Jacob Vidrine tells how authority transferred from Benjamin F Johnson in Nauvoo to Alma Dayer LeBaron and the LeBaron groups. Check out our conversation...

The LeBaron authority line, originating from Benjamin F. Johnson, is like a secret royal charter given directly by the king (Joseph Smith) to a trusted advisor, authorizing him to establish a new subsidiary branch of the kingdom. While other fundamentalist lines (Woolleyites) claim authority based on a later, more public decree (John Taylor's revelation), the LeBaron claim bypasses that decree entirely, asserting that they hold the direct, foundational keys passed down in private, reserved councils from the original founder, allowing them to continue the highest work of the kingdom regardless of later organizational changes.

0:00 Succession Crisis
11:15 End of Council of 50
19:45 Ben Johnson Ordains Grandsons
25:56 Ervil, Joel, Ross, & Dayer LeBaron
37:38 Woolley-ite Split

Don’t miss our other conversations with Jacob: https://gospeltangents.com/people/jacob-vidrine

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When most people, particularly those familiar with the history of the Latter-day Saint (LDS) Church, think of Mormon fundamentalism, their minds often drift immediately to groups like the FLDS or the AUB, tracing their origins back to the Lorin Woolley story. These groups represent 80 to 90% of fundamentalists who trace their authority back to the story of John Taylor receiving an 1886 revelation to keep plural marriage alive.

However, the history of fundamentalism is far more complex, encompassing groups like the Kingstons and the LeBarons, who assert a distinct and separate line of authority. The LeBaron family lineage, from which the Church of the Firstborn descends, presents one of the most peculiar and historically rich claims in fundamentalist Mormonism, tracing its authority back to the Nauvoo period of Joseph Smith’s ministry.

The LeBaron name often carries stigma due to Ervil LeBaron, who led the Church of the Lamb of God and was a convicted murderer. This historical exploration focuses on the lineage claimed by the Ross LeBaron line, or "Firstborners," who are not associated with Ervil’s violence.
Roots of LeBaron Authority: Nauvoo Priesthood
To understand the LeBaron claim, one must examine the higher orders of priesthood introduced by Joseph Smith in Nauvoo. This era saw the introduction of new temple rituals, doctrines pertaining to godhood, and work for the dead. Central to this was the concept of the "fullness of the priesthood" or "highest order of the Melchizedek Priesthood," associated with making men and women kings and priests and queens and priestesses.

Joseph Smith taught that this authority derived from keys restored in the Kirtland Temple by Moses, Elias, and Elijah. Statements from the time suggest that those who received this highest authority—such as the second anointing—held the potential to restore the entire church and kingdom, possessing power to officiate in any office from the lowest to the highest. This higher authority was sometimes referred to as patriarchal priesthood.

This higher order was perceived as priesthood above the church. During the trial of Sidney Rigdon, for example, Heber C. Kimball stated that Rigdon, despite being a member of the First Presidency, did not hold the same "higher authority" possessed by more than 30 other men. This higher authority may have referred to members of the Anointed Quorum or the Co...

Let’s look into the unique authority claims of the Church of the Firstborn, also often referred to by the term Ross LeBaron-ite. They claim authority through the Council of 50 in Nauvoo! This group represents an interesting fundamentalist branch because its line of authority is distinct from the majority of other fundamentalist groups, such as the FLDS and AUB, who primarily trace their authority through the Lorin Woolley story.

https://youtu.be/HeX3jEvK0FQ

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Three Lines of Fundamentalist Authority
Most Mormon fundamentalists—around 80% to 90%—trace their priesthood origin story back to the Lorin Woolley story. This story holds that John Taylor received an 1886 revelation telling him that plural marriage was never to be taken from the earth, leading him to set apart men (including Woolley) to keep the practice alive separate from the church911.

The LeBarons, along with the Kingston group, represent authority claims that are separate from this dominant Woolley line. While the Kingstons claim a "new dispensation" or visitation by messengers to confer authority, the LeBarons trace their authority back to Benjamin F. Johnson and the Nauvoo era, which often sounds like "probably the most peculiar out of any fundamentalist claim.”
Peculiar Priesthood Claim: Nauvoo Roots & Council of 50
To understand the LeBaron claim, one must examine the "higher orders of priesthood" introduced by Joseph Smith during the Nauvoo period.

