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Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author)

3.99 · Rating details · 163,647 ratings · 10,672 reviews

A Story of Violent Faith

A multilayered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, and unyielding faith. This is vintage Krakauer, an utterly compelling work of nonfiction that illuminates an otherwise confounding realm of human behavior.

Jon Krakauer’s literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. A Story of Violent Faith

A multilayered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, and unyielding faith. This is vintage Krakauer, an utterly compelling work of nonfiction that illuminates an otherwise confounding realm of human behavior.

Jon Krakauer’s literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. In Under The Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, he shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders. At the core of his book is an appalling double murder committed by two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their blameless victims. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this "divinely inspired" crime, Krakauer constructs a multilayered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, and unyielding faith. Along the way, he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America’s fastest-growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief.

Krakauer takes readers inside isolated communities in the American West, Canada, and Mexico, where some forty-thousand Mormon Fundamentalists believe the mainstream Mormon Church went unforgivably astray when it renounced polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the leaders of these outlaw sects are zealots who answer only to God. Marrying prodigiously and with virtual impunity (the leader of the largest fundamentalist church took seventy-five "plural wives," several of whom were wed to him when they were fourteen or fifteen and he was in his eighties), fundamentalist prophets exercise absolute control over the lives of their followers, and preach that any day now the world will be swept clean in a hurricane of fire, sparing only their most obedient adherents.

Weaving the story of the Lafferty brothers and their fanatical brethren with a clear-eyed look at Mormonism’s violent past, Krakauer examines the underbelly of the most successful homegrown faith in the United States, and finds a distinctly American brand of religious extremism. The result is vintage Krakauer, an utterly compelling work of nonfiction that illuminates an otherwise confounding realm of human behavior. ...more

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Published 2004 by Pan MacMillan (first published July 10th 2003)

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Aug 19, 2007 Len rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I don't know where to start with this book -- I couldn't put it down. It was enthralling. ...more

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Dec 17, 2008 Petra-X Off having adventures rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy-religion, reviewed

This is a hard book for me to review given that I have quite a few Mormon friends and that although my own philosophy leans more towards existentialism than anything else, I feel it's differents strokes for different folks. I am led inescapably by this book to view Mormonism as a cult that has changed and adapted as was expedient given the various political currents ebbing and waning.

I've seen, here in the West Indies, how a cult can gain both the practice and the legitimacy of an established re This is a hard book for me to review given that I have quite a few Mormon friends and that although my own philosophy leans more towards existentialism than anything else, I feel it's differents strokes for different folks. I am led inescapably by this book to view Mormonism as a cult that has changed and adapted as was expedient given the various political currents ebbing and waning.

I've seen, here in the West Indies, how a cult can gain both the practice and the legitimacy of an established religion within a few generations. There are two routes to this. The first is the government is willing to recognise it and allow it tax-exempt status in which case it becomes part of the establishment The second is that it becomes an issue of political-correctness and people and the media must appear to pay the cult at least the lip-service of respect whether or not it deserves it. I'm talking about Rastafarianism of course. And I've read it here in this book as a cult developed into what would become the FLDS (still a cult) and the mainstream Mormons.

With Rastafarians, the first generation that had major public visibility, was reggae, Bob Marley. The second generation were the rastas with their locks that were making records, and many of my friends. The third generation are the grandchildren, my friends' children brought up in the 'religion'. The fourth are the very young, the great grandchildren.

In the first generation, the founder either seeks influence and power as with Mormonism, or is deified, Haile Selassie in Rastafarianism. In the second generation the founding truths and myths and the legends surrounding the founders or the deified one have coalesced into a body of oral and written literature that will form the holy books. This will become the work of sacred reference that will be consulted when laws are changed or introduced and which will be used when moral laws are decided.

As an aside in all cults and religions it seems to be that men will use the holy books to justify their treatment of women. There are no established religions that have been created by women, the development and administration of religion is a man's game.

In the third generation, the grandchildren are in the same situation as the children of people belonging to religions thousands of years old - they do not remember a time, nor do their parents when they and their families were not believers and theirs is a history and established pattern of worship and traditions to draw upon.

When the religion is still a cult, the goverment and courts will not allow the teachings of that cult to be a defence for crimes committed. There is much of this, including a truly unholy massacre in this book. But once the cult has the weight of an established religion, then the religion becomes a legitimate defence to crime, the crime has been committed Under the Banner of Heaven.

As with all Karakauer books, its very well-written in quite a journalistic style and is well worth a read even if you totally disagree with my interpretation of it.

read originally 2008, reviewed 2015
review rewritten 3 March 2020 ...more

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Jul 06, 2007 Colleen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: history and religious studies buffs

I read this book for the book club at my local library. Afterwards, I felt indignant, confused, intrigued, and disgusted about all forms of faith. So, I sincerely hoped that a Saint or two would show up at the book club meeting, to nullify my extremely negative view of the church. Alas, no LDS believers showed, so I am left to my own conclusions about the book and faith in general. Here are some of my conclusions and questions after reading this sprawling, fascinating account of the history of p I read this book for the book club at my local library. Afterwards, I felt indignant, confused, intrigued, and disgusted about all forms of faith. So, I sincerely hoped that a Saint or two would show up at the book club meeting, to nullify my extremely negative view of the church. Alas, no LDS believers showed, so I am left to my own conclusions about the book and faith in general. Here are some of my conclusions and questions after reading this sprawling, fascinating account of the history of polygamy and violence within the Church of Later Day Saints:

There is a certain appeal to having no choices. Sometimes religion is comforting because obedience to a provided list of rules removes personal responsibility. Strict adherence to a religion removes personal doubt. When you believe so fully in a church, you are no longer forced to question your own actions-- after all, if you carefully follow the directions of your spiritual leaders, you will gain your own paradise, regardless of what your personal conscious says about right or wrong.

This leads me into my next point. I will never be a Mormon, for many reasons. First, in the Mormon faith, if you realize the highest echelon of Mormonism, you will get your own planet to run after you die. If you're a man, that is. If you're a woman, you can join your man on his planet... if he invites you. No, no, no. Please. I deserve my own planet. Wives and children are property, at least in the fundamentalists sects of Mormonism. I am a person, an event, not chattel. Second, remind me to never join a religion that condones killing. (See "blood atonement," as typified in the Mountain Meadows Massacre.) Third, I don't want to be a believer in a faith that tells me I have to earn love-- least of all, God's. We are all holy, I think. We all have goodness and grace within us, no matter how many veils of earthly existence have descended. Finally, I will never follow a religion that doesn't encourage me to question everything. Information and education are my life-blood. I must be able to use my brain to get closer to God. Otherwise, why the heck would s/he give it to me?

