Under the Banner of Heaven

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: When I started reading the book I couldn't put it down. I aboslutely loved it. What a fascinating religion Mormonism is and how American it is. I have a lot of Mormon friends and I don't think any less of them after reading the book. The bottom line is faith as is with any religion. You have to really believe in Joseph Smith and that God chose to reveal himself through him. That said, Krakauer points out how dangerous believing in revelations from God can be especially when you have people with narcistic personality disorders.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting secular perspective on Mormon culture
Review: Jon Krakauer has wandered a bit afield in "Under the Banner of Heaven". While he has a fair amount of expertise in outdoor activities (mountaineering, hiking, etc), giving him a framework for writing his prior two books "Into the Wild" and "Into Thin Air", he approaches violent faith as an agnostic. That may be part of what makes this book work.

As expected, Mormons are borderline apoplectic over this book. The Mormon church even went so far as to issue a direct response on their website, attacking Krakauer and his book, unprecedented as they normally try to appear above the fray while sending the attack dogs at FARMS after the offending author. As a former Mormon and current Christian, I have to work through some areas where Krakauer paints a broad brush over all people of faith but overall I found his tone respectful, someone who does not necessarily believe but does not chastise others for doing so. The addition of the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping is excellent, giving a timely example of Mormonism being cult-like in it's absolute fealty to priesthood authority. Krakauer includes a quote stating that only a Mormon girl could have been as controlled as Elizabeth Smart was, having grown up to accept the teachings of loony false prophets. Compare this to women who are bullied into accepting polygamous relationships, and the pattern of unquestioning obedience becomes clear.

Krakauer makes some minor errors, and oversimplifies a ton of Mormon theology. In describing Joseph Smith's seminal event, he skips right to Moroni and the plates, completely ignoring the "appearance" of God and Jesus as separate individuals (perhaps the varied tales of who appeared was so confusing that he just left it out, as Smith himself seems confused by who appeared). The book also jumps around a lot, going from modern times to early Mormon history and back. This can be a bit jarring. Yet Krakauer fully admits he is not out to write a comprehensive history of Mormonism or a detailed critique of Mormon theology, all of which have been duly documented in a number of fine works including "One Nation Under Gods", "Mormon America" and "No Man Knows My History". It is Krakauer's lack of a theological bone to pick that makes this work useful to secular audiences who see Mormonism in large part as the church spins it: hard working, chaste and all-American. Mormons find it easy to dismiss Christian critics, but less so a somewhat neutral observer. Having grown up near a lot of Mormons, Krakauer was curious as to what made them tick and in doing so found a darker underside that the modern Mormon church would just as soon hide. For the average reader, unversed in the real history of Mormonism, it will come as a shock that the Mormon history is full of characters like Porter Rockwell more so than the Osmonds and a church that prides itself on being all-American has a history full of borderline treason and flaunting the law.

As a Christian, I also found this book eye opening for its look at the agnostic view of religion, one that must seem in some cases to be not very appealing. I especially was struck by his description of Christians at the Hill Cumorah pageant as seeming very grim and dour, a good lesson that we should be sharing the message of Christ with joy, not with long faces.

Under the Banner of Heaven is an engaging read, probably really a 4 star book but I gave it 5 just because it sticks in the craw of the Mormon hierarchy! Overall a very worthwhile read, as long as you take it for what it is intended to be.

Rating:
Summary: The truth is out there, and its stranger than fiction
Review: Jon Krakauer looks under the covers of the fastest growing church in America and the result is an amazing true story that is stranger than fiction. This is Paul Harvey's "the rest of the story" on Mormons. History is the Monica Lewinski of the LDS church. Jon's book gives an independant researcher's viewpoint. Jon is not part of the church, nor is he an attacker against the church. He simply found an intriguing story and writes an engaging book that I couldn't put down.

Jon's refreshing plain truth style alows me to use my own mind to decide what to believe.

A Fascinating look at the edges of the LDS church story. I grew up in the Mormon faith, served as an LDS missionary, graduated from BYU, married in the Temple and always received the scrubbed version of LDS history. This book containes the missing parts of the stories of controversy.

Most LDS documents and history remain in a UT mountain, locked away like the Arc in Indiana Jones. Nobody has access; nobody can get in; There is no library card. Jon does the work of discovering and demystifing the LDS church for the reader. The truth will set you free.

Rating:
Summary: Loved the Cover, Loved the story...Love the controversy....
Review: Just for a little balance...This book will be panned extensively by the Mormon community. So, as an objective, thoughtful, spiritual person, I'll say that the facts are pretty much presented in an unbiased, sensitive way...

