Rating: 
Summary: shocking
Review: Having lived in Utah for the last seven years of my life, I found this book utterly shocking. The entire time I have lived in Utah, I have gotten assurances from mainstream Mormons and non-Mormons alike that the polygamists only live in places like St. George (south of where I live) and are miles away from everyone, and that they are not true practicing Mormons. I was also assured by the locals that the polygamists have all been excommunicated from the LDS church and that they pose no threat whatsover.
So, naturally, when I read this book I was shocked. For one I was shocked that a bunch of mainstream Mormons could turn into polygamists. I have always been told that Mormon Fundamentalists are "raised that way" and that mainstream Mormons know better than to convert to fundamentalism. So when I read the story of two former mainstream LDS guys who went off and killed a woman and her 15-month old baby, I was surprised. I was even more shocked to discover that they had not killed all the people they had wanted to kill, that they felt they were supposed to take two more lives. I was even more surprised to discover that they felt God had told them to kill these people!
I am not LDS myself, infact I am a born-again Christian. Most of this book does relate to what I have heard about the history of Utah and the LDS church. The chapter on Elizabeth Smart was somewhat factual, I remember hearing much of it, although I never heard that Mitchell was a fundamentalist Mormon. Another part of the book, where Brigham Young is quoted, disturbed me.
That part was ..."There has been a great and fearful crime perpetrated," Carleton declared. His soldiers gathered up whatever bones they could find, interred them in a common grave, and then laboriously hauled stones from the surrounding hillsides to build a massive, if crude, monument above it. At the apex of this rock pile, which was twelve feet high and fifty feet in circumference, they placed a wooden cross inscribed with the epigraph, "Vengeance is mine: I will repay, saith the Lord."
In May 1861, Birgham Young happened upon this memorial as he was passing through the meadow during a tour of his southern settlements. According to Apostle Wilford Woodruff, who was accompanying the prophet, when Brigham read the inscription on the cross he pondered it for a short while and them proposed an emendation: "Vengeance is MINE, AND I HAVE TAKEN A LITTLE."... (page 230) Then, according to the book, Brigham had his men take the monument to the victims of the Mountain Meadows Massacre down. That section creeped me out, it seemed as though Brigham was exhibiting some of the same characteristics as Ron Lafferty, one of the murderers in this book-neither one felt any remorse for what they had done.
I give this book four stars because it has some minor inacuracies in it, plus the author seems to reiterate that religions are for people to "feel good." He seems to endorse that religious groups use religion as a means of feeling good. That is why this book gets four stars.
Rating: 
Summary: An "Injudicious" Proposition
Review: I read both Into Thin Air and Into the Wild and eagerly awaited the publication of Jon Krakauer's new book. While this book was interesting, I found it both frustrating and disappointing that Krakauer didn't take the time to properly attribute the historical sources he used for his book. He merely wrote his version of history and then at the back provided a list of sources used in the chapter. This is lazy and sloppy work. I ran across many historical and theological elements that were new to me and perked my curiosity but when I tried to find out his source for that specific statement, all I was left with is a long list of 20-30 books, one of which supposedly contained the event he was referring to.
While Writing Into Thin Air, Krakauer used both personal observation and interviews with survivors to recreate recent history. However, Krakauer walked into some new territory (professionally) with this new book, and ultimately fails in his role as historian. He says several times in his new book that the recent history of the church provides an opportunity to scrutinize the relatively recent creation of a new religion, but he never allows the reader any alternative view of history except his own. A good journalist usually offers opposing views of controversial subject matter, but Krakauer doesn't make an effort to do this and unilaterally presents his view of history. A scholar would present evidence to support his text, or at least properly source the material so we know where each statement of fact comes from, how credible the source is, and how accepted (or controversial) the proposition. In this case, Krakauer is neither a good journalist nor an adequate historian, but he does tell a compelling story complete with religious zealots and grisly murders.