This higher authority was often referred to as the fullness of the priesthood or the highest order of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which entailed being ordained a king and a priest. This authority was conferred through temple ordinances administered to select close followers, initially in the Anointed Quorum (or Holy Order) and later related to the Council of 50.
Key points regarding this Nauvoo priesthood include:

* Authority Above the Church: Some interpretations of this higher priesthood held that it constituted an authority that "no tribunal in the church could control.” Heber C. Kimball noted that there were "more than 30 men who have got higher authority" than Sidney Rigdon, a member of the First Presidency.
* Independent Sealing Power: Joseph Smith's brother, William Smith, claimed that because of his ordinations as a priest and king, he held "as many sealing keys as could possibly belong to Brigham Young.” This concept suggests that individuals with this "fullness" received the sealing power and could exercise it independent of the presiding keyholder, a view that contrasts with the one-man doctrine articulated by Brigham Young.
* The Council of 50: Joseph Smith organized this body shortly before his death. While often viewed as a political body, historical sources suggest it was intended to be a presiding priesthood/governmental body. Benjamin F. Johnson, the link in the LeBaron lineage, was one of the men added to the Council of 50 in March 1844.

From Johnson to LeBaron
The LeBaron authority is rooted in the claims of Benjamin F. Johnson, who was a close friend of Joseph Smith. Johnson claimed that Joseph taught him about plural marriage, endowments, garments, and the second anointing, and authorized him "to teach it to others when I'm led to when I'm led to do so.” Johnson emphasized in his later writings that he was the "last living original member of the Council of 50.”

Alma Dayer LeBaron Sr.

I'm excited to introduce Jacob Vidrine, a member of Church of the Firstborn. This is a group that is part of the LeBaron fundamentalist group. Jacob is a human encyclopedia of Mormn fundamentalism, and we're going to dive deep into how the LeBaron group cross-pollinates with other fundamentalist groups. Check it out!

0:00 Intro LeBaron Family
4:16 Lorin Woolley Authority Claims
15:20 Kingston & LeBaron Claims
19:18 High Priest Apostles
21:05 Sidney Rigdon Trial
23:53 2nd Anointing-Patriarchal Succession

For more info on Mormon fundamentalism: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/fundamentalim/

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Gospel Tangents

All Rights Reserved

Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission.

When discussing Mormon Fundamentalism, most people—especially members of the LDS Church—immediately think of the FLDS or AUB (Apostolic United Brethren). These groups largely trace their origin back to the authority line popularized by Lorin Woolley. However, there is a fascinating and often misunderstood branch of fundamentalism that descends from a completely different line of authority: the LeBarons. As a helpful overview of this distinctive lineage, we spoke with Jacob Vidrine of the Church of the Firstborn, sometimes colloquially referred to as Ross LeBaron-ites.

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The LeBaron Divide: Ross vs. Ervil
The name LeBaron often carries a dark stigma, primarily due to the terrible acts committed by Ervil LeBaron, who was a murderer and died in jail. It is important to note that Vidrine is not associated with Ervil's group6....

The LeBaron family, descending from patriarch Alma Dayer LeBaron Sr. ("Dayer"), primarily split into two main groups:

* The Mexico LeBarons: Started by younger son Joel LeBaron in 1955 as the "Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Times." Joel's church grew significantly before the violent schism with Ervil.
* The Ross LeBaron Line (Church of the Firstborn): Ross LeBaron, the second oldest son, separated and spent his ministry largely in the Utah area, minimizing affiliation with the strife and violence that occurred down in Mexico. Ross's movement is the one Jacob Vidrine is associated with.

Authority: Woolley’s 1886 Revelation vs. The LeBaron Lineage
Approximately 80% to 90% of fundamentalists trace their priesthood authority back to the Lorin Woolley story. This claim rests on the assertion that John Taylor received a revelation in 1886 confirming that plural marriage should never be removed from the earth, after which he set apart men (including Woolley) to keep the practice alive.

Historically, however, the LeBarons and Kingstons maintain a distinct authority claim. The LeBaron claim is deemed by some to be "the most peculiar out of any fundamentalist claim", as it bypasses the 1886 revelation entirely and goes straight back to the Nauvoo era through Benjamin F. Johnson.
Johnson Connection & Birthright
Benjamin F. Johnson was a close friend of Joseph Smith and was one of the men added to the Council of 50 in March 1844. Johnson was heavily invested in the secretive Nauvoo doctrines and claimed that Joseph Smith taught him about plural marriage, the endowment, garments, and the second anointing. Crucially, Johnson claimed that Joseph Smith authorized him "to teach this to others when I'm was led to when I'm led to do" by the Holy Spirit.

Alma Dayer LeBaron, the patriarch of the LeBaron family, was Benjamin F.