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| Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times | |
|---|---|
| Type | Latter Day Saint movement |
| Classification | Mormon fundamentalism |
| Theology | Nontrinitarian |
| Governance | Hierarchical |
| Headquarters | Colonia LeBarón, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Founder | Joel LeBaron |
| Origin | September 21, 1955 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Branched from | Apostolic United Brethren and mainstream LDS Church |
| 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')[1] Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God (founded by Ervil LeBaron, 1972)[2] Informal schisms: Unknown |
| Number of followers | "A few hundred" in Chihuahua and as many in the Salt Lake City area[3] to, perhaps, 1,000[4] |
| Other name(s) | Church of the Firstborn, or "LeBaron group" |
| Publications | Thus Joel taught. 1983. Church Of The Firstborn Of The Fulness Of Times, Ingólfur Guðbrandsson (2008). Thus saith the Lord. ISBN 9780615213903. |
| 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 |
| Branched from | Apostolic United Brethren and mainstream LDS Church |
| 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. Vol. 1–18 (+?). ISBN 9780934964425. |
| Official website | Church-of-the-Firstborn.org |
The Church of the Firstborn (or the "LeBarón family") is a grouping of competing factions of a Mormon fundamentalist religious lineage inherited, adherents believe, by a polygamous family community that had settled in Chihuahua, Mexico, by Alma Dayer LeBaron Sr. by 1924.
Factions accepting leadership succession by some of Alma Dayer LeBaron Sr.'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 LeBarón in the 1950s. Especially in more recent years, it is a minor segment of the order that engages in the practice of polygamy.[5]
A substantial fraction of residents residing on and nearby order members' landholdings at Colonia LeBarón 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). A community that has inter-married but separate beliefs to Colonia LeBarón's is a three-hour drive away in rancho La Mora, 150 full-time residents strong, in Sonora.[6][7]
- ^ Wright, Lyle O. (1963). "Origins and Development of the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times" (Master's thesis). p. 40.
- ^ Baer, Hans A. (1988). Recreating Utopia in the Desert: A Sectarian Challenge to Modern Mormonism. State University of New York Press. p. 35. ISBN 9780887066818.
- ^ Bennion, Janet (2012). Polygamy in Primetime: Media, Gender, and Politics in Mormon Fundamentalism. UPNE. p. 43. ISBN 9781611682960.
- ^ Fagen, Jennifer Lara; Wright, Stuart A. (2004). "Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Empowerment in Mormon Fundamentalist Communities". Sexuality and New Religious Movements. Palgrave Macmillan US. p. 9–28. doi:10.1057/9781137386434_2. ISBN 978-1-349-68146-4.
Infighting over who would lead the group led the LeBarons to officially split from the AUB and create the Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times, which is now known as the LeBaron Group (Bennion 2011a). The membership of the LeBaron Group is approximately 1,000
- ^ Booth, William (July 23, 2009). "Drug Cartels Target Mormon Clans in Mexico". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Commentary: A Tribune reporter's account of covering the killings of U.S. Citizens in Mexico".
- ^ "'I'll Never Come Back': Massacre Shatters U.S. Community in Mexico - WSJ". Wall Street Journal. 12 November 2019.