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The LeBaron Story
The Saga of a Modern Cain and Abel. Strange, heart-rending, sultry and poignant, with events more turbid than those of fiction, it can be compared only with its Biblical counterpart.
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First published January 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 29, 2018
(StephanySpencer.com) Stephany Spencer's Review of my mother Esther LeBaron Spencer and Uncle Verlan M. LeBaron's "The LeBaron Story":
"The LeBaron Story" is truly a "Vanity Book" -- not only because my uncle Verlan LeBaron paid a publishing company in 1981 (back when self-publishing was far from the norm) to publish the book -- but also because it is a revisionistic, apologetic, and biased history of some of my grandparents Maud and Dayer LeBaron's rather grandiose offspring.
What's more, my Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Verlan are largely NOT the authors of this book though they have taken all the credit for it. Truth is, Uncle Verlan was FAR too busy to write a book -- even if he knew how -- too busy working, traveling around from country to country visiting his ten wives and fifty-plus kids -- and running from his brother Ervil who was out to kill him! And Aunt Charlotte was about this busy too!
Fact is, my mother/Verlan's sister Esther LeBaron-McDonald de Spencer (with a BA in journalism) is the one whose idea it was to write "The LeBaron Story." She wrote a large part of this book, then turned her manuscript over to Verlan, along with her journals and notes, telling him he could finish and publish her work -- could even have all the proceeds from it!
It was Mother's effort to help her brother Verlan "build up the kingdom of God" -- her way of paying tithing and defending "God's work" because Verlan had taken over for her brother Joel LeBaron, "The One Mighty and Strong," after Joel was murdered by his brother Ervil!
The work of finishing and compiling Mother's book was largely done by my Uncle Verlan's first wife Charlotte who relied on Info from my mother's journals and notes to help her.
About 2/3 of "The LeBaron Story," therefore, came directly from my dear Mom's manuscript as well as her journal entries. I remember when she was writing this history. She talked about it a lot at the time. I recognize her writing and input. It's mixed throughout the text -- makes up a large part of it.
You may want to note the two different writer's voices used in the book! Anything with the more beautifully written structured writing, defined paragraphs, quotes, and sources listed at the back of the book, etc., is my mother Esther LeBaron Spencer's writing voice -- her contribution. Whereas Aunt Charlotte, Uncle Verlan, et Al's writing voices are in the chapters where everything is run together and there aren't structured paragraphs, footnotes, etc.
Although Uncle Verlan and Aunt Charlotte used large parts of what my Mother wrote, word for word -- used her material exactly as she had written it -- no editing at all -- they gave Mother not one BIT of credit -- not one speck of acknowledgment, let alone so much as a howdy-do-dee or thank-you. It's tantamount to plagiarism -- shameful how Charlotte and Verlan took all the credit for this book!
But getting to the body of the work, if you were to take the authors' word for everything, for sure the Mexico LeBarons are/were "a saintly people with a Godly mission." But I beg to differ: Wishing doesn't make it so. In other words, wishful thinking, such as self-proclaiming oneself as "The One Mighty and Strong," and claiming one comes from "A Godly people with a Messianic mission" doesn't make it true.
Much of the book's lore takes place in Chihuahua, Mexico. Unfortunately, the authors tell the story in the words of true-believing, fundamentalist-Mormon-LeBaron cult members. In other words, it's a highly biased history with a Messianic purpose.
True to their fanatic religiosity, as I said above, the book was mainly written to proselytize and promote Uncle Joel LeBaron's cult, "The Church of the First Born of the Fullness of Times." This presupposes a revised and rewritten history, then -- and a white-washing of the LeBarons ... It's myth in the making, to be sure.
Nonetheless, I was able to glean a bit of useful information from it. I'm glad the book was written, despite the biased viewpoint, because nobody else in the immediate Mexico LeBaron family has written any first-hand history about themselves.
But suffice it to say, the book could use a good Editor's service, if nothing else -- although, even as it is, it was a big endeavor and accomplishment for my aunts and uncle to pull off. For they were very busy people who had done little reading in comparison to Scholars and those Majoring in Journalism or such. Plus they were laboring under great pressures and disadvantages like raising huge families of small children while living in backward, primitive conditions. But book-buyer beware ... be wary! That's all I can say!
