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.<\/p>\n
____________<\/p>\n
Newsweek (page 29), And Coshocton Tribune newspaper (Ohio), Jan 29, 1988<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
===================<\/p>\n
Version used in sermon on 10\/3\/93:<\/p>\n
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 \u201cblood atonement.\u201d 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.)<\/p>\n
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 \u201cBook of New Covenants.\u201d Since then, several of the murders have been carried out.<\/p>\n
___________<\/p>\n
On March 29, 2002 I received the following email [just as he wrote it]:<\/p>\n
I am a Lebaron and distantly related to the “Ervil LeBaron” I
\n was looking up who he was when I came across your site. You
\n gave an in accurate definition to “blood atonement” I didn’t
\n know if you were aware of that but I felt it my christian duty
\n to help out a little. IAs a mormon I will explain to you what
\n I have been taught about the blood atonement. Christ gave a
\n blood atonement the last and ultimate. That is were a remision
\n of my sins come from. His blood atonement not mine or any
\n others man. It is true that in the old testemant they did
\n blood sacrifices or atonements. But since Christ that has been
\n done away with. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is
\n taken away in Christ and his sacrifice. So I hope you will
\n better portrait the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of
\n Latter Day Saints now thta you have this information. Ervil
\n LeBaron was an Evil man. His ideal and twisted beliefs were a
\n choice and in no way reflects upon the true nature of the
\n mormon faith. I have been on a mission and taught people my
\n beliefs not once portraing this type of evil. I love my fellow
\n men and believe the atonement of Christ to be free to all men.
\n Mormon or not. I hope that you view the atonement of Christ
\n with the same or even higher regard. THhankyou and I hope this
\n has helped clear up any misunderstanding of what is taught
\n about blood atonement and how it is taught and believed.<\/p>\n
Sincerely
\n (name withheld)<\/p>\n
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 :<\/p>\n
While Christians have long been concerned about cultic
\n teachings which lead to spiritual death, some cultic teachings
\n have posed danger to spiritual and physical life. One graphic
\n example is the Mormon doctrine of individual Blood Atonement.<\/p>\n
The biblical teaching on blood atonement is that the shedding
\n of blood is required for forgiveness of sin. (Hebrews 9:22) The
\n Bible teaches that the blood of Christ cleanses from “all sin.”
\n (1 John 1:7) Early Mormon theology, however, teaches that for
\n certain sins the blood of Christ alone would not avail and the
\n persons own blood must be shed for atonement.<\/p>\n
Under the section, “Blood Atonement,” of the book, Mormon
\n Doctrine, LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “…there are
\n some serious sins for which the cleansing of Christ does not
\n operate, and the law of God is that men must then have their
\n own blood shed to atone for their sins,” (2nd ed. 1979, p.92).<\/p>\n
In the same article McConkie quoted his father-in-law, who was
\n the tenth Mormon Prophet, Joseph Fielding Smith, as saying:<\/p>\n
“Man may commit certain grievous sins… that will
\n place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of
\n Christ…. If these offenses are committed, then the
\n blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins
\n even though they repent. Therefore their only hope is
\n to have their own blood shed to atone… (Doctrine of
\n Salvation, Vol. 1, pp. 133-138)” (Ibid).<\/p>\n
McConkie went own to explain that the Mormon blood atonement,
\n “…doctrine can only be practiced in its fullness in a day
\n when the civil and ecclesiastical laws are administered in the
\n same hands,” in other words, when Church and State are one, an
\n obvious reference to a future in which the government will be
\n controlled by the LDS Church, a Mormon Theocracy.<\/p>\n
Apostle McConkie laments that this doctrine cannot be practiced
\n “in this dispensation” hinting that its only evidence outside
\n of ancient Israel, is that, “…persons who understood its
\n provisions could and did use their influence to get a form of
\n capital punishment written into the laws of the various states
\n of the union so that the blood of murderers could be shed,”
\n (Ibid).<\/p>\n