So, now that we have the comments specific to the Mormon faith out of the way, let's move on to the questions about faith in general. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who is going through a personal crisis. It will boil your blood and make you think. (What more could you want?) Here are my questions:
1) Why does listening to the divine in each of us produce such different results? It can lead to peace and pacifism, or killing. Who is speaking? God, or ego?
2) Is all fundementalism mired in violence, or do certain faiths promote it?
3) Does God always speak in King James' English? (It seems so, according to the Book of Mormon.)
4) Would all religions seem this crazy if we were only 200 years out, and had intimate, dirty details of each guru's life?
5) Is there anything inherently wrong with polygamy? Do we have a gene for monogomy? (I don't care, as long as no one gets hurt. And marrying 13 year olds, sometimes when they're your own daughter, is inherently hurtful.)
6) Is faith the opposite of reason? Is education the cure for religion?
7)Is religion a distraction from the humdrum of our everyday lives? (Opposite of Buddhism.)

Ok, y'all, sorry about the long review. But seriously, read the book. It's excellently chilling, and will keep you up late at night writing your comments furiously on post-it notes. At least, that's what it did to me.
...more

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Apr 05, 2020 jessica rated it really liked it

this book is quite different from what i thought it would be. i was excepting ‘in cold blood’ true crime vibes, and that is present, but much of the book explores the history of a particular religion and how extreme religious belief can sometimes inspire violent actions.

while the in-depth history sections were not my favourite (ive never been a history person, no matter the topic), i love JKs writing. theres just something about it that makes me feel like he could take any subject and make it a ...more

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Mar 02, 2019 BlackOxford rated it liked it

Shelves: american, epistemology-language, church

The Spirit of America

Harold Bloom has called Mormonism the American Religion. Not only was it created in America, Mormonism also articulates the American Dream in both its history and its doctrine: the ultimate deification of its members united in a theocratic independence of civil authority. Mormonism, although a relatively small sect, represents the mainstream of American evangelical, perhaps national, consciousness. What Under the Banner of Heaven demonstrates, if nothing else, is just how st ...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Stephen rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebooks, true-crime, audiobook

4.0 to 4.5 stars. For non-fiction, this book had me absolutely riveted from the very beginning. This true crime narative has three main themes, all of which I think Krakauer accomplishes extremely well. First, this is a true crime story of the brutal double murder of Brenda Lafferty and her 15 month old baby girl at the hands Ron and Dan Lafferty (the older brothers of Brenda’s husband). Second, is a survey of the origin and early history of Mormonism and the basic doctrines of the Mormon fa ...more

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Oct 20, 2007 Mateo rated it really liked it

You know, I probably shouldn't have read this directly after finishing In Cold Blood. I'm not saying the combination brought out the homicidal psychotic in me, but I did have to pay for stabbing the hell out of a turkey in the Albertson's meat section the other day.

Is there a stranger sect out there than the Mormons? I mean, golden plates ... lost tribes ... Nephites battling Lamanites ... Orrin Hatch.... Well, yes, I guess one look at Tom Cruise jumping up and down on Oprah's couch suggests th You know, I probably shouldn't have read this directly after finishing In Cold Blood. I'm not saying the combination brought out the homicidal psychotic in me, but I did have to pay for stabbing the hell out of a turkey in the Albertson's meat section the other day.

Is there a stranger sect out there than the Mormons? I mean, golden plates ... lost tribes ... Nephites battling Lamanites ... Orrin Hatch.... Well, yes, I guess one look at Tom Cruise jumping up and down on Oprah's couch suggests that Scientology has a lot to answer for, as well. For that matter, I've never understood how a burning bush speaks to someone. Why a burning bush? Why not, say, a burning acacia tree?

But if mainstream Mormonism is a little on the far-out side, then fundamentalist Mormonism--sort of like regular Mormonism with more fanaticism, more racism, more welfare cheating, more taking of wives, and more child rape--is like the spastic uncle that mainstream Mormonism keeps in the wine cellar. "Thumping? What thumping? I didn't hear anything. Did you hear anything, honey? I didn't hear anything."

Krakauer does a fine job of interweaving Mormon history, profiles of fundamentalist breakaway Mormon sects, and the hideous, gruesome story of the two God-soaked fundamentalist brothers who slashed the throats of a young woman and her infant daughter. He attempts to be as fair-minded as possible about all these subjects while never neglecting to call a spade a spade. Personally, I would have used the word "nutjob" and "charlatan" a lot more often, and not just in connection with the fundamentalists, but Krakauer makes a point of not passing judgment on the validity of firmly held religious beliefs. I guess a book called Is the Entire State of Utah Out of Its Mind? wouldn't sell.

In sum, though, Under the Banner of Heaven is as gripping and hard to put down as Krakauer's other fine books, and offers a valuable insight into a strange, deeply American phenomenon. Recommended.

One small but not unimportant note: Krakauer includes a final "Author's Remarks" section at the end of the book. These remarks chiefly concern Krakauer's own attitudes toward religion and Mormonism, as well as his intent in writing the book. It's unfortunate that he added this postscript, not because it's unwarranted but because a) it's largely superfluous, and b) it rather ruins the picture-perfect way the rest of the book ends. Jon, you had it in the bag, man; all you had to do was dribble out the clock. Everything in that postscript should be said in interviews.
...more

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Feb 26, 2008 Karen rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: didn-t-finish

This book makes a lot of big promises, but it suffers from several serious flaws:

1. Lack of focus.
2. Too long.
3. Preposterous claim.
4. Boring

This is a true crime novel--maybe--set against the history of the Mormon Church--but not really--trying to tie in a couple of murders committed by a couple of sickos--all too common--into an historical and political climate of post-terrorist, millennial religious revival--unsuccessfully.

For true crime, it's shockingly dull, and the crime is committed by the This book makes a lot of big promises, but it suffers from several serious flaws:

1. Lack of focus.
2. Too long.
3. Preposterous claim.
4. Boring

This is a true crime novel--maybe--set against the history of the Mormon Church--but not really--trying to tie in a couple of murders committed by a couple of sickos--all too common--into an historical and political climate of post-terrorist, millennial religious revival--unsuccessfully.

For true crime, it's shockingly dull, and the crime is committed by the middle of the book, but you already know it's going to happen because it's committed in the prologue, too. The characters aren't interesting, their motivations are the ordinary motivations of religious sickos, and the detail is presented tediously.

The Mormon Church is presented as entirely to blame for the murderers' thoughts and the victims, and for Elizabeth Smart's abduction and captivity. It's crammed full of historical detail that might be interesting but it's presented in such a snide, disrespectful tone that it's just a rip on the Church. At one point the author grudgingly admits that Mormonism is no stranger or objectively odd than any other religion (once you get right down to it) but he nonetheless mocks it and its adherents. He continually harps on its sexism, as if every other religion in the Western World were a paragon of equality and political fairness. Odder still is the fact that his murderers and enablers aren't even Mormon. They invented a religion based on Mormonism, but it's taken to such an extreme that the Mormon Church has disassociated itself with them and is cited frequently by the author as denying that what these guys practice is the same religion.

I made it to page 175 where the murders happened, and then the book jumped to another overly detailed of the history of Joseph Smith and friends and I was only halfway through the book. I guess the rest of it is how the Mormons got to Utah and the court case, but considering everyone knew who committed the murder--they'd told maybe ten people they were going to do it and they confessed immediately and you knew this already from the book--there was no suspense about that. The psychological profile of a religious killer is known already. I can't imagine what you would need to keep writing about.

