Ervil Morerel LeBaron, the “Mormon Manson,” died in a Utah prison in 1981 but his reach extends beyond the grave. Six murders were ordered by him before he died. FBI agent calls him a “voice from the dust.” LeBaron led a polygamy cult, believed he was God on earth. He believed in Mormon doctrine of “blood atonement.” (Sinners should shed their blood to save their souls.) LeBaron developed a corollary – the “Law of Liberty” – false prophets, traitors and children who did not obey would be killed. Most victims were the leaders of rival polygamist sects. He also executed 2 brothers, 3 wives and a daughter. Prosecutor – “He was insane with the lust of power.” His prison death list is called the “Book of New Covenants.” There are as many as 30,000 practicing polygamists in Utah today.
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Newsweek (page 29), And Coshocton Tribune newspaper (Ohio), Jan 29, 1988
The Singers of Marion, Utah, a polygamist clan, hold off police. Patriarch John was killed by police in 1979 when he resisted arrest for refusing to send his children to school. Raised as a Hitler youth in Nazi Germany. Wife Vickie sued state for $110 million, lost. Family bombed Mormon church, holed up in home (six adults and nine children) to wait for the resurrection of John, who will herald the Second Coming. Police tried psycho tactics, then sneaked up on son-in-law as he came out to shoot out loudspeakers. Police dog handler shot to death, son-in-law wounded.
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Version used in sermon on 10/3/93:
Ervil LeBaron was very religious. He grew up Mormon and accepted many of their teachings. In time he split with the Mormon church, gathered a polygamous cult around him and declared himself God. One Mormon teaching he accepted is called “blood atonement.” It means sinners should shed their blood to save their souls. (This is a partial reason why Utah and Idaho used to execute by firing squad.)
LeBaron added his own twist to blood atonement – traitors and children who did not obey him would be killed. Most victims were the leaders of rival polygamist sects. He also executed 2 brothers, 3 wives and a daughter. LeBaron ended up in prison and died in 1981, but his religious influence did not end. Six murders were ordered by him before he died. He called the death list the “Book of New Covenants.” Since then, several of the murders have been carried out.
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On March 29, 2002 I received the following email [just as he wrote it]:
I am a Lebaron and distantly related to the “Ervil LeBaron” I
was looking up who he was when I came across your site. You
gave an in accurate definition to “blood atonement” I didn’t
know if you were aware of that but I felt it my christian duty
to help out a little. IAs a mormon I will explain to you what
I have been taught about the blood atonement. Christ gave a
blood atonement the last and ultimate. That is were a remision
of my sins come from. His blood atonement not mine or any
others man. It is true that in the old testemant they did
blood sacrifices or atonements. But since Christ that has been
done away with. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is
taken away in Christ and his sacrifice. So I hope you will
better portrait the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints now thta you have this information. Ervil
LeBaron was an Evil man. His ideal and twisted beliefs were a
choice and in no way reflects upon the true nature of the
mormon faith. I have been on a mission and taught people my
beliefs not once portraing this type of evil. I love my fellow
men and believe the atonement of Christ to be free to all men.
Mormon or not. I hope that you view the atonement of Christ
with the same or even higher regard. THhankyou and I hope this
has helped clear up any misunderstanding of what is taught
about blood atonement and how it is taught and believed.
Sincerely
(name withheld)
I had first heard about individual “blood atonement” when Gary Gillmore was executed by a Utah firing squad many years ago. The doctrine derives from Numbers 25:5-13 where the priest Phinehas brings atonement on the Israelites by executing a sinner. In my research on the internet I found this material at http://www.watchman.org/lds/bldaton2.htm :
While Christians have long been concerned about cultic
teachings which lead to spiritual death, some cultic teachings
have posed danger to spiritual and physical life. One graphic
example is the Mormon doctrine of individual Blood Atonement.
The biblical teaching on blood atonement is that the shedding
of blood is required for forgiveness of sin. (Hebrews 9:22) The
Bible teaches that the blood of Christ cleanses from “all sin.”
(1 John 1:7) Early Mormon theology, however, teaches that for
certain sins the blood of Christ alone would not avail and the
persons own blood must be shed for atonement.
Under the section, “Blood Atonement,” of the book, Mormon
Doctrine, LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “…there are
some serious sins for which the cleansing of Christ does not
operate, and the law of God is that men must then have their
own blood shed to atone for their sins,” (2nd ed. 1979, p.92).