He refers here to a little known law in Utah and Idaho which
\n allows a condemned criminal to choose a firing squad for
\n execution rather than the gas chamber or electric chair —
\n neither of which “shed blood.” However one can find evidence of
\n Mormonism’s deadly blood atonement doctrine being practiced “in
\n this dispensation.”<\/p>\n
In the 1800’s the government and the church were for all
\n practical purposes “administered in the same hands” and those
\n hands were Brigham Young’s, who was Prophet, Seer, and
\n Revelator of the Mormon Church while at the same time was
\n Governor of Utah. On the subject of “Blood Atonement”, Brigham
\n Young stated: “There are sins that men commit for which they
\n cannot receive forgiveness… and if they had their eyes open
\n to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to
\n have their blood spilt upon the ground… as an offering for
\n their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their
\n sins,” (Journal of Discourses\u0153, Vol 4, p. 53).<\/p>\n
To carry out his blood atonement ministry, Brigham Young had at
\n his disposal a secret band of men who were reported to have
\n conducted a number of “blood atonements” at the orders of
\n President Young and other LDS leaders. Brigham Young may have
\n been referring to this secret group, known as the Danites when
\n he said:<\/p>\n
“And if the Gentiles wish to see a few tricks, we have
\n `Mormons’ that can perform them. We have the meanest
\n devils on the earth in our midst, and we intend to
\n keep them for WE HAVE USE FOR THEM; and if the Devil
\n does not look sharp, we will cheat him out of them at
\n the last, for they will reform and go to heaven with
\n us,” (Ibid, Vol. 6: 176; emphasis added).<\/p>\n
Because of the secretive nature of the group, little primary
\n information is available but there is ample evidence that these
\n “meanest devils” were responsible for a number of deaths
\n apparently on Brigham Young’s orders or with his knowledge.<\/p>\n
Among those who have been named as Danites are William Hickman,
\n Orrin Porter Rockwell, and John D. Lee. A partial list of
\n murder victims in connection with these three men are Ike
\n Hatch, the Aiken party, and an entire wagon train of men, women
\n and children killed in what became called the Mountain Meadows
\n massacre.<\/p>\n
by James Walker<\/p>\n
(For a more complete discussion see related chapters in
\n MORMONISM: SHADOW OR REALITY, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner).<\/p>\n
I sent this page to the writer and got the following response:<\/p>\n
Thank you for sharing that with me. I am however dissapointed
\n that you would go to a source that clearly is out to exploit
\n the beliefs of others. Hence the title “the expositor.” I know
\n those writings I have myself read them. The articles you sent
\n are meant to be vauge. There design after all is meant to
\n detour people from investigating further into the mormon faith.
\n The bottom line is that the only sin that the men of the church
\n were refering to are one murder of innocent blood and the other
\n the dening of the Holy Ghost or spirit of god. Like the example
\n of Cain. Those are the only two sins. I know I have read all of
\n those sources given. THe idea that one could possibly atone for
\n his own sins is absured considering the fact that it could only
\n be done by a sinless man. If one murders he is there for nomore
\n sinless. As an example of the anguish a soul would be in for
\n such a sin, a man would jump at the chance if it were possible
\n that is what was meant. But I tell you it is not possible and
\n that is the doctorine of Christ. The doctorine taught by the
\n church of Jesus Christ of LDS. I don’t believe in personal
\n blood atonement and niether did the men that spoke of such a
\n thing. You may believe anything you want. You will not believe
\n a mormon who lives and breathes the faith but you will believe
\n a group whos sole purpose is to darken the world and slander
\n those whos right it i to worship how when or what they may. All
\n religions that don’t agree with them. What a waste of time. Let
\n the good in the world remain good I say. I hope you believe me
\n if not it doesn’t matter. I know what I am taught and I
\n understand it<\/p>\n
Sincerely
\n [name withheld again]<\/p>\n
P.S. If you really want to know what we believe ask God after
\n all he knows all. And God won’t lie as men do.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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