There are also too many footnotes, on diverse and vaguely interesting tidbits, some of them half a page long. It adds to the lack of focus. It's just a scrambled book about a tragedy.

Everything seems to be coming up polygamy of late, down to the HBO series, Big Love. So perhaps this was shocking and provocative and informative a few years ago, but the fundamentalist polygamist sects are very much in the public consciousness now and this book doesn't give any new information. What I found most interesting were the similarities to some of the characters in that television show to some of the fundamentalist profiles in the book. None of them were similar to the point of being "inspired by," I don't think, but things like the Romanian immigrant becoming a plural wife reminded me of Ana, and the daughters of prophets all over the place reminded me of Nikki, and the Mormon wives of Mormon men who adopt polygamy reminded me of Barb. Of course, this is in circumstance only. Bill Paxton's family makes me wish I had a sister wife sometimes. I'd certainly get a lot more done. ...more

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Apr 02, 2008 Cheryl rated it did not like it

Shelves: tried-to-read

Hmmm...where do I start? First of all, I didn't finish reading this book. It was intriguing in the beginning to learn about the Fundamentalist Mormons and the interestingly odd things they believe and practice. It was also interesting to contemplate the power of faith. Faith in something or someone, regardless of what or whom they are, can make people do unbelievable things. This is true.

I can see how Krakauer would have been frustrated when access to historical documents and interviews with pro Hmmm...where do I start? First of all, I didn't finish reading this book. It was intriguing in the beginning to learn about the Fundamentalist Mormons and the interestingly odd things they believe and practice. It was also interesting to contemplate the power of faith. Faith in something or someone, regardless of what or whom they are, can make people do unbelievable things. This is true.

I can see how Krakauer would have been frustrated when access to historical documents and interviews with prominent LDS leaders weren't granted to him. In order to tell all sides of a story, you must be able to research all sides. I think in the past 5-10 years, the LDS church has been more forthcoming and open with their history and archives, thanks largely to the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. So perhaps if Krakauer were to have written this book now, he would not encounter these same road blocks.
Some people may feel that if some aspects of the churches history were to be exposed to the general membership of the church, it would cause members to lose faith. This may be true of some. But I believe that those who truly have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel, the prophet Joseph Smith, and especially of the Lord Jesus Christ; these people would not sway from their beliefs.

Being a devout member of the LDS (Mormon) faith, I was a bit disturbed to see how the defining line between the FLDS and LDS churches was often blurred and crossed. These religions are completely separate in all but their initial history. Polygamy is not currently being practiced by any member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is in good standing. If a member were practicing polygamy, they would be excommunicated.

That said, I also did not appreciate the tone with which Krakauer referred to Joseph Smith. I have great respect and admiration for this leader of my church. He was a good man who did the things that God and Jesus Christ asked him to do. I'm sure it wasn't always easy, but he did it anyway.

There are things in the history of the Mormon church that have and still occasionally do disturb me. For instance: polygamy, the priesthood being withheld from black men, the Mountain Meadows massacre, etc. But I also know that I do not understand everything and will be able to gain a complete understanding when I leave this earth.

Most of all, I know that I have a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ did restore His church here upon the earth through Joseph Smith. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. I also know that if I have Faith, that intense faith that is required for people to do extraordinary and even seemingly ordinary things, I will one day stand before my Lord Jesus Christ, sure in the knowledge of my place as a daughter of God. ...more

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Feb 22, 2008 John rated it did not like it

Shelves: religion

I really enjoyed Into Thin Air, but now I wonder if it is poorly done as this book was. As a Mormon I was amazed at Krakauer's complete naivete that he's trying to pass off as expertise and a well-researched book. I'd be scared of Mormonism too if I read this and didn't know better. The logic leaps he makes are simply massive. For a story about the Lafferty's, this is a nicely told yarn. For understanding its extrapolation into a story about Mormonism it is foolishness at its finest. ...more

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Sep 06, 2020 Greta G rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-in-english, this-is-america, fides-et-ratio, ebook

Since Donald Trump took office, Iceland responded by protecting its secular culture. The Icelandic government declared that all religions are considered mental disorders and banned all religious practices.
The Icelandic Psychological Defense Act (IPDA) made it illegal for any American televangelist to set foot in the country. The Iceland Heritage Defense Act (IDHA) strictly prohibits Christians from entering several locations and tourist sites, like libraries, women health centers, Starbucks, hot ...more

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Oct 16, 2017 Kelli rated it it was ok

Thank God that’s over (no pun intended)!

This book may have been confused about what it was or maybe it’s just me thats confused, but by the end of this (or, to be more accurate, well before the middle) I felt saturated with history and facts(?) to the point that I could no longer distinguish what was referring to Mormonism and what was FLDS. The crime discussed on the cover doesn’t feel central to the book, and I didn’t get a true sense of where the author was placing blame...narcissistic perso ...more

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May 01, 2016 Perry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

Intriguing and Incisively Iconoclastic

Ron & Dan Lafferty, convicted of vicious 1984 murders of their brother's wife & infant daughter (shown below)

A razor-edged examination of fanaticism in religion, focused primarily on the Mormon Church and its fundamentalist offshoot sects that continue to adhere to the norms the federal government forced the Church to abandon over a century ago: polygamy and the marriage of pubescent females.

Jon Krakauer concentrates on the true story of the 1984 murders of ...more

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Oct 07, 2014 Jonathan Ashleigh rated it really liked it

This book is great for it's depiction and unbiased view of Mormonism. ...more

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Mar 30, 2007 Marissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, thepast

My father's family is obsessed with Mormons, I think it's fair to say. Well..not Mormons. Most of the Mormons I've known have been perfectly regular people. If you're Mormon, please forgive me if that sounds callous. We are, however, obsessed with Mormonism, and have been since my aunt and uncle took a trip to Salt Lake City many years ago and came back with something we call "The Mormon Movie".

"The Mormon Movie" is like the axis point of a fascination that's gone on for years and is easy to exp ...more

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Feb 29, 2020 Terri rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: secret-cult-history, crime-homicide, religion-mormon-history, crime-bigamy

The tragic story of extreme and untreated mental illness; a polygamous cult called the "School of Prophets" which was a fundamentalist group of the Mormon Church and the failure of society to stop the killing of two innocent people in 1984. It is also the history of the Mormon Church and its place in American religion and culture. The killers (one who just recently died in 2019) were a pair of brothers who decided that their sister-in-law and her 15 month old baby girl were responsible for the b ...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Caroline rated it really liked it

Shelves: miscellaneous, 4-star-reads

Gosh, I still feel a bit stunned. This book gives you a lot to think about, and it does it with a thwack.