Rating:
Summary: A Peek Inside an Extremist Culture
Review: I feel Mr. Krakauer's book is quote an enjoyable read. Prior to reading his work, I had only the vaguest notions concerning Mormons and their various practices and beliefs. I would like to point out that, unlike several other reviewers on this site, Krakauer's work did not leave me with a negative impression of the Mormon religion as a whole, but rather an understanding of how extremist groups are able to encourage and condone violence against innocent individuals. I am somehow not surprised that some readers decided, since they did not approve of some of the content in the book, to find small (albeit valid) errors in certain historical accounts as if to discredit the main points of Krakauer's work. However, it should be noted that this book is not intended as a historical account of Mormonism (as the author himself notes several times), but rather as a glimpse into the myriad ways in which extremist groups cause trouble for peaceful, civilized human beings. These errors in no way cast any doubt on the analysis of fundamentalist groups that Krakauer provides. If you are a rational, fairly reasonable person; you will probably not have many objections to this book, other than the occasional error concerning specific facts which are not relevant to the conclusions that are drawn. If you are a fundamentalist, or a sympathizer, you might find this work objectionable, simply due to the fact that the author does not support your viewpoint. But then again, I doubt any work that doesn't support your worldview, regardless of what merit it may have, will ever satisfy these types of "people." These sorts of "people" might use nonsensical statements such as "an agnostic cannot be expected to provide a reasonable account of a religion," but the rest of us should be able to see criticisms of this nature for what they truly are; empty words. Must one subscribe to the tenets of a belief system in order to provide an "unbiased" description of that system? It would seem to me that such an account would most certainly be biased. Then again, believers tend to support bias when it is in their favor. I'm sure there are plenty of works by various authors that can explain quaint traditions such as animal cruelty, offer an unapologetic promotion of statutory rape and consider it perfectly fine for members of certain religious sects to bilk taxpayers out of millions of dollars to support their needlessly large families and run schools which essentially teach nothing more than ignorance. This piece offers none of these.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book is the way in which Krakauer reveals the underlying social, economic and (perhaps even) genetic causes for extremist behavior. Even though I doubt the book was intended to do so, there are several pieces of excellent ethnographic tidbits to be found in Krakauer's work.
If you want a historical account of Mormonism; look elsewhere. If you want a book which describes what a "backward" or "twisted" religion Mormonism is; look elsewhere. If you want a book that offers apologies or excuses for fundamentalists who should be left alone to practice their "freedom of religion," regardless of the violent consequences for non-fundamentalists; look elsewhere. If, however, you are in search of a book that gives an honest, unapologetic look at the various outrages committed in the name of "god" by fundamentalists, you may very well enjoy this piece.

Rating:
Summary: Religious Fanaticism Extreme
Review: When thinking about people who are Mormons, usually terms like upstanding, wholesome, moral, and upright citizens come to mind. Certainly today, the Mormon Church professes itself to be a strong moral compass in this apostate world, guiding its flock through turbulent times to help them attain the glory of the hereafter. What Jon Krakauer exposes in his newest book "Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of a Violent Faith", are the roots which Mormonism has come from, and what a dark history that is.

Part mystery, part history, part expose, Under the Banner of Heaven wanders through the background of the LDS church that many of us aren't aware even exists. Even the layman may know some of the basic facts, Joseph Smith's discovery of some ancient gold plates which revealed to him the book of Mormon; the Mormons great trek west to establish Utah as a safe haven for their faith; how Mormons are some of the most openly pious people in America. What Krakauer is goes deeper than that, and exposes the dark underbelly of this faith.

Krakauer immediately sets up his story by giving us the details of a grisly death in the 1980's of a mother and her infant at the hands of a religious fanatic brother-in-law. He soon moves to explain this book isn't about the Mormon church perse, but the extreme elements that have branched off the Mormon church since its inception. The distinction is important, for these fundamentalist Mormons take all of Joseph Smith's revelations to heart, and practice many tenets of the early faith that are publicly decried by the mainstream church, mainly polygamy.

By blending Mormon history, the Mormon fundamentalist movement, and the murders, Krakauer makes an intensely disturbing and readable book. I simply couldn't put it down. The chapters on the Mountains Meadows Massacre and early Utah history were especially compelling. He treats Joseph Smith with the respect due to a founder of a major world religion.
The night of his murder is explained in detail, showing us the unfairness of his demise.

However I did find the chapters that dealt with fundamentalist polygamy exceptionally confusing as fathers married their stepdaughters, their sisters, and their own kids, creating a convoluted family tree. It may have helped to have diagrams of such families, or of those specifically related to the murders.

Overall, this book may disturb some Mormons by its exposure of some of the darker times and incidents of the Mormon church. Such things coming to light is not a bad thing, for they soon are dealt with and forgotten. But perhaps Krakauer suggest that hiding them is the wrong course. Under the Banner of Heaven is a noble attempt to enlighten.