I was given a copy of this book many years ago when it first came out in 1981, fourteen years after I escaped the LeBaron cult in 1967. After reading the book, the preaching, plus the white-washing and grandiose fabrications throughout the chronicle of the LeBaron family got my gut so badly I was about to toss the book in the dumpster when my Uncle Verlan's daughters Rhea and Donna dropped in. They still believed their father was a prophet, back then, so were very happy to be gifted with my book, "The LeBaron Story." And I was very happy to get rid of it.
But thirty-six years later, for purposes of my own writing, understanding, and research, I had to re-buy the book on Kindle! Argh! It's going for around $45.00 or so in hardback, no less, on Amazon.com. Wonders never cease to amaze me ... so I wonder! Well, to each his own. Read on!
"The LeBaron Story" is truly a "Vanity Book" -- not only because my uncle Verlan LeBaron paid a publishing company in 1981 (back when self-publishing was far from the norm) to publish the book -- but also because it is a revisionistic, apologetic, and biased history of some of my grandparents Maud and Dayer LeBaron's rather grandiose offspring.
What's more, my Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Verlan are largely NOT the authors of this book though they have taken all the credit for it. Truth is, Uncle Verlan was FAR too busy to write a book -- even if he knew how -- too busy working, traveling around from country to country visiting his ten wives and fifty-plus kids -- and running from his brother Ervil who was out to kill him! And Aunt Charlotte was about this busy too!
Fact is, my mother/Verlan's sister Esther LeBaron-McDonald de Spencer (with a BA in journalism) is the one whose idea it was to write "The LeBaron Story." She wrote a large part of this book, then turned her manuscript over to Verlan, along with her journals and notes, telling him he could finish and publish her work -- could even have all the proceeds from it!
It was Mother's effort to help her brother Verlan "build up the kingdom of God" -- her way of paying tithing and defending "God's work" because Verlan had taken over for her brother Joel LeBaron, "The One Mighty and Strong," after Joel was murdered by his brother Ervil!
The work of finishing and compiling Mother's book was largely done by my Uncle Verlan's first wife Charlotte who relied on Info from my mother's journals and notes to help her.
About 2/3 of "The LeBaron Story," therefore, came directly from my dear Mom's manuscript as well as her journal entries. I remember when she was writing this history. She talked about it a lot at the time. I recognize her writing and input. It's mixed throughout the text -- makes up a large part of it.
You may want to note the two different writer's voices used in the book! Anything with the more beautifully written structured writing, defined paragraphs, quotes, and sources listed at the back of the book, etc., is my mother Esther LeBaron Spencer's writing voice -- her contribution. Whereas Aunt Charlotte, Uncle Verlan, et Al's writing voices are in the chapters where everything is run together and there aren't structured paragraphs, footnotes, etc.
Although Uncle Verlan and Aunt Charlotte used large parts of what my Mother wrote, word for word -- used her material exactly as she had written it -- no editing at all -- they gave Mother not one BIT of credit -- not one speck of acknowledgment, let alone so much as a howdy-do-dee or thank-you. It's tantamount to plagiarism -- shameful how Charlotte and Verlan took all the credit for this book!
But getting to the body of the work, if you were to take the authors' word for everything, for sure the Mexico LeBarons are/were "a saintly people with a Godly mission." But I beg to differ: Wishing doesn't make it so. In other words, wishful thinking, such as self-proclaiming oneself as "The One Mighty and Strong," and claiming one comes from "A Godly people with a Messianic mission" doesn't make it true.
Much of the book's lore takes place in Chihuahua, Mexico. Unfortunately, the authors tell the story in the words of true-believing, fundamentalist-Mormon-LeBaron cult members. In other words, it's a highly biased history with a Messianic purpose.
True to their fanatic religiosity, as I said above, the book was mainly written to proselytize and promote Uncle Joel LeBaron's cult, "The Church of the First Born of the Fullness of Times." This presupposes a revised and rewritten history, then -- and a white-washing of the LeBarons ... It's myth in the making, to be sure.