Basically this is story of the Lafferty brothers, born into a deeply fundamentalist Mormon family with a sometimes brutal but sometimes loving father, whom they adored. As they grew older they really went off the rails, and they did so by becoming even more fundamentalist than their father, immersing themselves in old Mormon writings, and living their lives by these tenets, in a way that was ...more

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Aug 14, 2007 Gwen rated it it was amazing

This book is fantastic. Krakauer looks at the history of violence in the Mormon religion (both against them and perpetrated by them) and how this violence, romanticized by modern fundamentalist Mormon polygamists, led two men to kill their sister-in-law and her baby because they said God told them to. These men felt, and continued to feel, no remorse because of their doctrine that "killing for the Lord" is entirely acceptable if it is necessary to do God's will.

Krakauer's greater point is to loo This book is fantastic. Krakauer looks at the history of violence in the Mormon religion (both against them and perpetrated by them) and how this violence, romanticized by modern fundamentalist Mormon polygamists, led two men to kill their sister-in-law and her baby because they said God told them to. These men felt, and continued to feel, no remorse because of their doctrine that "killing for the Lord" is entirely acceptable if it is necessary to do God's will.

Krakauer's greater point is to look at American religions and fundamentalist religions and how the leadership of fundamentalist religions that emphasize direct revelations from God is unstable, because followers inevitably believe they are receiving revelations and need to overthrow the current leadership. As a result, these religions tend to split into sub-groups quite regularly. Using this lens he looks at how fundamentalist Mormon groups emerged once the mainstream Mormon church abandoned polygamy and how the polygamist movement has split into different groups over time.

Krakauer does not attack religion or the Mormons per se. He provides a balanced look at the history of Mormons, emphasizing violence and prejudice against them as much as violence done by them to others. However, he insists on a historically accurate account based on the best evidence available (legal documents, etc.), rather than accepting the LDS church's official version of events.

He also discusses how mainstream culture defines certain groups as "delusional" while allowing other groups to hold equally non-rational ideas without judgment. The trial of the Laffertys provides an excellent case to show how the mental health profession defines "crazy" and "delusional" in a way that could technically be used to diagnose all religious people as crazy; but of course, we define only some groups as crazy for their religious beliefs.

Not surprisingly, because Krakauer does not portray Joseph Smith and Brigham Young as angelic saints who never did anything wrong in their entire lives, the LDS leadership attacked the book, instructing members to avoid it. At the end of the book Krakauer includes a long essay written by Elder Turley, a member of the top leadership, criticizing his essay and then responds to it point-by-point.

I absolutely loved the book and could barely put it down. ...more

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Aug 21, 2015 Snotchocheez rated it really liked it

I don't know if I can write an unbiased review of Under the Banner of Heaven. I'll say this: Krakauer's well-researched, exceedingly well-written 2003 book, which is 1/3rd a true crime examination of the brutal 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and her young daughter Erika by two Fundamentalist (i.e. polygamous) Mormons Dan and Ron Lafferty (her brothers-in-law) and 2/3rds an exhaustive examination of the Mormon religion (particularly its violent foment), is a fascinating read.

What I have some tr ...more

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Aug 08, 2017 Clif Hostetler rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history

This 2003 book by Jon Krakauer provides a well crafted interweaving of two histories: the origin and evolution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 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. These histories are interrelated because the murder was motivated by endeavors of the Lafferty brothers to follow their understanding of the original manifestation of LDS teachi This 2003 book by Jon Krakauer provides a well crafted interweaving of two histories: the origin and evolution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), 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. These histories are interrelated because the murder was motivated by endeavors of the Lafferty brothers to follow their understanding of the original manifestation of LDS teachings that enabled all believers to receive and interpret messages from God. They believed they were obeying the will of God by committing the murders.

I particularly found interesting the portion near the end of the book that excerpted portions of the trial transcript regarding the sanity of the defendant Ron Lafferty. The defense made the case that the crime was motivated by delusional belief, and since the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV) states “false beliefs” by definition are delusions it logically follows that the defendant is innocent due to insanity.

The prosecution countered the defense insanity argument with testimony stating that the beliefs of the Lafferty brothers were religious faith beliefs no more insane than many other well known orthodox religious beliefs such as consubstantiation, virgin birth, and resurrection of the dead. The jury apparently agreed with the prosecution because they voted to convict.

The viciousness of the crime as described in this book took my breath away. Much of the Mormon history and the behavior of the fundamentalists' attempts to follow that early history were also shocking. The LDS is especially handicapped with a tradition that encourages all believers to think they can be prophets capable of receiving commands from God. All religions have some history and beliefs that don't holdup well under the scrutiny of twenty-first century sensibilities. Mormons are particularly burdened because its embarrassing history is less than two hundred years old and occurred during the age of the printing press. Thus it's well documented. ...more

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Feb 17, 2017 Mike rated it liked it

Recommended to Mike by: Kareem

Shelves: the-west, crime, failed-visionary-cults

If you, like me, went to Catholic school as a child, you may remember the story of how God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Issac. But just as soon as Abraham got little Issac up to the top of the mountain and was standing over him with a dagger, God said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "LMFAO... you were really going to do it, weren't you?"

While I admittedly can't remember exactly how my teachers framed this story, I don't think they wanted us to take it as a warning about walking off t
If you, like me, went to Catholic school as a child, you may remember the story of how God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Issac. But just as soon as Abraham got little Issac up to the top of the mountain and was standing over him with a dagger, God said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "LMFAO... you were really going to do it, weren't you?"

While I admittedly can't remember exactly how my teachers framed this story, I don't think they wanted us to take it as a warning about walking off to a remote location with your father when he alludes cryptically to a "sacrifice" but strangely neglects to slaughter a goat. Nor should you run like hell, I'm pretty sure my teachers would have said, when you ask "father, why haven't we slaughtered a goat?" and your father just disconsolately stares off into the gathering fog without responding. I'm certain, rather, that the moral as my teachers saw it had to do with the supposed virtues of obedience and unquestioning faith.

This is a strange book for a couple of reasons. One is that the thesis, if there is one, is mostly implicit and never quite stated; I can't really tell if this is because Krakauer is not entirely clear about the point he's trying to make, or because he is squeamish about making it baldly. If you go by the precis, this is a true crime story- the unpleasant tale of the Lafferty brothers, Ron and Dan, two Mormon fundamentalists who come to believe that God has commanded them to kill the woman Ron blames for persuading his wife to divorce him (because he was descending into fundamentalism and sort of losing his mind...or was it the other way around?), as well as her infant child.

The question of insanity takes up a long stretch of the Laffertys' trial. Yes, it sounds a bit loony when you claim that God commanded you to kill, but what if you believe that God told you to play a certain lottery number? What about an athlete or politician, interviewed after a victory, who attributes that victory to God's will? Well, a psychologist testifying for the prosecution suggests (maybe having a little joke at the expense of his own profession) that its the recognizably communal nature of the Laffertys' beliefs- i.e., the fact that while their interpretation of Mormon fundamentalism is certainly idiosyncratic, the essential aspects (that God communicates directly with human beings, for example, with no intermediary required) are in line with those taught by the LDS church- that demonstrates their sanity, whereas insanity would be characterized by a complete break with communal reality.

But it's on this point- on the possible culpability of the LDS church for the Laffertys' murders- that Krakauer isn't quite clear, although the context in which he places them (more on this in a second) makes the implicit suggestion. There is an alternative interpretation, though. It seems that it would be much easier to murder someone you hate if you could convince yourself that God were ordering you to do it. Perhaps neither Ron nor Dan could acknowledge to themselves what they wanted to do, and their upbringing offered them the excuse of deifying (and therefore justifying, to themselves) their impulses. Dan seems to have received the communication from God first, obviating Ron's sense of responsibility for what he wanted to do all along. Later, in prison, when Ron hears the voice of God now commanding him to kill his brother, that also makes psychological sense. Dan, after all, seems to have enabled Ron's capacity for violence and landed Ron in jail for life, and on some level Ron understands this; but better to let God take the responsibly for a desire as repellent as murder.

It seems to me, in any case, that if you are going to blame Mormonism for offering the Laffertys a way of deifying their murderous impulses, you also have to live with the same potential in every red-blooded American who watches football on Sundays and believes a touchdown can be divinely ordained, or that the country itself is uniquely blessed.

It isn't shocking to me that Dan, years later, doesn't express remorse or doubt about his actions. It makes sense that the more adversity you face, and the worse your situation in life (life in prison or the possibility of execution at some future date, in Dan's case), the more incentive you have to believe in the fiction you've created for yourself, in which you'd only served as a divine instrument. Otherwise you'd have to acknowledge that...well...

What about Osama's underlings, the holy warriors who sacrificed their lives for Allah by flying jumbo jets into the World Trade Center? Surely their faith and conviction were every bit as powerful as Dan's. Does he think the sincerity of their belief justified the act? And if not, how can Dan know that what he did isn't every bit as misguided as what bin Laden's followers did on September 11, despite the obvious sincerity of his own faith?

As he pauses to consider this possibility, there comes a moment when a shadow of doubt...and then it's gone. "I have to admit, the terrorists were following their prophet", Dan says. "They were willing to do essentially what I did. I see the parallel. But the difference between those guys and me is, they were following a false prophet, and I'm not."

----------------

The aforementioned context in which Krakauer places the murders, by the way, is the violent history of Mormonism and settlement of Utah. Krakauer tells this history in chapters that alternate with the Lafferty case, and I can understand a Mormon reading this and feeling a little annoyed at the implication that Krakauer never quite states. Is bringing children up 'in' Mormonism any more antithetical to critical thought than bringing them up 'in' any other religion? Krakauer never really convinced me. Yes, Joseph Smith was a charlatan and it sounds like maybe a pedophile, but I assume most Mormons experience Mormonism as a cultural identity, and don't spend a lot of time picking apart the falsities of its origins. Having just read Eric Hoffer's The True Believer, I'm reminded of his suggestion that most mass movements are about cohesion, unity, tribalism. The validity or lack thereof of the movement's beliefs, Hoffer says, are often secondary to the sense of community and purpose. In this sense, it's hard for me to see how Mormonism is different from many other religions and/or mass movements. Furthermore, it's not a surprise to read that a religion that migrated to the American west in the 19th century was forged in violence- schisms, crises of succession, distasteful fundamentalist branches, divine visitations, orgies of bloodletting...frankly, it all sounds par for the course.

Perhaps more than any other state within the contiguous 48, Utah has a claim to being a country within a country. I stayed in Salt Lake City for a few days this summer, and at one point while walking downtown I suddenly looked up at a statue of Brigham Young surrounded by pioneers and felt that I should've had a visa or at least my passport on me; these were another people's idols, I was a foreigner (I was even drinking coffee), and I felt I should've been ready to explain my presence in their land. But then again almost half the population of Salt Lake City, Krakauer tells us, is Gentile (in the Mormon sense of the word), and it is apparently thought of by most serious Mormons the way most Louisianans think of New Orleans- morally compromised. Nearby Utah County, on the other hand, which includes Provo and Brigham Young University (BYU), Gary Gilmore country, is "the most Republican county in the most Republican state in the union." The Republican ethos of state's rights resonates strongly with Utah's origins- opposition to the federal government, almost a de facto kingdom until Washington clamped down- and continue to play a strong role in its modern-day politics, considering that Lyndon Johnson, in 1964, was the last Democratic candidate to win Utah's electoral votes. Near the end of the book, Krakauer quotes a sociologist who claims that by the year 2080, given the Mormons' tendency to proselytize, we can estimate that there will be 265 million of them on the planet. The implication being...well, what exactly? Krakauer then quotes Harold Bloom, who believes that within sixty or so years, governing the United States will become "impossible without Mormon cooperation", and that perhaps polygamy, supposedly abolished in the modern LDS church, will become the law of the land. At this point I worried that Krakauer was about to veer into the territory of my conservative Christian cousins, who spent the Obama administration genuinely worried about the imposition of Sharia law; but to his credit, he allows that "if Bloom's forecast is alarming, it also seems far-fetched."

How far away are we really though, you may find yourself wondering while lying awake at night, from that dystopian future? Bloom's prediction could have come true in 2012, when Mitt Romney ran for president, but I would say we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, assuming human civilization lasts that long. A slightly more pressing matter might be governing the US without Russian cooperation. A Mormon candidate ran for president in 2016 as well, with slightly less attention paid to him; this was Evan McMullin, a graduate of BYU and former CIA officer. McMullin ran as an Independent, and was said in the months leading up to the election to be mounting a serious challenge to Donald Trump in solid red Utah. Mormons, or so I read, apparently did not appreciate Trump's brand of uncouth New York straight-talk, and it was suggested that McMullin could win the state's 6 electoral votes (conceivably crucial) or siphon enough support from Trump to hand the state to Hillary Clinton, or even to Gary Johnson. But of course Trump prevailed, both overall and in Utah, and Bloom's chilling prophecy remains unfulfilled...for now. Considering the rise of emboldened alt-right groups across the country since Nov. 8, however, and the general assault on the rule of law, it's hard for me to work up much hysteria at the thought of emboldened Mormons, who, as far as I can tell, would do nothing more than aggressively pick up our cigarette butts from the ground behind us and argue even more persuasively while proselytizing at our doors. ...more

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Jun 01, 2017 Ammar rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crimes-mystery, read-in-2017

An impressive undertaking by Jon Krakauer. A book of history, the tale of a modern religion, an extreme sect and a cold hearted murder.

Those ingredients would attract a vast array of audience: and indeed it did and still do. A nonfiction that narrates a history of the latter day church - the Mormons- their tale, their beginning with Joseph Smith and the story of the Golden plates. Polygamy, and how that tenant in the historical church caused a schism and gave birth to the fundamental LDS, that ...more

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Jun 30, 2013 Eric_W rated it really liked it

Shelves: true-crime, religion, biography-memoir, history-historiography

Good grief. At the time of this posting there are almost 70,000 ratings and baskets of reviews. So why another one? Good question.

Predictably, if you are a Mormon you won’t like this book, although it does seem to be well-researched and relatively even-handed. What appears to us skeptics as just silly nonsense is, for some people, inspired holy writ. Go figure. The Mormons themselves can't figure out what's revelation or not and who is or is not a prophet as Joseph Smith discovered to his dismay ...more

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Dec 21, 2008 Beth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tnbbc-winter-2008, nonfiction, 2009, religion, abuse

This book was intense. I’m a sucker for religious studies anyway, especially those different from my own, and this book has been on my radar for awhile now because Mormonism (in general) and fundamentalists (of all kinds) have always interested me, so when I found out this book was about Mormon fundamentalists, there was never any doubt that I’d read it eventually. But what I was expecting from this book and what I got were two totally different beasts. My expectation was to walk away thinking, This book was intense. I’m a sucker for religious studies anyway, especially those different from my own, and this book has been on my radar for awhile now because Mormonism (in general) and fundamentalists (of all kinds) have always interested me, so when I found out this book was about Mormon fundamentalists, there was never any doubt that I’d read it eventually. But what I was expecting from this book and what I got were two totally different beasts. My expectation was to walk away thinking, “hm, yes, Mormon fundamentalists are interesting, hm.” But instead, I feel like this book magically sprouted a pair of legs, donned a pair of wicked shitkickers and promptly nailed me in the gut. Thank you Jon Krakauer, your organizational management and storytelling abilities have just earned you another fan.

In the prologue of the book, Krakauer makes some important statements about fundamentalists, hoping to impress upon his readers that the bizarre story he is about to share is not characteristic of the entire Mormon faith but that it goes to show that religious fundamentalism can be a very bad thing that can sprout from any religion or school of thought, and I appreciated that he stated that straight off the bat.

For most Americans, the thought of polygamy is truly scandalous. We can laugh about Victorians who thought it was shameful for a woman to bare her ankle to a man and crack jokes about the hullabaloo that resulted from the Brady Bunch parents, Mike and Carol, being filmed lying in a bed together wearing pajamas and discussing the antics of their kids at the end of the day. But the thought of one man with more than one woman is outrageously wicked in the eyes of most. The same could likely be said of those who practice open relationships or engage in a swinger lifestyle or polyamorism. Our youth can usually get away with screwing around without too much concern but eventually, the social expectation is that each of us will eventually settle down with one partner at a time and quietly live out the rest of our lives.

And then you have many Mormon fundamentalists who strongly believe that God wants them to have plural wives. For those of us who disagree with their claim to live this sort of lifestyle, Krakauer has showcased a number of deeply disturbing stories that confirm for the rest of us (Mormons and non-Mormons alike) why it is illegal and why that should not change.

The main story surrounds the ritualistic murder of Brenda and Erica Lafferty, a young Mormon wife and her 15-month-old daughter. Krakauer highlights some details of the murder early-on, but it isn’t until the middle section of the book that the full retelling of the murder takes place. So those hoping for a gutsy true crime story may find themselves disappointed and there was a reason this book is shelved in the “religion” section of the bookstore. Krakauer also highlights a number of other infamous polygamous families, towns and talks about the ramifications of sects closing out the influence of the outside world. He also talks about taxes and welfare and what this means for polygamists and Mormon fundamentalists. Most importantly, he talks about historical events that occurred centuries ago as well as more modern events that have happened in the decades that preceded the crime that may have established a basis for why the Lafferty brothers killed their sister-in-law and baby niece.

In the authors remarks at the end of the book, Krakauer admits that when he struck out to write this book, his intent had been to write about the syncretism between the roots of Mormonism and the current practices and beliefs of the Latter Day Saints. But then the book morphed itself into a study of acts of violence at the hands of religious fundamentalists. If he ever writes the book he intended to write, I’d love to read it. And in the meantime, will gladly read some of the other things he’s written because even though I’m not a huge fan of the nonfiction, Krakauer has had some major success in reminding me that truth is stranger than fiction. ...more

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Nov 23, 2007 Lucy rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: people with the ability to understand bias

Somehow, in Krakauer's and every other story of Christian fundamentalism and extremism that is exposed, those involved justification for doing evil and ignoring good is all founded on extreme and polarizing doctrines. Polygamy. Holy Wars. Visions. Revelation. Line of succession. All legitimate things to think and worry about, but they seem to completely ignore the important things that Christ taught while on earth. Say...something like....blessed are the peacemakers. And loving our neighbors. An Somehow, in Krakauer's and every other story of Christian fundamentalism and extremism that is exposed, those involved justification for doing evil and ignoring good is all founded on extreme and polarizing doctrines. Polygamy. Holy Wars. Visions. Revelation. Line of succession. All legitimate things to think and worry about, but they seem to completely ignore the important things that Christ taught while on earth. Say...something like....blessed are the peacemakers. And loving our neighbors. And repentance, hope, forgiveness, charity and love. I think until we master these, the mysteries and promise of further knowledge is a long ways away.

Kraukauer argues that religion, particularly the history of the LDS religion is prone to produce extremists who do more harm than good. Much like that of Islamic fundamentalists, the religion's history is one of violence and secrecy.

I can't say he is entirely wrong. I do think there is a propensity for believers to fall into extreme behavior. However, while Krakauer believes it has something to do with the doctrine or leaders, I believe it is entirely due to opposition.

Good things - the best things - are perverted the most.

Religion, a means to learn about and worship God. And yet, so much evil, so much harm throughout history to His children has been brought about by its name. I don't believe any evil has been done by those truly devoted to God. I really don't. It has all been done by those influenced, knowingly or not, by the great deceiver, Satan. I think those who don't believe, like Krakauer himself, find it awfully easy to find fault with faith, with religion, because they focus and magnify the imperfections of man. He translates it into an imperfect or non-existent God, which is easy for him to do. He has the proof. Look! This man murdered his sister-in-law! That is no God I believe in. Well, Jon, neither do I.

In fact, every single one of his sources was a dissenter or apostate...as if they had the inside track to truth. Shading, innuendo, rumors and hearsay are all given as proof and fact of corruption and deception.

While I'm not naive enough to think that the LDS church has no black eyes in its history, I can't admire a critic who presents only one side of a story. Krakauer commits a real blunder by limiting the story of faith to people who claim none or have an extremely warped sense of it. And he certainly didn't provide justice to my cousin's story.

Brenda Lafferty's story was a story about the LDS faith. Of goodness. Of kindness and strength in helping her neighbor. Of a willingness to stand up to evil and unholiness. Brenda Lafferty's story is the real story of a believer. ...more

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Nov 02, 2007 Alex Telander rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-read-in-2005

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN: A STORY OF VIOLENT FAITH BY JON KRAKAUER: I finished Under the Banner of Heaven two days ago now, and I haven't written the review yet, waiting to see if anything would change in my mind about Mormons, and so far nothing has. I still think it's a horribly misogynistic religion that goes even further than all other religions I know to take away all responsibility, independent thought, and individualism, and literally sacrifice oneself to god and whoever is your preside UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN: A STORY OF VIOLENT FAITH BY JON KRAKAUER: I finished Under the Banner of Heaven two days ago now, and I haven't written the review yet, waiting to see if anything would change in my mind about Mormons, and so far nothing has. I still think it's a horribly misogynistic religion that goes even further than all other religions I know to take away all responsibility, independent thought, and individualism, and literally sacrifice oneself to god and whoever is your president and high lord protector (the title isn't exactly this, but is just as preposterous), whether you be regular Mormon or fundamentalist -- of course, he is a man, without a doubt.