His entire proposition--that Mormon beliefs caused the murders perpetrated by Dan and Ron Lafferty--is preposterous to anyone familiar with the religion or it's practitioners. Krakauer writes: "Faith is the very antithesis of reason, injudiciousness a crucial component of spiritual devotion. And when religious fanaticism supplants ratiocination, all bets are suddenly off. Anything can happen. Absolutely anything. Common sense is no match for the voice of God-as the actions of Dan Lafferty vividly attest."
The problem with this assertion is that faith and common sense can co-exist, and do co-exist in millions of people--not just Mormons--who believe in God. Brenda Lafferty had faith in God, but she also had enough common sense to know that her brother-in-laws were not prophets. It takes a great deal of " injudiciousness" to kill your sister-in-law and her baby but it also takes an injudicious author to insinuate that anyone who believes in God is capable of committing the same atrocity.
Rating:
Summary: Two books in one - an expose and a hidden agenda
Review: This is really two books in one. The basic premise of the book is a study of the history of the Mormon faith and how a few individuals from a fundamentalist sect of this cult came to believe that they were led by God to brutally murder a young mother and her child. The research on the history of the Mormon faith is extraordinary and fascinating. The inside look at Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and the rest of the founders of this belief system illustrate the foundation for their faith. The availability of the data over the last 170 years or so shows a continued evolving of the "revelations" which are little more than self serving justifications to engage in polygamy and extort power over others. It is the very tenants of the Mormon faith he claims led to the brutal murders committed by Mormon fundamentalists Dan and Ron Lafferty in 1984.However, dispersed throughout the book and intertwined within the exposure of the roots of Mormonism, is a statement about ALL faith and spirituality. Like the subliminal messages flashed across movie screens in the 50's to go get popcorn and drinks, Jon Krakauer makes bold statements subtly sprinkled throughout the book to directly imply that Christianity, and all other faith is as foundationally bankrupt as Mormonism. For example, starting in the forward he claims "Faith is the very anti-thesis of reason, injudicousness a crucial component of spiritual devotion". On page 205 he implies that the faith of our President, Attorney General, and other national leaders in our Country today is on the same level as the faith held by Dan and Ron Lafferty when they brutally murdered two innocent people in 1984. By using quotes designed to send a message which paint all people of faith and the basic tenants of all faith to be no different than the faith of the Mormon fundamentalists who were supposedly led by God to murder, steal, use drugs and otherwise violate all laws of our country, he is making a clear error in logic. His use of terminology calling Mormonism just "another branch of Christianity" demonstrates that throughout his three years of research on the book he wrote down a lot of facts, names and dates, and apparently didn't learn anything. When he tries to correlate the actions of these murderers as a reflection of religious faith in general and Christianity in particular, he is making as big a mistake in logic as the claim that the actions of a Timothy McVie or Unabomber are a reflection of the US Constitution. Simply put, his entire premise that the actions of Mormons are a reflection of all people of faith is simply unfounded. He seems to gloss over entirely, in his rush to paint all people with any faith with the same brush, that the basic values inherent in the Christian faith hold up over time and are not self-serving in nature. To be sure, many do violent and otherwise egocentric things in the name of faith, just as people do violent and egocentric things in the name of the US Constitution. However, most people logically differentiate between the actions of the people and the source. In this book Jon makes no such distinctions, perhaps finding it easier to simply make sweeping judgements of everyone without examining the sources. This is a great book from a research standpoint, and a great expose of the often disturbing cult of Mormonism, but unfortunately he tries to take his premise too far and loses credibility in the process. Also, the editing of his presentation is choppy and lacks the quality of his other books. Buy this and read it, as it is a stunning look at inside the faith of Mormonism, but do so with an open mind to his "other" agenda.
Rating:
Summary: Religion vs State
Review: Fans of Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air might be disappointed by Under The Banner of Heaven. After all, this isn't a travelogue memoir like the author's previous two books. No, this book is nothing like what the author has done before. What Krakauer gives us here is a very interesting treatise about religion and the effect it can have on the world. Krakauer uses the 1980s murders done by two of the Lafferty brothers (Ron and Dan murdered the wife and daughter of their brother Allen because they believed they had been instructed to do so by God) to explore the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Not only does he concentrates on the murders - which were a turning point for this movement - but he also explores the birth of the movement as well as the important historical events that shaped Mormonism. Krakauer tries hard to differentiate the modern Mormons from the Fundamentalists (Mormons who are trying to return to the old ways and scriptures to reinstate things like polygamy). Mormons believe that faith is the answer to all problems in life and that one can get the answers needed through prophecies, or messages from God. The author shows how blinding religious beliefs can be, especially in an ever-increasing movement like this one (there are over 10 million Mormons today, making it one of the biggest modern religious movement). Krakauer doesn't go for the visceral. Instead, he takes his time to prove his point, supporting himself with historical facts and quotes from important books and treatises. Through the book, we see the birth, the rise and the possible downfall of a religious movement. In the end, when Krakauer comes back to the original murders, one can better understand the Lafferty brothers, especially after having read the overview of the Mormon movement. In the end, Under The Banner of Heaven becomes a scary and very affecting read that leaves you feeling a bit uneasy about the things it discusses. Faith can be blinding, and in a movement that is based on prophecies like this one, faith can be deadly.
Rating: 
Summary: Local Fire & Brimstone
Review: "Under the Banner of Heaven" explores the fascinating and violent history of The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints. Woven within the tales of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young are more recent murders influenced by the radical beliefs of extreme fundamentalist Mormons. Author Jon Krakauer effectively blends history with current events with an interesting narration that implies radical religious fundamentalism is not exclusively in the Middle East. Krakauer's book focuses on Dan and Ron Lafferty, who slashed the throats of their sister-in-law and infant niece in 1984. The Lafferty's were allegedly motivated by a revelation received by Ron from the Lord. However, the brothers were angry with their victim for non-secular reasons well before the revelation. Krakauer is effective on this crime and throughout the Mormon history at laying out the facts, but allowing the reader to draw conclusions on motives. The Mormon history is exciting, shocking and surprising. Its founders regularly announced revelations on many social and spiritual issues. Martyred founder, Joseph Smith, a notorious womanizer, received spiritual inspiration to declare polygamy as divine right. Again, the author challenges the reader to judge Smith's intentions. "Under the Banner of Heaven" is very relevant in a world of suicide bombings and other religiously inspired terrorism. While Americans worry about Bin Laden, Krakauer inspires us to also look over our shoulder. Great Read! Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but distractingly biased
Review: As he did with Into Thin Air, John Krakuer comes at the story in UTBOH with a firm, unwavering bias. While his reporting and storytelling are to be commended, it is quite clear early on that Krakauer views the Mormom church and its members skepticism. His description of the church's founding and rise to prominence is painted with tongue-in-cheek innuendo. And why the need to spend 100 pages on the church's rise to prominence? Could not the same information be relayed in half the length? ALl in all, though, UTBOH is an arresting piece of nonfiction, highly relevant in today's world. Krakauer is at his best when telling stories (as opposed to retracing the steps of history). Worth the read, despite the Mormon church's claims otherwise.
Rating:
Summary: Missed Opportunity
Review: Jon Krakauer is a fine writer who missed a chance to write a fine book here. Instead of writing an honest, straightforward account of a fascinating subject--as he did in "Into the Wild"--Krakauer instead assumes that the reader is unable to make their own judgements about the subjects of this book. You would think that simply portraying two pathetic and nearly-insane murderers from the Mormon church, that alone would shed enough light on their background for the reader to judge Mormonism. Instead, Krakauer makes the leap from their insane violence to Mormonism as a whole and then, remarkably, to religion as a whole. Rather than let this fascinating story tell itself, he seems bent on warning us that ALL religion is liable to produce such maniacs. It's an unfair, unjustified, unsubstantiated, uneducated stab and it simply doesn't work. Worst yet, it detracts greatly from the book when the author feels the need to interrupt the story by jumping up on his soapbox. I'm not a Mormon and I'm not even a Mormon sympathizer, frankly, but I recognize when I've missed out on a good story by someone who seems bent on convincing me of his view, and that's what happened here. Krakauer's views on religion as a whole seem about as informed as mine would be if I tried to write a book on mountain climbing.
Rating:
Summary: Insanity compounding insanity compounding insanity compou...
Review: I just finished this book which I had begun along with Isaacson's fine biography of Benjamin Franklin. Reading both books at the same time was like reading a treatise on "Black" and at the same time reading one on "White". Krakauer has done us all a service in ably recording the insanity that indisputably lies at the fringes of all religions. The insanity just lies a little closer to the core beliefs of Mormonism than most older religions because the Mormons are a sect in its relative infancy. A look back at the attrocities committed in the name of Christ by early Christians makes some of the Mormon fundis seem almost benign. Early Christians were roasting each other alive by locking entire congregations in desenting churches at this stage in their development. (At least the Mormons only killed "unbelievers" in their one large scale murderous binge, the "Mountain Meadows Massacre", rather than murdering minor schismatics.) And Islam has a well known long and bloody history, and shares with the Mormons a distinctly anti-woman bias allowing for multiple wives and concubines for its followers. Under The Banner Of Heaven opens with the brutal murder of a young woman and her child in her home at the hands of her brothers-in-law, supposedly carried out under the direction of God, and Krakauer proceeds to carry us through the insanity of the formation of a new religion and its offshoots. I have always had severe reservations about a people who could accept the teachings that Independance, MO is the Biblical "Garden of Eden". As a Roman Catholic (and of course here in this Church lies other tales of insanities of historic proportions) friend of mine says, "I've been to Independance, MO. Independance is a nice town, but anyone who thinks this is the Garden of Eden is nuts!" Krakauer does a good job of allowing the documents of Joseph Smith and his contempories as well as the modern day "Prophets" speak for themselves. He illuminates brilliantly the isolation, the saddness and desperation, as well as the insanity, that lie at the heart of religious fundimentalisms. Unfortuately, he could have been writing about the extremes of any of modern day and historical religions. It is a good book. It will be attacked by adherents of all fundimentalist faiths, because any of them can be tarred with the same brush. wfh
Rating:
Summary: Not what I was hoping for
Review: Unfortunately, Mr. Krakauer presents a very one-sided story. I have no affiliation with the LDS, but was appalled by the unrestricted defamation provided in this book. Chapter after chapter I was hoping for any bit of positive insight, but found none. His research does appear to be in good form, but I would like to see this book on the shelves next to the supermarket tabloids do to the negative content. Every story has two sides. Good leaks from the pores of the worst of human deeds.
Rating:
Summary: A powerful indictment of American religious fundamentalism
Review: Krakauer's wonderful storytelling ability held me spellbound for a memorable day of reading and I have since found many occasions to discuss the book's profound moral implications with friends. He shines a bright light on the phenomenon of religious fundamentalism that is becoming so much a part of how modern day America defines herself. With an admirable dose of objectivity and dispassionate journalism, he exposes a dark side of human nature that will evoke wide ranging emotions in all thoughtful readers. I have long suspected that any belief system that is based on a doctrine of itself being the one true faith above all others opens the door to many human "evils". Krakauer's penetrating look into the minds of these cold blooded murderers raises disturbing questions the role religion plays in our society. No doubt our Founding Fathers grappled with these very same questions when they wrote the constitutional clauses dealing with seperation of church and state. I suspect that readers whose lives are bottled up in an all encompassing and unquestioning belief system will find great discomfort and even anger with the way in which Krakauer connects the dots (it is apparent some of the reviewers at this site are so moved). I found the last chapter to be the most engaging and thought provoking in which the sanity plea during the trial was discussed and how muddled the lines can become become between religious beliefs and insanity. I heartily recommend this book as a must read for anyone with interests in religion and society.
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