In the same article McConkie quoted his father-in-law, who was
the tenth Mormon Prophet, Joseph Fielding Smith, as saying:
“Man may commit certain grievous sins… that will
place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of
Christ…. If these offenses are committed, then the
blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins
even though they repent. Therefore their only hope is
to have their own blood shed to atone… (Doctrine of
Salvation, Vol. 1, pp. 133-138)” (Ibid).
McConkie went own to explain that the Mormon blood atonement,
“…doctrine can only be practiced in its fullness in a day
when the civil and ecclesiastical laws are administered in the
same hands,” in other words, when Church and State are one, an
obvious reference to a future in which the government will be
controlled by the LDS Church, a Mormon Theocracy.
Apostle McConkie laments that this doctrine cannot be practiced
“in this dispensation” hinting that its only evidence outside
of ancient Israel, is that, “…persons who understood its
provisions could and did use their influence to get a form of
capital punishment written into the laws of the various states
of the union so that the blood of murderers could be shed,”
(Ibid).
He refers here to a little known law in Utah and Idaho which
allows a condemned criminal to choose a firing squad for
execution rather than the gas chamber or electric chair —
neither of which “shed blood.” However one can find evidence of
Mormonism’s deadly blood atonement doctrine being practiced “in
this dispensation.”
In the 1800’s the government and the church were for all
practical purposes “administered in the same hands” and those
hands were Brigham Young’s, who was Prophet, Seer, and
Revelator of the Mormon Church while at the same time was
Governor of Utah. On the subject of “Blood Atonement”, Brigham
Young stated: “There are sins that men commit for which they
cannot receive forgiveness… and if they had their eyes open
to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to
have their blood spilt upon the ground… as an offering for
their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their
sins,” (Journal of Discoursesœ, Vol 4, p. 53).
To carry out his blood atonement ministry, Brigham Young had at
his disposal a secret band of men who were reported to have
conducted a number of “blood atonements” at the orders of
President Young and other LDS leaders. Brigham Young may have
been referring to this secret group, known as the Danites when
he said:
“And if the Gentiles wish to see a few tricks, we have
`Mormons’ that can perform them. We have the meanest
devils on the earth in our midst, and we intend to
keep them for WE HAVE USE FOR THEM; and if the Devil
does not look sharp, we will cheat him out of them at
the last, for they will reform and go to heaven with
us,” (Ibid, Vol. 6: 176; emphasis added).
Because of the secretive nature of the group, little primary
information is available but there is ample evidence that these
“meanest devils” were responsible for a number of deaths
apparently on Brigham Young’s orders or with his knowledge.
Among those who have been named as Danites are William Hickman,
Orrin Porter Rockwell, and John D. Lee. A partial list of
murder victims in connection with these three men are Ike
Hatch, the Aiken party, and an entire wagon train of men, women
and children killed in what became called the Mountain Meadows
massacre.
by James Walker
(For a more complete discussion see related chapters in
MORMONISM: SHADOW OR REALITY, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner).
I sent this page to the writer and got the following response:
Thank you for sharing that with me. I am however dissapointed
that you would go to a source that clearly is out to exploit
the beliefs of others. Hence the title “the expositor.” I know
those writings I have myself read them. The articles you sent
are meant to be vauge. There design after all is meant to
detour people from investigating further into the mormon faith.
The bottom line is that the only sin that the men of the church
were refering to are one murder of innocent blood and the other
the dening of the Holy Ghost or spirit of god. Like the example
of Cain. Those are the only two sins. I know I have read all of
those sources given. THe idea that one could possibly atone for
his own sins is absured considering the fact that it could only
be done by a sinless man. If one murders he is there for nomore
sinless. As an example of the anguish a soul would be in for
such a sin, a man would jump at the chance if it were possible
that is what was meant. But I tell you it is not possible and
that is the doctorine of Christ. The doctorine taught by the
church of Jesus Christ of LDS. I don’t believe in personal
blood atonement and niether did the men that spoke of such a
thing. You may believe anything you want. You will not believe
a mormon who lives and breathes the faith but you will believe
a group whos sole purpose is to darken the world and slander
those whos right it i to worship how when or what they may. All
religions that don’t agree with them. What a waste of time. Let
the good in the world remain good I say. I hope you believe me
if not it doesn’t matter. I know what I am taught and I
understand it
Sincerely
[name withheld again]
P.S. If you really want to know what we believe ask God after
all he knows all. And God won’t lie as men do.
The postscript is a very common comeback by Mormons (I first heard it at the Hill Cumorah dramatization of the discovery of the “golden plates” in New York State). I am not sure how “expositor” indicates “exploit” – it means to explain or explicate. Blood atonement may not be a mainline Mormon doctrine anymore but I think it is historically attested and I stand by my statement in the sermon.