Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
by: Jon Krakauer
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Amazon.com Review:
In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer tells the story of the killers and their crime but also explores the shadowy world of Mormon fundamentalism from which the two emerged. The Mormon Church was founded, in part, on the idea that true believers could speak directly with God. But while the mainstream church attempted to be more palatable to the general public by rejecting the controversial tenet of polygamy, fundamentalist splinter groups saw this as apostasy and took to the hills to live what they believed to be a righteous life. When their beliefs are challenged or their patriarchal, cult-like order defied, these still-active groups, according to Krakauer, are capable of fighting back with tremendous violence. While Krakauer's research into the history of the church is admirably extensive, the real power of the book comes from present-day information, notably jailhouse interviews with Dan Lafferty. Far from being the brooding maniac one might expect, Lafferty is chillingly coherent, still insisting that his motive was merely to obey God's command. Krakauer's accounts of the actual murders are graphic and disturbing, but such detail makes the brothers' claim of divine instruction all the more horrifying. In an age where Westerners have trouble comprehending what drives Islamic fundamentalists to kill, Jon Krakauer advises us to look within America's own borders. --John Moe
Product Description:
Jon Krakauer’s literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. He now shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders, taking readers inside isolated American communities where some 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists still practice polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God.
At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, 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.
In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer tells the story of the killers and their crime but also explores the shadowy world of Mormon fundamentalism from which the two emerged. The Mormon Church was founded, in part, on the idea that true believers could speak directly with God. But while the mainstream church attempted to be more palatable to the general public by rejecting the controversial tenet of polygamy, fundamentalist splinter groups saw this as apostasy and took to the hills to live what they believed to be a righteous life. When their beliefs are challenged or their patriarchal, cult-like order defied, these still-active groups, according to Krakauer, are capable of fighting back with tremendous violence. While Krakauer's research into the history of the church is admirably extensive, the real power of the book comes from present-day information, notably jailhouse interviews with Dan Lafferty. Far from being the brooding maniac one might expect, Lafferty is chillingly coherent, still insisting that his motive was merely to obey God's command. Krakauer's accounts of the actual murders are graphic and disturbing, but such detail makes the brothers' claim of divine instruction all the more horrifying. In an age where Westerners have trouble comprehending what drives Islamic fundamentalists to kill, Jon Krakauer advises us to look within America's own borders. --John Moe
Product Description:
Jon Krakauer’s literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. He now shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders, taking readers inside isolated American communities where some 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists still practice polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God.
At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, 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.
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Scary Treatise on Religion Run Amok
We are a religious lot, us Americans, and like our country is founded on teh belief of acceptance.It's the great melting pot after all? Jon Krakauer's book, "Under the Banner of heaven," isn't so much a personal attack on Mormonism, that truly unique American-born religion, but instead does something even nobler--it reveals something about our modern times and in doing so I fear about ourselves.
Where is the line drawn between a strong personal belief in a higher power and the willingness ... Read More
Rating: - Interesting History
This is an interesting book and contains a lot of history.I recommend those who are active in the LDS Church avoid this book, because it will likely offend you.Two of the things that bothered me were how he claims that belief in God is irrational and also that people who support the Constitution are radical.It was also misleading of him to claim that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are on a equal footing when it comes to history and validity.
He mentioned something from the Elizabeth ... Read More
Rating: - One of my favorite Krakauer books
This is one of my favorite books by Jon Krakauer, right beside Into the Wild.Krakauer takes extreme care to be as impartial as possible, and repeats over and over again that he does not mean this book to be an attack on all people of Mormon faith, but rather a summary what led some very disturbed people to do commit some very despicable actions.
Of course, many people of Mormon faith have attacked Krakauer and the book itself, and he addresses and discredits each of their claims one by one ... Read More
Rating: - Very Enlightening!
This is a great book!It tells the story of a religion that has many followers, with factual history.It is not one-sided, it says wonderful things about the religion, but it also tells the other side...the side the church doesn't necessarily want people to know.The book gave me a better understanding of the religion and I'm happy that I read it.
Rating: - Frightening and Interesting
First, I could not put the book down, the story is provocative and the author is a gripping storyteller.
Today's Mormon church does a lot of good but it is interesting that a modern day religion can grow out of such a sorted and wierd history. Last time I was in Southern Utah I was at a grocery store and a group of women came in dressed in pioneer dresses, the young ones never looked up or made any eye contact with others but sheepishly hung their heads low. I had just finished Under the Banner ... Read More
- Scary Treatise on Religion Run AmokWe are a religious lot, us Americans, and like our country is founded on teh belief of acceptance.It's the great melting pot after all? Jon Krakauer's book, "Under the Banner of heaven," isn't so much a personal attack on Mormonism, that truly unique American-born religion, but instead does something even nobler--it reveals something about our modern times and in doing so I fear about ourselves.
Where is the line drawn between a strong personal belief in a higher power and the willingness ... Read More
- Interesting HistoryThis is an interesting book and contains a lot of history.I recommend those who are active in the LDS Church avoid this book, because it will likely offend you.Two of the things that bothered me were how he claims that belief in God is irrational and also that people who support the Constitution are radical.It was also misleading of him to claim that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are on a equal footing when it comes to history and validity.
He mentioned something from the Elizabeth ... Read More
- One of my favorite Krakauer booksThis is one of my favorite books by Jon Krakauer, right beside Into the Wild.Krakauer takes extreme care to be as impartial as possible, and repeats over and over again that he does not mean this book to be an attack on all people of Mormon faith, but rather a summary what led some very disturbed people to do commit some very despicable actions.
Of course, many people of Mormon faith have attacked Krakauer and the book itself, and he addresses and discredits each of their claims one by one ... Read More
- Very Enlightening!This is a great book!It tells the story of a religion that has many followers, with factual history.It is not one-sided, it says wonderful things about the religion, but it also tells the other side...the side the church doesn't necessarily want people to know.The book gave me a better understanding of the religion and I'm happy that I read it.
- Frightening and InterestingFirst, I could not put the book down, the story is provocative and the author is a gripping storyteller.
Today's Mormon church does a lot of good but it is interesting that a modern day religion can grow out of such a sorted and wierd history. Last time I was in Southern Utah I was at a grocery store and a group of women came in dressed in pioneer dresses, the young ones never looked up or made any eye contact with others but sheepishly hung their heads low. I had just finished Under the Banner ... Read More
