Alma Dayer LeBaron Sr. (March 15, 1886 – 1951) was a

Mormon fundamentalist Mormon fundamentalism (also called fundamentalist Mormonism) is a belief in the validity of selected fundamental aspects of Mormonism as taught and practiced in the nineteenth century, particularly during the administrations of Joseph Smith, Bri ...

who was the father of a number of leaders and church founders in Mormon fundamentalism. LeBaron was generally known as Dayer LeBaron and was the grandson of

Benjamin F. Johnson Benjamin Franklin Johnson (July 28, 1818 – November 18, 1905) was an early member of Latter Day Saint Movement, and a member of the Council of Fifty and a formerly private secretary to Joseph Smith. He served fourteen terms in the Utah State Le ...

, who was a confidential secretary and part-time business partner to

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

, the founder of the

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...

. LeBaron was a member of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) until he was

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

on February 17, 1924, for practicing

plural marriage Polygamy (called plural marriage by Latter-day Saints in the 19th century or the Principle by modern fundamentalist practitioners of polygamy) was practiced by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more tha ...

. LeBaron made a written request for permission to return to the church on March 24, 1934, but he died in 1951 without being readmitted to the LDS Church. LeBaron's childhood was spent in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...

, living not far from his grandfather Benjamin F. Johnson. He later moved to

Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua Colonia Juárez is a small town in the northern part of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Colonia Juárez is located in the valley of the Piedras Verdes River on the western edge of the Chihuahuan Desert and beneath the eastern front of the Sierr ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, to continue his education, and there met his first wife, Barbara Baily. Married in 1904, they had one son. However, LeBaron's religious beliefs soon alienated his wife who left him, taking their child and moving to

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

to be with her mother. Moving back to Utah, LeBaron met Maude Lucinda McDonald, and the two were wed in 1910. Together they had thirteen children, five girls and seven boys. In 1923, Dayer approached Nathan Clark, who performed his sealing to Onie Jones. The following year, both he and his wives were excommunicated "for violative conduct", the LDS Church

disciplinary council In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a church membership council (formerly called a disciplinary council) is an ecclesiastical event during which a church member's status is considered, typically for alleged violations ...

being held at

La Verkin, Utah : 'The Virgin' , established_title1 = Incorporated , established_date1 = 1927 , unit_pref = Imperial , area_footnotes = , area_magnitude = , area_total_km2 = 33.10 , area_land_km2 = 33.10 ...

, Onie Jones's hometown. In response, LeBaron and his two wives and eight children moved back to Colonia Juárez, where he sought work as a painter and doing odd jobs and was described as an "energetic" and "hard-working" man. Purchasing a "fixer-upper" home, he rebuilt it little by little as his families expanded. Onie bore six children and eventually separated herself and her children from LeBaron and his fundamentalist activities.

Children

LeBaron's seven sons with Maud McDonald included Benjamin Teasdale LeBaron, Ross Wesley LeBaron, Alma Dayer LeBaron Jr., Floren LeBaron,

Verlan LeBaron The Church of the Firstborn (or the "LeBarón family") is a grouping of competing factions of a Mormon fundamentalist religious lineage inherited, adherents believe, by a polygamous family community that had settled in Chihuahua, Mexico, by Al ...

,Favorite Wife by Susan Ray Schmidt 2009 Joel F. LeBaron and

Ervil LeBaron Ervil Morrell LeBaron (February 22, 1925 – August 15, 1981) was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, using the religious doctrine of blood atonement to justify the murders ...

. At various times, seven of them would believe himself to fulfill the premillennial demi-messianic priesthood office or offices such as the

One Mighty and Strong The One Mighty and Strong is the subject of an 1832 prophecy by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. The prophecy echoes and parallels the words and prophecies contained in Isaiah 28:2 and Isaiah 11:11; 2 Nephi 3:21-25. ...

, the

Presiding Patriarch In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Presiding Patriarch (also called Presiding Evangelist, Patriarch over the Church, Patriarch of the Church, or Patriarch to the Church) is a church-wide leadership office within the priesthood. Among the duties ...

in All the World, according to a professed Right of the Firstborn (equating to

Joseph Smith Jr. Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

's mantle as leader of the early Latter Day Saint

Council of Fifty "The Council of Fifty" (also known as "the Living Constitution", "the Kingdom of God", or its name by revelation, "The Kingdom of God and His Laws with the Keys and Power thereof, and Judgment in the Hands of His Servants, Ahman Christ") was a Lat ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lebaron, Alma Dayer Sr. 1886 births 1951 deaths American emigrants to Mexico Latter Day Saints from Arizona Alma Dayer Mormon fundamentalists People excommunicated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints People from Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua People from Mesa, Arizona