Nonetheless, I was able to glean a bit of useful information from it. I'm glad the book was written, despite the biased viewpoint, because nobody else in the immediate Mexico LeBaron family has written any first-hand history about themselves.
But suffice it to say, the book could use a good Editor's service, if nothing else -- although, even as it is, it was a big endeavor and accomplishment for my aunts and uncle to pull off. For they were very busy people who had done little reading in comparison to Scholars and those Majoring in Journalism or such. Plus they were laboring under great pressures and disadvantages like raising huge families of small children while living in backward, primitive conditions. But book-buyer beware ... be wary! That's all I can say!
I was given a copy of this book many years ago when it first came out in 1981, fourteen years after I escaped the LeBaron cult in 1967. After reading the book, the preaching, plus the white-washing and grandiose fabrications throughout the chronicle of the LeBaron family got my gut so badly I was about to toss the book in the dumpster when my Uncle Verlan's daughters Rhea and Donna dropped in. They still believed their father was a prophet, back then, so were very happy to be gifted with my book, "The LeBaron Story." And I was very happy to get rid of it.
But thirty-six years later, for purposes of my own writing, understanding, and research, I had to re-buy the book on Kindle! Argh! It's going for around $45.00 or so in hardback, no less, on Amazon.com. Wonders never cease to amaze me ... so I wonder! Well, to each his own. Read on!
February 8, 2016
I was interested in reading the book to learn more about the origins and familial connections within the LeBaron family.
The book was written in 1979 by Verlan LeBaron brother of the murderous Ervil LeBaron. The family is very well known and connected within the offshoots of the polygamist (Mormon) communities. Essentially it serves as a primer for understanding the rise of the family to prominence in Mexico and as a document to show just how twisted some family members became because of it.
The book had many problems. Chief among them was a lack of chronological coherence. The author would slip back and forth at times without informing the reader, which was difficult to follow. The electronic version was horrifically edited. The author insisted on using antiquated or inappropriate culturally Mormon terms such as 'Lamanite' to describe the native people of Mexico, etc. A genealogical tree or listing of men and their wives and children would've been helpful.
Overall the book did provide interesting family anecdotal information and history.
The book was written in 1979 by Verlan LeBaron brother of the murderous Ervil LeBaron. The family is very well known and connected within the offshoots of the polygamist (Mormon) communities. Essentially it serves as a primer for understanding the rise of the family to prominence in Mexico and as a document to show just how twisted some family members became because of it.
The book had many problems. Chief among them was a lack of chronological coherence. The author would slip back and forth at times without informing the reader, which was difficult to follow. The electronic version was horrifically edited. The author insisted on using antiquated or inappropriate culturally Mormon terms such as 'Lamanite' to describe the native people of Mexico, etc. A genealogical tree or listing of men and their wives and children would've been helpful.
Overall the book did provide interesting family anecdotal information and history.
Read
March 13, 2013The story behind this book is I actually got it from a LeBaron in Colonia LeBaron in Mexico. I have been there a couple of times for reporting purposes and have gotten familiar with the lifestyle there. This book helps understand more of where they come from and the family bonds they are very aware of. Verlan LeBaron died months after finishing this book so a second part is yet to be written.
January 9, 2024
This is an interesting account of the LeBaron story, my copy was gifted to me by one of Verlan’s sons in Col LeBaron.
The book is understandably pro-Joel. I prefer to see the problems with both sides in all conflicts. It also pre-supposes a lot of theological stuff that I find not only unbelievable but demonstrably dangerous. The debate as to which polygamist’s messianic project was guided by God doesn’t make sense to someone like me, especially this far after the beginning of The Enlightenment. But, if you take into account who the authors are, none of this is unexpected.
This really is an interesting book. The story all the way back to Joseph Smith, to Col Dublan (my hometown) and Col Juarez, the interactions not only between Col LeBaron and Col Dublan and Col Juarez but also between them and the other Fundamentalists. It is interesting. Very interesting.
