Daughters of the Cult

Last updated

Daughters of the Cult
Daughters of the Cult.jpg
Genre Documentary
Directed bySara Mast
Music by Jimmy Stofer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producers
  • Sara Mast
  • Emily Bon
  • Jimmy Fox
  • Beth Hoppe
  • Jacob Cohen-Holmes
CinematographyAnton Floquet
Editors
  • Rob Traegler
  • Adrienne Salisbury
  • Jose Pulido
  • Glenn Morgan
  • Ben Simoff
  • Dave Wadsworth
Running time43-48 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Hulu
ReleaseJanuary 4, 2024 (2024-01-04)

Daughters of the Cult is an 2024 documentary series directed and produced by Sara Mast. It explores the life of Ervil LeBaron, the leader of a religious fundamental group who ordered the murders of his opponents, told through the eyes of former members, and children of LeBaron.

Contents

It premiered January 4, 2024, on Hulu. [1]

Premise

Explores the life of Ervil LeBaron, the leader of Church of the First Born Lamb of God, who ordered the murders of his opponents, practicing blood atonement, including Rulon C. Allred, [2] and a hit-list carried out by followers of LeBaron, years after his death, told through the eyes of his children, Anna and Celia LeBaron. [3] [4]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1"Blood Atonement"Sara MastJanuary 4, 2024 (2024-01-04)
2"The Mormon Manson"Sara MastJanuary 4, 2024 (2024-01-04)
3"Manhunt"Sara MastJanuary 4, 2024 (2024-01-04)
4"The Hit List"Sara MastJanuary 4, 2024 (2024-01-04)
5"The 4 O'Clock Murders"Sara MastJanuary 4, 2024 (2024-01-04)

Reception

Joe Reid of Primetimer praised the series and its approach writing: "So many elements of the Daughters of the Cult story resonate today: the notion that cult followers don't necessarily disband just because the leader goes away; the omnipresence of guns, demonstrated by how easily the LeBaron family was able to arm themselves. It doesn't let the viewer sit easily with just another murder show. The violence sparked by Ervil LeBaron and broken families he left behind by Ervil LeBaron still linger, both on screen and off." [5]

Johnny Loftus of Decider.com also praised the series approach writing: "A true crime docuseries done right. Never elevating the violent, sexually controlling cult leader at its center to some ghoulish pedestal, it instead uses a journalistic eye to focus on the people he hurt most, his very children, who are given the space to share their perspectives." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mormon fundamentalism</span> Advocates of some early Mormon doctrines

Mormon fundamentalism 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, Brigham Young, and John Taylor, the first three presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormon fundamentalists seek to uphold tenets and practices no longer held by mainstream Mormons. The principle most often associated with Mormon fundamentalism is plural marriage, a form of polygyny first taught in the Latter Day Saint movement by the movement's founder, Smith. A second and closely associated principle is that of the United Order, a form of egalitarian communalism. Mormon fundamentalists believe that these and other principles were wrongly abandoned or changed by the LDS Church in its efforts to become reconciled with mainstream American society. Today, the LDS Church excommunicates any of its members who practice plural marriage or who otherwise closely associate themselves with Mormon fundamentalist practices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Jeffs</span> American criminal and religious leader (born 1955)

Warren Steed Jeffs is an American religious-cult leader and felon, convicted of several sex crimes and two assisted sex crimes involving children. He is the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a polygamous cult. In 2011, he was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault, for which he is serving a life sentence.

<i>Under the Banner of Heaven</i> 2003 book by Jon Krakauer

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith is a nonfiction book by author Jon Krakauer, first published in July 2003. He investigated and juxtaposed two histories: the origin and evolution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a modern double murder committed in the name of God by brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who subscribed to a fundamentalist version of Mormonism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ervil LeBaron</span> American murderer and fundamentalist Mormon leader

Ervil Morrell LeBaron was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, both within his own sect and in rival polygamous groups, using the religious doctrine of blood atonement to justify the murders. He was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of an opponent, and died there in 1981.

Le Baron, le Baron, or LeBaron may refer to:

The God Makers IIis a documentary-styled film produced by Ed Decker and Jeremiah Films in 1993. The film, a sequel to Decker’s earlier film The God Makers, is intended to be an exposé of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rulon C. Allred</span> American polygamist

Rulon Clark Allred was an American homeopath 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. He was murdered on the orders of Ervil LeBaron, the head of a rival polygamous sect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span> Fundamentalist Mormon sect based in Iron County, Utah

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. It is based in Iron County, Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen A. Allred</span> American religious leader

Owen 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Grant</span> Fictional character

Roman Grant is a fictional character in the HBO series, Big Love, and is portrayed by Harry Dean Stanton. He was the prophet of the Juniper Creek Compound, and is the father of Nicolette Grant and Alby Grant. The character is loosely based on the real life polygamist leader Rulon Jeffs.

The Church of the Firstborn 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 Alma Dayer LeBaron Sr. by 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel LeBaron</span> American religious leader and Mormon fundamentalist

Joel Franklin LeBaron was a Mormon fundamentalist leader in northern Mexico. He was murdered by a member or members of a rival church which was headed by his brother Ervil LeBaron.

Dorothy Allred Solomon is an American author and educator committed to informing people about the pros and cons of polygamous lifestyles.

Irene Spencer was an American author and a widow of Verlan LeBaron, brother of former prophet Joel LeBaron of the Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, a fundamentalist Mormon offshoot.

Rena Chynoweth is an American former Mormon fundamentalist who shot Rulon C. Allred dead in 1977. Acquitted of murder in a criminal trial, Chynoweth later admitted to killing Allred.

The Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God, also known as the Church of the Lamb of God, was a violent Latter Day Saint group founded by Ervil LeBaron that is responsible for dozens of deaths over two decades. After his death, it was run by several of his sons.

William Heber LeBaron is a convicted murderer who once led the cult Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God.

Daniel Ben Jordan was an American Mormon fundamentalist. He was a follower of Joel LeBaron, until his brother Ervil LeBaron formed the splinter group Church of the First Born of the Lamb of God.

References

  1. White, Peter (December 15, 2023). "Hulu Sets More True-Crime Docuseries From ABC News Studios Including 'Daughters Of The Cult' & Season 2 Of 'Death In The Dorms'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  2. Sager, Jessica (January 9, 2024). "Daughters of the Cult: Who Was Polygamous Cult Leader Ervil Morrell LeBaron?". People . Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  3. Alberty, Erin (January 10, 2024). "The polygamous "Mormon Manson" behind Hulu's hit docuseries". Axios . Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  4. Pereira, Ivan (January 10, 2024). "Daughters of the LeBaron cult detail the violence and fear that was a way of life". ABC News . Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  5. Reid, Joe (January 5, 2024). "Daughters of the Cult Tells One of the Bloodiest Cult Stories Since Jonestown". Primetimer. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  6. Loftus, Johnny (January 5, 2024). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Daughters Of The Cult' On Hulu, Where A Mormon Fundamentalist Named Ervil LeBaron Wreaks Havoc". Decider.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.