The crux of the book is the deaths of Eric and her eight or so year-old daughter at the hands of the Lafferty brothers who still can't decide who officially slit the girls throats.

While the book managed to enrage me throughout, it did serve to educate and enlighten me on the religion in general, and on the important differences between the fundamentalists and the Latter Day Saints (LDS). The book also presents the history of Mormonism with Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and what led to the creation of the religion, its development through the decades and centuries, with the Mormons being ostracized wherever they went, until they settled in the deserts of Utah and set about completely ignoring the US government and living their lives as they saw fit. The Church of Latter Day Saints continues to do this to some degree today, and the fundamentalists especially, thriving on it.

So let's clear up the main thing first: polygamy. The Church of Latter Day Saints condones and doesn't allow polygamy, after changing this steadfast rule from the D&C (Doctrine and Covenants -- the rulebook which Mormons go by as put down by Joseph Smith, with additions made by Brigham Young and successive "prophets") in the nineteenth century when the government essentially pressured them into doing this, since polygamy was (AND STILL IS!) illegal in every state. But in a religion where everyone from the president to the lowly devout woman has the ability to talk with god and receive his instruction; splitting, and the formation of break-off sects and groups is as inevitable as night come sunset. And it it's these break-off groups that form their own churches and communes (Colorado City in Utah is one of these), and they are the fundamentalists groups who believe that the LDS have fallen from the true ruling of god and take it upon themselves to adhere to the D&C as they see fit. The result is a town like Colorado City, in the middle of the desert, isolated, as they like it. There polygamy is a way of life; if you don't subscribe to this way, you are pressured and then ostracized. It is also in this town where anywhere from thirteen to sixteen year-old girls are ordered, yes, ordered by the president to marry whatever man the president decrees, without any choice in the matter. Ordered to marry that man, live with him, and whose sole duty is to bear as many children as possible, no questions asked . . . or you're going to hell! This is the truth. This is life in Colorado City. It is also here that instances of rape and pedophilia are becoming common place, as fathers take a liking to their eleven year-old daughters (whether they be biologically or adopted through marriage), rape them, and them force them to marry their fathers.

And it seems pretty pathetic when our president makes it his duty to prevent homosexual marriage from ever being considered, even though homosexuality is a genetic predisposition and is what you simply are, while in Utah there are groups doing what I said above and millions of people worry that it is the homosexuals who risk destroying the sanctity of marriage. Fuck that, is my response.

Read the rest of the review at BookBanter.

For more reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter. ...more

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Feb 18, 2019 Dmitri rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: christianity, america

In this dated bestseller on Mormon fundamentalism, Jon Krakauer applies a somewhat incohesive journalistic approach to an otherwise fascinating topic. Unfortunately his efforts ended just before the well known Warren Jeffs case of 2006. A search for more recent books on the sect turns up few promising options beyond a number of victim's accounts. An exception may be "Prophet's Prey" written by one of the investigators, which appears to be popular but has garnered little critical notice.

Krakauer In this dated bestseller on Mormon fundamentalism, Jon Krakauer applies a somewhat incohesive journalistic approach to an otherwise fascinating topic. Unfortunately his efforts ended just before the well known Warren Jeffs case of 2006. A search for more recent books on the sect turns up few promising options beyond a number of victim's accounts. An exception may be "Prophet's Prey" written by one of the investigators, which appears to be popular but has garnered little critical notice.

Krakauer had previously written two acclaimed books; one about the McCandless Alaska story "Into the Wild", and another on his own role in the ill fated 1996 Everest disaster "Into Thin Air" (both were made into movies). He first became known in his career as a writer for Outside magazine and other popular periodicals. It could be that he has a greater affinity for outdoor adventure writing due to his personal experience as a mountaineer. I haven't read either of these books, but plan to in the future.

"Banner of Heaven" is problematic in several ways however. It begins reasonably enough with the history of the Mormon mainstream Latter Day Saints (LDS) and their relationship with the fundamentalist Saints (FLDS). The LDS renounced polygamy in 1890 under legal and military pressure. The FLDS rightly saw polygamy as a tenet of the original faith, as per the sacred texts of their founding prophet Joseph Smith. This part of the story is delivered in a clear and concise manner.

The difficulties begin as the book proceeds. Ostensibly the book is about the 1984 double murders committed by two brothers who had been excommunicated from the church. The reader is lead on a circuitous trail of persons and incidents at the Arizona FLDS headquarters, and within the fundamentalist community at large. Some of these accounts are little more than digests of contemporary newspaper articles, while others are interviews that were conducted by the author himself.

The storyline moves back and forth between the early history of the church and recent FLDS incidents. Alternating time periods in each chapter interrupt the narrative flow. A shifting cast of characters complicates the sequence of events. Only at the very end a message on Mormon fundamentalism is delivered by an apostate from the faith. His insight is that the power of religion is based on not having to make critical decisions or being responsible for your own actions.

LDS criticism of this book attacks the premise that religion is irrational. In the murder trial an insanity defense is rebutted by the argument that the brothers beliefs are no more irrational than other mainstream religious views. The role of religion in society may be debated on reason or belief, but little light is shed here on the question. Although abuse of religious freedom is amply shown, the dilemma of where 1st Amendment rights should end and rule of law begin is largely left unexamined.

In one passage a FLDS wife protests that the group is being judged by 19th century moral standards. Bigamy was then thought to have been more heinous than slavery, whereas now all sorts of liberalized sexual relations are tolerated. More pertinently the FLDS are being held to 20th century standards, when adolescent marriage came to be considered immoral and illegal. Child sexual abuse protections continue to be contended by religious zealots, and are now far beyond the pale of polygamy. ...more

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Jun 11, 2013 Matt Brady added it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013

Isn’t it funny, an amazing coincidence, how the commandments of God so often match the desires, ambitions and bigotries of His self-proclaimed prophets? Feeling horny? That’s cool, God is down with polygamy, bone away to your heart’s content, sin-free! Like drugs? So does God! Smoke up, bro! Hate women? God is so totally over those uppity chicks, dude. Racist? Oh boy this is your lucky day, God is totally racist! Not racist? Wait, God changed his mind, he was just fooling ya. Did that guy just f Isn’t it funny, an amazing coincidence, how the commandments of God so often match the desires, ambitions and bigotries of His self-proclaimed prophets? Feeling horny? That’s cool, God is down with polygamy, bone away to your heart’s content, sin-free! Like drugs? So does God! Smoke up, bro! Hate women? God is so totally over those uppity chicks, dude. Racist? Oh boy this is your lucky day, God is totally racist! Not racist? Wait, God changed his mind, he was just fooling ya. Did that guy just flip you off? The nerve of him. Wait a sec, what’s that God, oh, that guy that just pissed me off is Your enemy and it’s ok to kill him? Nice.

Though I am an atheist, I’ve never had a problem with the idea of religion and faith. I think that people have a right to believe whatever they want, as long as it doesn’t harm others. A tepid position maybe, since it can be very difficult to determine exactly what constitutes ‘harming others’, but I just can’t get behind the rabid condemnation of all religion. Faith, to me, should be an entirely personal thing. I’ve always been suspicious of anyone claiming to have special access to the Truth. I have a really, really hard time understanding the mindset of a true zealot, because there is not a single area of life in which I don’t have some doubts. I simply cannot fathom the mind of a person who claims to KNOW, without a shadow of a doubt, that God has spoken to them. And for that reason, this book was a difficult read for me.

That isn’t a criticism. Krakaeur is an engaging and informative writer, and he lays out the general history of the Mormon Church and many of it’s fundamentalist offshoots, as well as the gruesome double-murder of a mother and her infant daughter by fundamentalist Mormon brothers, with clarity and precision. Though I’m sure, from a Mormon point-of-view, there are many things to criticise (I’m vaguely aware of some controversy surrounding this book and it’s reception by the LDS community), and it isn’t terribly difficult to determine what Krakauer’s opinion is, I think he made an effort to present things as fairly as possible. He uses officially sanctioned LDS accounts as well as other independent sources in his recounting of the history of the cult, from it’s inception through to it’s formal abandonment of polygamy. He interviews a wide range of people, letting them speak for themselves, in their own words, interjecting only for clarification, or when their claims are contradicted by other accounts, or basic facts. He very methodically and convincingly lays out exactly how and why a pair of brothers might come to believe that God has commanded them to commit murder, and his account of the murders themselves are raw, brutal and powerful.

My difficulty instead came from simply having to spend time with these people. I’m not a good debater. I lose my temper quickly, which makes it difficult to articulate my points coherently, which then further frustrates and angers me, but at least I can sometimes have the satisfaction of venting my ire. But reading the thoughts and opinions of people I strenuously, venomously disagree with robs me of even that. I want to throw the book across the room. I want to rant and rage at these smug, self satisfied assholes, and shatter their ludicrous, harmful beliefs. I want all this knowing that it won’t help, that for you simply cannot reach people like this, and that only compounds my anger and frustration. The inability to admit to mistakes is a common part of the human condition, and isn’t limited to religious people, but the sheer depth of delusion portrayed in this book, and the amount of suffering and harm it has caused and continues to cause, was infuriating to me. And that made the book difficult to read at times, particularly when Krakauer, meticulous to a fault, goes perhaps a little overboard with the details.

Thankfully, Krakauer ends things only a slightly satisfying note. Does the enlightenment and hard-won intellectual freedom of a single person outweigh the heinous cycle of violence, misogyny, indoctrination and abuse repeated throughout the book? No, of course not, but it’s at least a reminder that, no matter how fervent the faith, there will always be some who question it. ...more

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Apr 22, 2015 Pamela (Here to Read Books and Chew Gum) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: americana, mormons, contemporary-american, history

Under the Banner of Heaven was a comprehensive look at fundamental belief that really got me thinking. I grew up LDS, so a lot of what this book covered resonated with me. Krakauer goes into a lot of detail about the history of the Mormon faith, so it was interesting to see the differences in the way people react to that history. In my case, it led me to Atheism; how could something that started with so much lying and dissembling be true? In the case of the Laffertys, whose heinous crimes are th Under the Banner of Heaven was a comprehensive look at fundamental belief that really got me thinking. I grew up LDS, so a lot of what this book covered resonated with me. Krakauer goes into a lot of detail about the history of the Mormon faith, so it was interesting to see the differences in the way people react to that history. In my case, it led me to Atheism; how could something that started with so much lying and dissembling be true? In the case of the Laffertys, whose heinous crimes are the subject of this book, it drove them to fundamentalism. They saw the church's history as truth, and mainline Mormonism as a departure, therefore an abomination.

The current, mainstream LDS reaction to church history is usually to claim that most accurate tellings of the founding of the Mormon religion are 'anti-Mormon' literature. They actively discourage members from delving too deeply into any historical research. Recently, however, with the publishing of official essays on Church history, they have attempted to address these issues in a world where information is increasingly right at our fingertips.

What really struck me about Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven was his complete lack of judgement. When writing about a double murder, child abuse, spousal abuse, and religious fundamentalism, it's easy to become emotional and angry in your writing style. Krakauer, however, remains an impartial writer, presenting the facts as they appear, whether it be from the mouth of the victims or the perpetrators. Even Mormon history he offers as a matter of fact, rather than lending any emotional indignation to the founding of the LDS church. The early Mormons do not come across as blameless in some of the atrocities they perpetrated in the founding of their church, but then neither do the early Americans, who committed equally horrendous crimes against the Mormons. I found it quite refreshing. These topics can be quite emotionally charged.

What really struck me, was how Krakauer just understood what was relevant, and conveyed it in a way that can appeal to every reader. He understands what it is to be driven by faith and does not judge it. He also understands the pain and emotional trauma that comes with leaving one's faith. But where this book really shines is in its study of the rationality of faith. To outsiders, the Lafferty murders seem to be the product of madness. Two men truly believe, without regret, that they were instructed by God to kill a woman and her baby. When it comes to prosecuting, however, it raises all kinds of question about madness vs. belief. Just because faith turns violent, does that make it a product of insanity? And if you apply insanity to it does it then, by extension, mean that all religious faith is a product of insanity? When is faith mad, and when is it rational? Neither I nor this book professes to have those answers.

“How can a society actively promote religious faith on one hand and condemn a man for zealously adhering to his faith on the other?”

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It was deep, truthful, thoughtful and for me at least, highly personal.

I will leave you with the parting words of a fundamentalist apostate. Like so many of us who leave our faiths, we go through a period of questioning, confusion, and indeed, unhappiness while we find ourselves in a world that essentially has a far different reality to the one in which we grew up. “But some things are more important than being happy. Like being free to think for yourself.” To all of you struggling with your faiths out there, I promise, the unhappiness of uncertainty will pass. The ability to think for yourself is well worth the uncertainty you will face. ...more

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Feb 05, 2009 Moira Russell rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: underwhelmed

Somewhere, there is a story aching to be told about Mormonism, the positive and negative effects of religious faith on thought and psychological development, the painting of an integrated mainstream with the tarred brush of extremist fringes, and the general place of religion in US culture. This book is oh, so totally not it.

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About Jon Krakauer

Jon Krakauer

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Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, well-known for outdoor and mountain-climbing writing.

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“There is a dark side to religious devotion that is too often ignored or denied. As a means of motivating people to be cruel or inhumane, there may be no more potent force than religion. When the subject of religiously inspired bloodshed comes up, many Americans immediately think of Islamic fundamentalism, which is to be expected in the wake of 911. But men have been committing heinous acts in the name of God ever since mankind began believing in deities, and extremists exist within all religions. Muhammad is not the only prophet whose words have been used to sanction barbarism; history has not lacked for Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, and even Buddhists who have been motivated by scripture to butcher innocents. Plenty of these religious extremist have been homegrown, corn-fed Americans.” — 56 likes

“Common sense is no match for the voice of God.” — 51 likes

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