It was heart wrenching. There are many times that I wanted to cry. The pain, the madness, the betrayal. The sacrifices, the ingenuity, the industry, the hard work. Everything built in such harsh circumstances. The tragedy.
Wow!!
The book is understandably pro-Joel. I prefer to see the problems with both sides in all conflicts. It also pre-supposes a lot of theological stuff that I find not only unbelievable but demonstrably dangerous. The debate as to which polygamist’s messianic project was guided by God doesn’t make sense to someone like me, especially this far after the beginning of The Enlightenment. But, if you take into account who the authors are, none of this is unexpected.
This really is an interesting book. The story all the way back to Joseph Smith, to Col Dublan (my hometown) and Col Juarez, the interactions not only between Col LeBaron and Col Dublan and Col Juarez but also between them and the other Fundamentalists. It is interesting. Very interesting.
It was heart wrenching. There are many times that I wanted to cry. The pain, the madness, the betrayal. The sacrifices, the ingenuity, the industry, the hard work. Everything built in such harsh circumstances. The tragedy.
Wow!!
February 6, 2024
This book gets a 1 or 2 for style points (the author reports every movement of every member of this sprawling sect leaving a wake of skittering narration that shoots around like a bottle rocket), but from an anthropological standpoint, this book is GOLDEN.
As a gesture of due diligence, I’m going to go for a re-read of Verlan’s ex-wife’s Irene’s memoirs of this time period. I think the women’s experiences were vastly different than those of the male leadership’s.
As a gesture of due diligence, I’m going to go for a re-read of Verlan’s ex-wife’s Irene’s memoirs of this time period. I think the women’s experiences were vastly different than those of the male leadership’s.
October 4, 2022
Very interesting
This book is very interesting. I've read two books on this case before, one by his ex-wife, but it was very nice to be able to read the story of what happened as well as the history of his family in his own words.
The reason I'm giving it a four star rating is because of the punctuation errors which I found annoying.
This book is very interesting. I've read two books on this case before, one by his ex-wife, but it was very nice to be able to read the story of what happened as well as the history of his family in his own words.
The reason I'm giving it a four star rating is because of the punctuation errors which I found annoying.
December 9, 2024
I put 31 dog-ears into this book, an order of magnitude more than most books I read. The apologetics and occasional grammar and spelling errors mark this as an authentic work, though one wanting in moderation. I found it fascinating, disturbing, and in the end a heartbreaking story that plays out against the dynamic backdrops of religious faith, mental health challenges (probably autism in this case), family ties, social and then geographic isolation, evil, goodness, a generational desire for redemption and glory, polygamy, colonization of wilderness, miscegenation, prophecy, many new souls in a demographically abundant community (thanks to polygamy). And much more.
The dog ears relate mostly to my dialogue with the book's religious and moral claims, which I take serious issue with as a devout member of the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My objections to their claims are too many to enumerate here, but they center around inconsistencies, justifications for abuse and control, a tendency for prideful grandiosity, violence, an inability to accept the 'livingness' (changes of policy when needed) of the true church, and especially an apparent lack of appreciation for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
I visited Colonia LeBaron a couple of times in 2024, and loved the many good people I met there. I believe God sends souls into challenging situations to help heal and reclaim communities over time. Few there now practice polygamy or attend the vestige of the church that Joel founded; many seem to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a development that I believe their ancestor Benjamin F. Johnson cheers from the other side of the veil.
The dog ears relate mostly to my dialogue with the book's religious and moral claims, which I take serious issue with as a devout member of the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My objections to their claims are too many to enumerate here, but they center around inconsistencies, justifications for abuse and control, a tendency for prideful grandiosity, violence, an inability to accept the 'livingness' (changes of policy when needed) of the true church, and especially an apparent lack of appreciation for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
I visited Colonia LeBaron a couple of times in 2024, and loved the many good people I met there. I believe God sends souls into challenging situations to help heal and reclaim communities over time. Few there now practice polygamy or attend the vestige of the church that Joel founded; many seem to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a development that I believe their ancestor Benjamin F. Johnson cheers from the other side of the veil.
Want to read
July 6, 2009I would love to borrow this if anyone is willing to lend it out!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews