Dan Lafferty recently claimed responsibility for the murder/suicide of the Strack family. On her mother's side, Christine is the grandniece of Ervil, Joel, and Verlan LeBaron. In fact, President Hinckley once said, “There is no such thing as a ‘Mormon Fundamentalist.’ It is a contradiction to use the two words together.” The death of Lillian LeBaron Chynoweth is NOT resolved however, and to return to the long list of the blood atoned, the deaths are literally in the dozens, and some victims, such as Ervil's wife Lorna Chynoweth LeBaron, and Lillian's full sister, Ervil's daughter Rebecca LeBaron Chynoweth (who was the plural wife of Mark, Duane, Lorna, and Rena's brother Victor, I'm so sorry guys, the genealogy makes even experienced fundie Mormon researchers heads hurt) have yet to have their remains recovered. Being not very well versed in Mormon mysteries, this was fascinating. Mark participated in at least one blood atonement but by the time of Ervil's imprisonment, Lillian, Mark, Mark's brother Duane and his family, and Ramona Marston's brother Eddie were distancing themselves from the church. Concidentally Verlan LeBaron was killed that same week of August in 1981 and leadership of the First Borners passed to Siegfried Widmar. Ervil needed an event to force Verlan out of hiding. It is for discussions centered around thoughts, beliefs, and observations that are important and personal to /u/agentroze specifically. See the Community of Christ (RLDS) for a non-fundamentalist version. I would say independents tend to run in the middle. Are you familiar at all with the Blackmore group in Canada? What evolved in the 20th century, even after a second manifesto in 1904, was the quiet growth of a fundamentalist Mormon movement. reading the linked articles and comments along the way. All that being said, I’m more interested in the fundamentalist members within the mainstream branch, than I am the “fundamentalist sects”. I know this is an older post, but I read one of your newer ones and have been down the rabbit hole of your various posts today now. Mormon fundamentalism. Finally, to wrap up this section, the list of people who have been blood atoned by the Lambs of God is horribly long. Most of their members have regular jobs and wear primarily regular clothes. He later complained that Rebecca's killers made a mess of the trunk of his car while disposing of her body. Fascinating does not begin to describe this post. Either she did a really great job of disappearing into Mexican society, or perhaps she was eventually blood atoned too. Flip. So it shocked and saddened people when she was found dead of a purported suicide. They are called the Restoration Branches. I know people have a lot of opinions about the rogue mormon cult led by Warren Jeffs, particularly how terrible it is, and I agree 100% But are people familiar with the other independent, non-cultish, mormon groups? They are extremely liberal. Add to Favorites. Most, but not all, of them claim their priesthood or sealing power from Lorin Woolley and his alleged meeting with Jesus and Joseph Smith in 1886. The church was founded by Joel LeBaron and its leadership included several of Joel's brothers, particularly Verlan and Ervil. Elissa Wall suffered several miscarriages after cult leader her forced to marry cousin when she was 14. More than you can even keep track of anymore. There are a lot of different branches of Mormon Fundamentalism. He would blood atone Ms. Kunz's brother, AUB prophet Dr. Rulon Clark Allred. Life was somewhat harsh in Mexico, the faithful were expected to pool their resources and share them, but with many large and growing plural families there wasn't always enough to go around. Thanks, and have fun with the rabbit hole! First, none of them think of themselves as offshoots. When Nephi returned home and found out, he was heartbroken. Predictably Jeffs is now a wanted fugitive, and there are loyal FLDS followers throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico with the ability and desire to help hide him. A lot of the members attend university and are educated. Some groups, especially CoC (formerly RLDS) are definitely not fundamentalists. It was interesting in that it named Merlin Kingston as a potential victim. At one point, Verlan, himself the husband of 10 wives and father to 50 something children, was forced into hiding in Mexico and Central America. According to the documentary God Makers II, Lillian said that if she died unexpectedly, it was not a suicide, that the cult had gotten to her, and this has left a veil of mystery surrounding her death. So, I've come to the end of my post. I think that if Joseph Smith restored Jesus’ church to the Earth, it is the “fundamentalists” that are practicing that religion as intended and the mainstream branch is in apostasy. It began in October 2016 as a leaked series of videos on the YouTube channel Mormon Leaks. are more than my personal perspective, they are intertwined with on and off camera interviews of those affected, hours upon hours of reading personal stories and my own research into legal proceedings. There are others that are predators who have capitalized on the opportunity to take advantage of the vulnerable and mislead. That's not the common usage. In the larger picture of American society and religion, such fundamentalist Mormon groups have been nothing more than tiny, stagnant backwaters of belief. The mysterious death of Lillian LeBaron Chynoweth. Ramona Marston's half-sister Anna LeBaron is a born again Christian who has a book coming out soon. Under Mr Jeffs’ reign, a culture of abuse thrived at the FLDS. The “19th century ideas” are just problems that are common in almost any society in any age. He began to undermine belief in the prophet status of his brother Joel. Thanks! Joseph Smith wouldn’t even recognize his religion in the mainstream LDS Church today. Just as mysteriously as the cross was erected, in 1992 some unknown persons packed the hollow cross with explosives and