond in Utah related to polygamy.
Ross claimed he received a revelation urging him not to ask for the “birthright” title, but instead to ask for a “commission to carry on the patriarchal work.” This revelation emphasized a key tenet of his ministry: “the honor is in the work, not the title.”
The Split: Utah vs. Mexico LeBaron Succession
Dayer LeBaron ultimately died in 1951 without clearly naming a successor.
The lack of clear leadership led to an immediate schism:
- Ross LeBaron in Utah: Ross stood on the independent authority he had been commissioned to carry on and began proclaiming himself as the successor, claiming he had received the voice of the spirit telling him the patriarchal work was now on his shoulders. He established his group simply as The Church of the Firstborn.
- The Mexico LeBarons: Joel, Ervil, and Alma Jr. (the Mexico sons) initially failed to accept their father’s priesthood authority fully. They reached out to the broader fundamentalist community, inviting Margarito Bautista to come organize them. They sustained Bautista and accepted the leadership of Rulon Allred (the proto-AUB group) for several years, from 1951 up to 1955.
- Joel’s Church: In 1955, Joel split off from the AUB/Woolley influence to found The Church of the Firstborn in the Fullness of Times in Mexico, which grew to a significant size, peaking at several thousand members.
- The Violent End: Joel’s success was tragically cut short when Ervil LeBaron, who was Joel’s second-in-command, had a schism with Joel, leading to Ervil being excommunicated. Ervil went on to found the Church of the Lamb of God and committed the terrible acts of violence and murder that brought the LeBaron name infamy. Ervil was responsible for not only his brother Joel’s death, but Rulon Allred as well.
The history of the LeBarons illustrates how complex foundational priesthood claims, combined with vague successions and sibling rivalries, led to divergent paths—one emphasizing ministry (Ross) and others ending in notoriety and violence (Ervil.)
Don’t miss our other conversations with Jacob: https://gospeltangents.com/people/jacob-vidrine
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission
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