Certificate of Proxy Sealing to Ross LeBaron, n.d.

Titled Certification of Marriage in the Holy Order of God – Patriarchal, this certificate was intended to serve as a record of marital sealings performed by proxy . It was supposed to list the name of the deceased woman being sealed to Ross LeBaron, the officiator and the person acting as proxy. It interestingly includesContinueContinue reading “Certificate of Proxy Sealing to Ross LeBaron, n.d.”

The LeBaron Family and The Patriarchal Keys

“It is true that the LeBaron Brothers have committed a lot of crimes, but so did the sons of Jacob”, wrote Ross LeBaron a few years after the death of his brother Ervil [1]. In Ross LeBaron’s perspective, even in the worst actions taken by his brother, the LeBarons would fit the ancient Israelite narrativeContinueContinue reading “The LeBaron Family and The Patriarchal Keys”

Thelma Cox LeBaron in the News, 1949

After divorcing Ross Wesley LeBaron in 1948, Thelma Elena Cox LeBaron made some headlines looking for a new husband. “Mrs. LeBaron would like to get a new husband to help support the home and her children so she can find some time to paint”, stated a front page report in the Salt Lake Telegram, inContinueContinue reading “Thelma Cox LeBaron in the News, 1949”

Was Ross LeBaron a Mormon Fundamentalist?

“I have been associated with the Fundamentalists since 1936” – Ross Wesley LeBaron wrote to Fundamentalist leader Margarito Bautista in December 1958 – “but have stood a hundred percent on my own feet.”[1] Almost 27 years later, LeBaron would give a more detailed – and probably more honest – account of his early association withContinueContinue reading “Was Ross LeBaron a Mormon Fundamentalist?”

Ross LeBaron: Priesthood Expounded, 1985

Priesthood Expounded is the last tract published by Ross LeBaron during his lifetime. It contains, among other themes, his views on the different orders of the priesthood, his belief in the Adam-God doctrine and reincarnation, as well as an explanation of the coming of Elijah to the Nauvoo temple, an event LeBaron believed was essentialContinueContinue reading “Ross LeBaron: Priesthood Expounded, 1985”

Baptismal and Ordination Certificates

These are two certificates of The Church of the First-Born. We haven’t been able to determine the date of these documents or for how long they were used by Ross Wesley LeBaron and his followers.

Edsil Allred: Patriarchal Blessing of Ross LeBaron, 1934

This patriarchal blessing received by Ross LeBaron at age 19 is the first of two recorded blessings he obtained from LDS stake patriarchs. A mimeograph copy of the blessing printed by Ross LeBaron was given to Mormon collector James Wardle and can be seen or downloaded here. Transcript Central, Arizona   February 9, 1934 Blessing, givenContinueContinue reading “Edsil Allred: Patriarchal Blessing of Ross LeBaron, 1934”

Ross LeBaron: Brigham Young Speaks, 1975

Published by Ross W. LeBaron in 1975, the pamphlet Brigham Young Speaks was a compilation of statements on the Adam-God doctrine, without editorial comments. It was the product of Fred Collier’s research, then an adopted son of Ross LeBaron. Later, Collier republished the pamphlet under his name with the title Adam-God in a Nutshell. InContinueContinue reading “Ross LeBaron: Brigham Young Speaks, 1975”

Articles of Faith of the Church of the Firstborn

ARTICLES OF FAITH of THE CHURCH OF THE FIRST-BORN 1. We believe in Michael, the Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, and in Joseph Smith, the Witness or Testator. 2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam`s transgression; for He partook of mortality, that He mightContinueContinue reading “Articles of Faith of the Church of the Firstborn”

Ross LeBaron: Open Letter to Francis M. Darter, 1968

Francis M. Darter (1881-1968) was a prolific Mormon Fundamentalist writer. Among the beliefs he espoused was Pyramidology, which proposed that the Great Pyramid of Giza was a “Bible in stone”, setting dates, through its measures, for the most important events in human history. Such beliefs seem to have been influential on Ross W. LeBaron, as theContinueContinue reading “Ross LeBaron: Open Letter to Francis M. Darter, 1968”