Instrumental:
A memoir of madness, medication, and music
James Rhodes

In blog “Pt 34-J,” I discussed the novelty of my Grandpa Dayer LeBaron and his son Ben — and probably his son Ross Wesley Sr., too [1] — holding concurrently the Johnson mantle/Right of the Firstborn/OM&S scepter of power.

That’s not only impossible, but bat-shit crazy, I thought … till recently I talked with an old-time Fundi who informed me there are a few Mormon fundamentalist groups who believe ALL the “keys to the kingdom” can be held — if only in waiting — by a number of men; all at one time!

If that doesn’t beat all, it at least makes possible a few things, in a few Fundies’ eyes, that would be impossible, otherwise. That’s all I care to say on the subject!

In my humble opinion, it’s totally “mental” that Uncle Ben and Uncle Ross Wesley Sr. not only each claimed concurrently, right along with their father, to be the OM&S; but each also claimed to have gotten their “scepter of power”/patriarchal position from their own father who was still living — and STILL claiming HE, himself, was the ONLY one who held Benjamin F. Johnson’s priesthood mantle/scepter of power/keys to the kingdom; and was, therefore, Joseph Smith’s SOLE patriarchal heir!

But that ain’t the first time there were at least three or more LeBaron “Profits”/Pontiffs claiming the same “sceptre of power” — at the same time — in my SAME Mexico-LeBaron family!

Possibly, cousin Owen LeBaron (1918-1975), at one time, was claimng — concurrently with Dayer, Ben, and Ross Wesley Sr. — that he was the only true OM&S/one-of-a-kind “profit” — while claiming ALL the other OM&S Pontiffs were false prophets who should be put to death! (LOL!)

Well, that’s really not a laughing matter among “mentals:” Uncle Ross Wesley Sr. said he wasn’t against false prophets — such as his brother Joel (Ross Wesley Sr.’s arch enemy) — being put to death! [1]

I mentioned in a previous blog:
At one time, my uncle’s Ben, Ross Wesley Sr., Joel, AND Ervil were ALL FOUR claiming, CONCURRENTLY, that they each held the special OM&S priesthood power …
that THEY each were God’s only mouthpiece to the people; and THAT this position was conferred upon them, EXCLUSIVELY, BY their own father Dayer LeBaron …
who, by that time, had passed on … apparently passed on more than his keys to the kingdom, power, and glory:
He passed on mental illness.

Glory hallelujah, let’s all be saved — Saved from illusions and delusions of grandeur and power!

Mental Institutions abound with miscreants claiming to be God, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, the OM&S, Napolean; you name it.

I thank God daily I didn’t inherit this “blessing,” this “scepter of power” — “God-to-the-people” power-syndrome; a narcisistic, megalomaniac need to be “The Only One”/Top Dog — The best of all God’s cretons in His/Her creation.

God help us! It takes a lot of sanity, integrity, and self-esteem to resist claiming we’re something we’re not.

I love the challenge of being the person I am; being where I am, doing what I am; love being a unique silkworm in metamorphosis, spinning MY silk-thread in the grand tapestry of Life — not lost in trying to be someone I’m not.

(To be continued)

[1] https://holyorder.org/2017/08/26/ross-lebaron-interview-to-dale-van-atta-1977/

Continued June 7, 2019: “Pt 34-M: The LeBaron Madmen: Button, Button: Who’s Got the Button?