List of Mormon fundamentalist leaders
Encyclopedia
Mormon fundamentalist leaders are those who lead, or have led, a Mormon fundamentalist group.
for many years. Mormon fundamentalists generally accept the first three LDS Church presidents as prophets of God:
Some Mormon fundamentalists also regard the next three LDS Church presidents as leaders because of their post-1890 support for plural marriage
. However, some reject the LDS Church presidents beginning at Wilford Woodruff
due to Woodruff's decision to issue the 1890 Manifesto
. Many others reject Joseph F. Smith due to his issuance of the Second Manifesto
in 1904.
, Mormon fundamentalist groups began breaking away from the LDS Church. Early on, there were two main Mormon fundamentalist groups. One was the Short Creek Community
in Colorado City
, Arizona
and Hildale
, Utah
. The other was the LeBaron family group in Mexico
.
and Elden Kingston
created the splinter group called the Latter Day Church of Christ, or "Kingston clan."
to the Council of Friends. The Council refused to admit Allred, resulting in a split whereby those that followed Allred became known as the Apostolic United Brethren
. Musser ordained a new council called the 1952 New Priesthood Council. The presidency line of the AUB is as follows.
under Leroy S. Johnson
. Its leaders include the following.
excommunicated Winston Blackmore
, who for two decades was Bishop of the Bountiful, British Columbia
group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
(FLDS Church), The community split nearly in half—about 700 people continue to follow Blackmore, while about 500 follow Jeffs.
or "Second Ward" in Centennial Park, Arizona, so named to distinguish it from the FLDS Church, which they call "First Ward".
and the "Third Ward" resides mostly in the Salt Lake Valley
. It broke with the Centennial Park group after Marion Hammon passed away in 1988. Frank Naylor (apostle) and Ivan Neilsen (high priest and Bishop) disagreed with Alma Timpson’s leadership of Centennial Park, prompting them to create a new group called the "Third Ward", with Naylor presiding. In recent years, they have formed a close association with Winston Blackmore’s community of Bountiful, British Columbia.
in 1977 Gerald Peterson, Sr proclaimed that Allred had passed on the priesthood to him. Peterson went on to found the Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
the following year.
is headquartered in northern Mexico
that was founded in 1955 by Joel LeBaron
and members of his family. Joel claimed his priesthood line of authority from his father Alma, who had been ordained by Alma's grandfather Benjamin F. Johnson
, who had received the priesthood from Joseph Smith. The church continues to exist in Chihuahua Mexico
, Los Molinos, Baja California
, San Diego, California
, Central America
, as well as a large number in Salt Lake City, UT.
(TLC) is headquartered in Manti, Utah
. Membership is estimated at 300 to 500. Organized in 1994, the TLC was a new "restoration" for the "very last days" before the Second Coming
of Jesus
. While the church initially grew rapidly, it has since stagnated and declined in numbers and converts since it ceased missionary efforts in 2000.
by former members of the LDS Church. Practice polygamy and the law of consecration. Dalton purports to be the Holy Ghost and the Father of Jesus. However, the group may have deteriorated in numbers after relocation from Idaho to Montana and the arrest and extradition of Dalton to Utah.
Early Mormon leaders
These leaders were presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which authorized plural marriagePlural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
for many years. Mormon fundamentalists generally accept the first three LDS Church presidents as prophets of God:
- Joseph Smith, Jr. (1829–1844)
- Brigham YoungBrigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
(1847–1877) - John Taylor (1877–1887)
Some Mormon fundamentalists also regard the next three LDS Church presidents as leaders because of their post-1890 support for plural marriage
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. However, some reject the LDS Church presidents beginning at Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
due to Woodruff's decision to issue the 1890 Manifesto
1890 Manifesto
The "1890 Manifesto", sometimes simply called "The Manifesto", is a statement which officially disavowed the continuing practice of plural marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. Many others reject Joseph F. Smith due to his issuance of the Second Manifesto
Second Manifesto
The "Second Manifesto" was a 1904 declaration made by Joseph F. Smith, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , in which Smith stated the church was no longer sanctioning marriages that violated the laws of the land and set down the principle that those entering into or...
in 1904.