detonated them. The exceptions to this of the more prominent branches would be the LeBaron’s, the Kingston’s, and “independent” fundamentalists. Today FLDS clothing has becoming increasingly more austere while Centennial Park women today embrace a more modern idea of modest dress. The Mormon church is a fundamentalist religion. They tried to start new lives in Houston, Texas, but unbeknownst to them, the 600 page manifesto Mark smuggled out of prison for Ervil had a hidden hit list contained in it for the Lambs of God to carry out further blood atonements. ☺. I myself being raised in what i thought was a strict Christian home (but seriously now that I am an adult it was not even close to strict haha). We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. Her purported husband, Dan Jordan, was blood atoned in 1986. Anna's paternal half-sister Estephania is an actress who has appeared in small films. For a fascinating look at the Kingston Clan, I suggest this excellent Rolling Stone article. SISTER Wives stars Kody and Christine Brown’s daughter Gwendlyn has joined The Satanic Temple, as she has expressed uncertainty in her family’s Mormon religion. My church was a fundamentalist offshoot of the Church of Mormon called the Righteous Branch, and that snowy-haired manwich above would sit down with every 18-year-old girl and tell her whom she ought to marry and fuck. Very interesting! However, Anne’s chapter was incredibly interesting, and I learned that Fundamentalist Mormonism is much more diverse than I realized. Rena amazingly was acquitted of murder but went on to write a tell-all confessing to the murder. In 1977, following her arrest, she jumped bail and escaped into Mexico. I've looked and I can't find any evidence that she is wanted or that she ever served any jail time. Independents don’t claim sealing power generally from anywhere. For Ervil, that meant his 13th wife, Rena Chynoweth, and Ramona Marston. I had heard about blood atonement through reading Jon Krakauer's book (Under the Banner of Heaven) a few years ago but didn't realize just how rampant it was. When Nephi Marston had to go back to the U.S. to handle some business, Ervil made his move (which was not difficult, Anna Mae Marston had her eyes on Ervil too), declared Nephi and Anna Mae's marriage spiritually void, and Anna Mae joined Ervil's family of an eventual 13 wives as his 4th wife. Leadership of the Firstborners then passed onto their brother Verlan LeBaron. In Kaysville, Utah, you can find the remains of a legendary landmark known as Kay's Cross. If someone escaped from CO City, they had no trouble tracking the person down, especially since most went up to Salt Lake City. I really have no doubt that the Short Creek Jane Doe probably tried to escape and was killed. They all consider themselves authentic, and the other sects are the real offshoots. There are good people in all of the different groups, but there are a lot of extremists and predators as well. Since I'm talking about the AUB and Sister Wives, I guess I should add here that 3rd Brown wife Christine is the granddaughter of the murdered Dr. Rulon Allred and one of his wives on her father's side (and Robyn Brown's first husband Preston Jessop is the grandson of Dr. Allred and his wife Melba, the wife who worked as his receptionist at his medical practice and who witnessed his murder). Centennial park and the AUB are probably the least. It is a popular Halloween and teenage destination in Utah. He was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of an opponent, and died there in 1981. While most have chosen to remain independent. Anne Wilde wrote the chapter on Fundamentalist Mormonism in Hamer/Bringhurst’s book Scattering of the Saints. In 1986 they dressed quite similar to each other. Another Jeffs on the lam And finally, we have a current, ongoing fundamentalist Mormon mystery. In 2013, children playing in the FLDS community of Colorado City, Arizona discovered a human skeleton. Truth & Transparency Foundation (TTF; formerly MormonLeaks and originally Mormon WikiLeaks) is a whistleblowing organization inspired by WikiLeaks, which focuses on exposing documents from the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). In 1986, a Salt Lake City treatment plant employee discovered the remains of a woman who remains unidentified to this day. The AUB, which broke off from the Short Creek community (also known as The Work) in the late 1940's and early 1950's, is the most media friendly and assimilated of all (The Brown family of Sister Wives are members of the AUB, although the AUB has not been happy about the TV show...the Williams family from My Five Wives are ex-AUB). A raid on the Firstborner community in Los Molinos, Mexico caused the death of a teenage boy and a young man. They were sent to Utah with disguises and guns, and there they gunned down Dr. Allred in front of several of his patients, and Melba one of his wives who worked in his office as his receptionist. I live in southern Utah very near the Short Creek area and I've been fascinated with the FLDS and their culture since I moved here. Fundamentalist Mormons hold rare public memorial for 13 killed in Utah flash flood ... citing passages from the Book of Mormon, ... the man who drove the GameStop Reddit mania and made millions . They live, believe, and practice Mormonism as restored by Joseph Smith much more closely than the mainstream LDS Church. With that said, they are “true” Mormons. Probably very awkward at best. Details File Size: 3077KB Duration: 4.774 sec Dimensions: 360x196 Created: 2/5/2018, 4:15:08 AM There's definitely a pattern to fundamentalist Mormon groups, the earlier they broke off from the main body of what became the FLDS, the more media friendly they are, and the more assimilated into the rest of society they are. Fundamentalists splinter. Or, if you prefer, Mormons are a lot like Fundamentalists. Ervil wasn't through however and continued threaten Verlan and other fundamentalist Mormon leaders. The Book of Mormon is a P.O.S. This post is a spinoff of my comment in the religious mysteries thread, as there was enough material for an entire post, and also because the creator of the religious mysteries thread would prefer non-violent mysteries. But Ramona? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://politicsrusprinciple.tumblr.com/post/113638995826/christine-lebaron-allred-at-her-high-school. The amount of unaccounted for victims is why you hear so much about this fundamentalist Mormon sect and unidentified decedents. Some have organized under a prophet who is a direct descendant of Joseph Smith. Any ideas where to find a good source for this? Reddit. It was a 20 ft high cross with the letter K on the back and front. Email. Quick Background on Fundamentalist Mormonism For those who aren't aware of what exactly fundamentalist Mormonism is, it is a movement founded in the late 19th/early 20th century after the mainstream Mormon (LDS) Church of Utah banned polygamy. By that do you mean active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that adhere more to the original practices of the church rather than people who've left to start their own groups? Lillian LeBaron Chynoweth was Ramona's step-sister. Thanks, and yes it is scary. After watching various news reports about Warren Jeffs over the past few months we felt it might help the casual visitor to understand the differences between the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) in Eldorado, Texas (also in various towns throughout Utah) and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was unusual for her to not be married at 20 years old. She pled guilty, served her prison time, and has been released, so if they wanted they could have pursued Ramona further. Lillian was distraught about the loss of her husband Mark, but she knew she had to stick around for their children. The Sister Wives family belongs to the Apostolic United Brethren, which is a Mormon fundamentalist group. I’m the most familiar with the AUB or the “Allred” group. Taking his toys and going home in August of 1972, Ervil founded the Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God. There is a group picture of Anna, Anna's sister Kathleen, Ruth LeBaron, and Ramona Marston. As with everything, the different groups run on a continuum, and the people within each group do as well. Not all Mormon Fundamentalist groups are created equal; however, they all have their problems. It's funny how Fundamentalism is synonymous with polygamy in Mormonism. She was the daughter of Ervil LeBaron and his first wife Delfina. It is so messed up. /r/Mormon is a subreddit for articles and topics of interest to people interested in Mormon themes. I know people have a lot of opinions … reddit: the front page of the internet Email. I can only imagine what tension that might have caused her parents, knowing that her mother's uncle was responsible for the murder of her father's father. I hadn't realized that. The article I've given you is missing this detail, but this Jane Doe died during a time of upheaval in fundamentalist Mormon history. Tag: Fundamentalist Mormonism Other Cults Like Mine, Who Knew? She was a pregnant teenage girl who was happy because she planned to leave Victor Chynoweth. comments. To paint a broad stroke, I think fundamentalists are generally good people who want nothing more than to serve and worship in the church Joseph founded, but have been mislead and lured away by “deep” doctrines, intellectualism, and truth seeking. I'm very curious about Mainstream LDS (and other people's) opinions on fundamentalist offshoots of the church. There's also claims that the young daughter of one of Warren Jeffs' bodyguards fled to Canada and hid with the family of the now former bishop of the Canadian FLDS because Jeffs married her off to an older man she did not want to marry, she didn't have the support of her father, and Jeffs allegedly demanded that the former bishop, Winston Blackmore, blood atone the girl. I have always had a fascination with people who live extremist religious lifestyles. I’ve always viewed Fundamentalist Mormons like an embarrassing relative, and I haven’t really wanted to learn much about them. While Warren Jeffs is in prison for the rape of his child brides, his mouthpiece, enforcer, and main henchman outside of prison has been his younger full-brother Lyle. There wasn't even a real name for my religion and I never questioned why. Fascinating! She was blood atoned on the orders of her own father because that would be unacceptable to him. This case seems to have gone cold. Her step-other-mother and murder accomplice, Ervil's 13th wife Rena, was Ramona's age, and already had two children with Ervil. Also, there have been a lot of credible allegations of child sex abuse, and a power struggle in the council as well. And he'd been coveting Ramona's mother Anna Mae, for a while. This is a Personal post. How did you get started into researching all of this stuff? The only possible trace my research has uncovered is a genealogy database suggesting that she was a plural wife of Dan Jordan, the triggerman responsible for the blood atonement of Joel LeBaron in 1972. However, the AUB isn’t without its problems. In researching this post I see that Ramona Marston has surfaced and is alive and well. I need a family tree to know who is who and how they are related. An episode of the cancelled TLC program Escaping the Prophet features an episode where anti-FLDS activist Flora Jessop and her sister Ruby are horrified to hear that the skeleton appeared to have bound hands. But I can find no corroborating evidence to support this, even after specifically trying to determine if she ever married. http://politicsrusprinciple.tumblr.com/post/113638995826/christine-lebaron-allred-at-her-high-school, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the UnresolvedMysteries community, Continue browsing in r/UnresolvedMysteries. 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