- Wilford WoodruffWilford WoodruffWilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
(1887–1898) - Lorenzo SnowLorenzo SnowLorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
(1898–1901) - Joseph F. SmithJoseph F. SmithJoseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(1901–1918)
Major Mormon fundamentalist groups
When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began excommunicating members who practiced polygamy after the Second ManifestoSecond Manifesto
The "Second Manifesto" was a 1904 declaration made by Joseph F. Smith, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , in which Smith stated the church was no longer sanctioning marriages that violated the laws of the land and set down the principle that those entering into or...
, Mormon fundamentalist groups began breaking away from the LDS Church. Early on, there were two main Mormon fundamentalist groups. One was the Short Creek Community
Short Creek Community
The Short Creek Community originally began in 1935 following the death of Joseph Leslie Broadbent, under the leadership of John Y. Barlow and Joseph W. Musser. Formerly located in Short Creek, Arizona , the group was notorious for the practice of polygamy due to media coverage during the "Short...
in Colorado City
Colorado City, Arizona
Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 4,607...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and Hildale
Hildale, Utah
Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,726 at the 2010 census.Hildale is a twin city to the more well-known Colorado City, Arizona, both of which straddle the border between Utah and Arizona. Hildale is the headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The other was the LeBaron family group in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Factional breakdown: Mormon fundamentalist sects
Short Creek community and groups which evolved from it
Pre-split Short Creek leaders
The following are the leaders of the Short Creek Community prior to its split.- John W. WoolleyJohn Wickersham WoolleyJohn Wickersham Woolley was an American Latter Day Saint and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalism movement.-Early life:...
(1918–1928) - Lorin C. Woolley (1928–1934)
- J. Leslie Broadbent (1934–1935)
- John Y. Barlow (1935–1949)
- Joseph W. Musser (1949–1954)
Kingstons
Due to a succession conflict after J. Leslie Broadbent's death, Charles W. KingstonCharles W. Kingston
Charles William Kingston was a member of the Latter Day Church of Christ and the Davis County Cooperative Society.-Early life:...
and Elden Kingston
Elden Kingston
Charles Elden Kingston was the founder of The Latter Day Church of Christ and the Davis County Cooperative Society.Elden Kingston was supported by his father Charles W. Kingston, his mother Vesta Minerva Kingston, and his siblings as the leader of the Latter Day Church of Christ...
created the splinter group called the Latter Day Church of Christ, or "Kingston clan."
- Charles W. KingstonCharles W. KingstonCharles William Kingston was a member of the Latter Day Church of Christ and the Davis County Cooperative Society.-Early life:...
(supported leaders from 1935 until his death in 1975) - Elden Kingston (1935–1947)
- John Ortell KingstonJohn Ortell KingstonJohn Ortell Kingston was the leader of the Kingston Clan of Mormon fundamentalists in Davis County, Utah, from 1947 until his death in 1987.-Latter Day Church of Christ Membership:J. Ortell Kingston was the son of Charles W...
(1947–1987) - Paul Elden KingstonPaul Elden KingstonPaul Elden Kingston has been the leader of the Mormon fundamentalist Latter Day Church of Christ and the Davis County Cooperative Society in the USA since 1987....
(1987– )
Apostolic United Brethren
Joseph W. Musser ordained Rulon C. AllredRulon C. Allred
Rulon Clark Allred was a homeopathic physician and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, United States...
to the Council of Friends. The Council refused to admit Allred, resulting in a split whereby those that followed Allred became known as the Apostolic United Brethren
Apostolic United Brethren
The Apostolic United Brethren is a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist church within the Latter Day Saint movement. The sect is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. Musser ordained a new council called the 1952 New Priesthood Council. The presidency line of the AUB is as follows.
- Joseph W. Musser (1949–1954)
- Rulon C. AllredRulon C. AllredRulon Clark Allred was a homeopathic physician and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, United States...
(1954–1977) - Owen A. AllredOwen A. AllredOwen Arthur Allred was the leader of the Apostolic United Brethren, a Mormon fundamentalist polygamist group centered in Bluffdale, Utah. He came to this position following the murder of his brother Rulon Allred on orders of rival polygamist leader Ervil LeBaron, in 1977. Allred was born in...
(1977–2005) - J. LaMoine Jensen (2005– )
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
After the Short Creek community split in two, it continued to thrive and became known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day SaintsFundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of the largest Mormon fundamentalist denominations and one of the largest organizations in the United States whose members practice polygamy. The FLDS Church emerged in the early twentieth century when its founding members left...
under Leroy S. Johnson
Leroy S. Johnson
Leroy S. Johnson was the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a religious group that practices plural marriage and was based in Colorado City, Arizona....
. Its leaders include the following.
- Charles ZittingCharles ZittingCharles Frederick Zitting was a Mormon fundamentalist leader of the community in Short Creek, Arizona.Zitting began his rise in the leadership of the Mormon fundamentalist Short Creek Community when he was arrested on April 1, 1931 on charges of polygamy and bailed out by Lorin C. Woolley, J....
(1954) - LeRoy S. JohnsonLeroy S. JohnsonLeroy S. Johnson was the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a religious group that practices plural marriage and was based in Colorado City, Arizona....
(1954–1986) - Rulon JeffsRulon JeffsRulon Timpson Jeffs was the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a Mormon fundamentalist organization based in Colorado City, Arizona....
(1986–2002) - Warren JeffsWarren JeffsWarren Steed Jeffs was the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . In 2011, Jeffs was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault....
(de facto leader) (2002–2007) - Merril JessopMerril JessopMerril Jessop was believed to be the de facto leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints after its former leader, Warren Jeffs, resigned when he was convicted as an accomplice to rape in 2007, until his removal by Jeffs in February 2011...
(de facto leader) (2007-Feb 2011)[discuss] - William E. JessopWilliam E. JessopWilliam E. Jessop is a leader in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . In a January 2007 telephone conversation between Jessop and church president Warren Jeffs, Jeffs suggested that Jessop was the rightful leader of the FLDS Church...
(appointed successor)(2007– ) - Wendell L. NielsenWendell Loy NielsenWendell Loy Nielsen is, according to documents filed with the Utah Department of Commerce, the President of the Corporation of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, based in southern Utah. The FLDS church, first incorporated in 1991, does not require the church president...
(legal president) (2010- Jan 28, 2011)
Blackmore/Bountiful Community
This group was formed in September 2002, when FLDS Church president Warren JeffsWarren Jeffs
Warren Steed Jeffs was the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . In 2011, Jeffs was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault....
excommunicated Winston Blackmore
Winston Blackmore
Winston Blackmore is the leader of Canada’s largest polygamist group. For two decades, Blackmore was the bishop of the Bountiful, British Columbia group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a polygamist community in the Creston Valley. In September 2002, FLDS Church...
, who for two decades was Bishop of the Bountiful, British Columbia
Bountiful, British Columbia
Bountiful is a settlement located in the Creston Valley of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, near Cranbrook and Creston. The closest community is Lister, British Columbia....
group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of the largest Mormon fundamentalist denominations and one of the largest organizations in the United States whose members practice polygamy. The FLDS Church emerged in the early twentieth century when its founding members left...
(FLDS Church), The community split nearly in half—about 700 people continue to follow Blackmore, while about 500 follow Jeffs.
- Winston BlackmoreWinston BlackmoreWinston Blackmore is the leader of Canada’s largest polygamist group. For two decades, Blackmore was the bishop of the Bountiful, British Columbia group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , a polygamist community in the Creston Valley. In September 2002, FLDS Church...
(2002–present)
Centennial Park ("Second Ward")
Under Leroy Johnson's leadership, Marion Hammon and Alma Timpson were dismissed from the Short Creek community in 1983; they went on to create the Centennial Park groupCentennial Park group
The Centennial Park group is a Fundamentalist Mormon group, with approximately 1,500 members, who broke with Leroy S. Johnson, the senior member of the "Priesthood Council" and leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. However, there is no formal relationship...
or "Second Ward" in Centennial Park, Arizona, so named to distinguish it from the FLDS Church, which they call "First Ward".
- J. Marion Hammon (1983–1988)
- Alma A. Timpson (1988–1997)
- John W. Timpson (1997–present)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Kingdom of God
This schism, also known as the Nielsen/Naylor groupChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Kingdom of God
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Kingdom of God is a fundamentalist church in the Latter-day Saint movement. The sect was founded by Frank Naylor and Ivan Nielsen, who split from the Centennial Park group, another fundamentalist church. The church is estimated to have 200-300...
and the "Third Ward" resides mostly in the Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley
Salt Lake Valley is a valley in Salt Lake County in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Utah. It contains Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs, notably West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, and West Jordan; its total population is 1,029,655 as of 2010...
. It broke with the Centennial Park group after Marion Hammon passed away in 1988. Frank Naylor (apostle) and Ivan Neilsen (high priest and Bishop) disagreed with Alma Timpson’s leadership of Centennial Park, prompting them to create a new group called the "Third Ward", with Naylor presiding. In recent years, they have formed a close association with Winston Blackmore’s community of Bountiful, British Columbia.
- Frank Naylor (1997–present)
Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
After the murder of Rulon C. AllredRulon C. Allred
Rulon Clark Allred was a homeopathic physician and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, United States...
in 1977 Gerald Peterson, Sr proclaimed that Allred had passed on the priesthood to him. Peterson went on to found the Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as The Righteous Branch, The Branch Church, The Peterson Group and Christ's Church, is a fundamentalist Mormon sect of the Latter Day Saint movement...
the following year.
- Gerald Peterson, Sr. (1978–1981)
- Gerald Peterson, Jr. (1981–present)
Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times
The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of TimesChurch of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times
The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times is a Mormon fundamentalist sect headquartered in northern Mexico that was founded in 1955 by Joel LeBaron and members of his family.-Establishment:...
is headquartered in northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
that was founded in 1955 by Joel LeBaron
Joel LeBaron
Joel Franklin LeBaron was a leader in the Mormon fundamentalist movement in northern Mexico. He was murdered by a member or members of a rival church which was headed by his brother Ervil LeBaron.-Early life:...
and members of his family. Joel claimed his priesthood line of authority from his father Alma, who had been ordained by Alma's grandfather Benjamin F. Johnson
Benjamin F. Johnson
Benjamin Franklin Johnson was an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and a member of the Council of Fifty....
, who had received the priesthood from Joseph Smith. The church continues to exist in Chihuahua Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Los Molinos, Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, as well as a large number in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Joel LeBaronJoel LeBaronJoel Franklin LeBaron was a leader in the Mormon fundamentalist movement in northern Mexico. He was murdered by a member or members of a rival church which was headed by his brother Ervil LeBaron.-Early life:...
(1955–1972) - Verlan LeBaronChurch of the Firstborn of the Fulness of TimesThe Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times is a Mormon fundamentalist sect headquartered in northern Mexico that was founded in 1955 by Joel LeBaron and members of his family.-Establishment:...
(1972–1981) - Current leadership unknown (1981–present)
School of the Prophets
The School of the Prophets is headquartered in the Salem, Utah area. In 1968 Robert C. Crossfield published revelations he had received in the "Book of Onias" which, among other things chastised certain LDS Church leaders, and he was excommunicated in 1972. In 1982 Crossfield established a "School of the Prophets" for the world, presided over by a President and six counselors. Ron and Dan Lafferty, convicted of the July 1984 murder of their brother's wife and infant daughter, served for a month as counselors in the Provo, Utah School of the Prophets in March 1984. Four months after being removed from the School they committed their crimes. The continuing revelations were later named the "Second Book of Commandments" and has 251 Sections dating from 1961 to the present.- Robert C. Crossfield (1982–present)
True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days
The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last DaysTrue and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days
The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days is a breakaway sect of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is headquartered in Manti, Utah, United States, where as of 2004 it maintained a membership of 300 to 500 adherents...
(TLC) is headquartered in Manti, Utah
Manti, Utah
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,040 people, 930 households, and 742 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,560.2 people per square mile . There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 518.3 per square mile...
. Membership is estimated at 300 to 500. Organized in 1994, the TLC was a new "restoration" for the "very last days" before the Second Coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. While the church initially grew rapidly, it has since stagnated and declined in numbers and converts since it ceased missionary efforts in 2000.
- James D. Harmston (1994–present)
The Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven
The Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven originally organized in Magna, UtahMagna, Utah
Magna is a census-designated place and township in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 26,505 at the 2010 census, a moderate increase over the 2000 figure of 22,770...
by former members of the LDS Church. Practice polygamy and the law of consecration. Dalton purports to be the Holy Ghost and the Father of Jesus. However, the group may have deteriorated in numbers after relocation from Idaho to Montana and the arrest and extradition of Dalton to Utah.
- Terrill R. Dalton (c. 2001–present)
See also
- Factional breakdown: Mormon fundamentalist sects