Rating:
Summary: A (dishonest) fall from respectability by Jon Krakauer...
Review: As Richard E. Turley Jr. has stated regarding this book, "Jon Krakauer, author of Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith (New York: Doubleday, 2003), uses the anomalous Lafferty murder case of 1984 to "look at Mormonism's violent past" and examine "the underbelly of the United States' most successful homegrown faith" (advance reading copy back cover). Although the book may appeal to gullible persons who rise to such bait like trout to a fly hook, serious readers who want to understand Latter-day Saints and their history need not waste their time on it...... Ostensibly focused on murders committed by brothers who had been excommunicated from the Church, Krakauer's book is actually a condemnation of religion generally... To support his case that the "roots of their [the Lafferty brothers'] crime lie deep in the history of an American religion practiced by millions" (advance reading copy front cover), Krakauer presents a decidedly one-sided and negative view of Mormon history.

Referring to Joseph Smith's well-known 1826 trial, for example, Krakauer asserts that "a disgruntled client filed a legal claim accusing Joseph of being a fraud" (39). This assertion shows Krakauer's unfamiliarity with basic aspects of the trial in question, as well as his tendency to spin evidence negatively. In actuality, the trial resulted not from "a disgruntled client" but from persecutors who had Joseph hauled into court for being a disorderly person because of his supposed defrauding of his employer, Josiah Stowell. As a modern legal scholar who carefully studied the case has noted, however, Stowell "emphatically denied that he had been deceived or defrauded" (Gordon A. Madsen, "Joseph Smith's 1826 Trial: The Legal Setting," Brigham Young University Studies 30 [spring 1990], 105). As a result, Joseph was found not guilty and discharged (ibid.)..

Krakauer also stretches the truth in writing about modern Church events. He attended the Hill Cumorah pageant in Palmyra, New York, and portrays it as having "the energy of a Phish concert, but without the drunkenness, outlandish hairdos . . . , or clouds of marijuana smoke" (47). Without citing a source, he exaggeratingly asserts that "sooner or later most Latter-day Saints make a pilgrimage there" (44). Although the pageant is popular, most Latter-day Saints have never attended it, and most never will.

The author evinces some understanding of the Church's doctrine and administrative structure, yet make gaffes that signal his generally poor command of the subject matter. For example, he refers to Mark E. Petersen, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as the "LDS President" (53), an obvious error. Krakauer shows his ignorance of the Book of Mormon and the Bible when he refers to Laban as "a scheming, filthy-rich sheep magnate who turns up in the pages of both the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament" (132). The Old Testament Laban, who is the uncle and father-in-law of the patriarch Jacob and brother to Rebekah, lived many hundreds of years before the Laban of the Book of Mormon...

... Krakauer acknowledges that although Joseph Smith "venerated the U.S. Constitution," he "in both word and deed . . . repeatedly demonstrated that he, himself, had little respect for the religious views of non-Mormons, and was unlikely to respect the constitutional rights of other faiths" (81). Serious scholars of Joseph Smith, however, understand that he generally had very high regard for the rights of others. Speaking to his followers in a Sabbath service near the uncompleted Nauvoo Temple on 9 July 1843, Joseph declared, "If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a Mormon I am bold to declare before heaven that I am just as ready to die for a [P]resbyterian[,] a [B]aptist or any other denomination.-It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul, civil and religious liberty" (Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, eds., The Words of Joseph Smith [Provo: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1980], 229)." I wholeheartedly agree with all of the excerpts I have quoted above. The last paragraph in particular must be understood by anyone as patriotic as myself.

Additionally, Mike Otterson's statement on this uninspiring literary refuse so well written that I must include it in my review:

"Krakauer's portrayal of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is utterly at odds with what I - and millions like me - have come to know of the Church, its goodness, and the decency of its people. This book is an attempt to tell the story of the so-called fundamentalist or polygamous groups in Utah, and to tie their beliefs to the doctrines and the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The result is a full-frontal assault on the veracity of the modern Church.

This book is not history, and Krakauer is no historian. He is a storyteller who cuts corners to make the story sound good. His basic thesis appears to be that people who are religious are irrational, and that irrational people do strange things. He does a huge disservice to his readers by promulgating old stereotypes. He finds sufficient zealots and extremists in the past 150 years to help him tell his story, and by extrapolation tars every Mormon with the same brush. The exceptions are the rule by his standards. One could be forgiven for concluding that every Latter-day Saint, including your friendly Mormon neighbor, has a tendency to violence. And so Krakauer unwittingly puts himself in the same camp as those who believe every German is a Nazi, every Japanese a fanatic, and every Arab a terrorist.

It is evident from the adulation that Krakauer heaps on three or four historians who are unsympathetic to the Church that they have heavily influenced him. On the other hand, there is such a paucity of quotes attributed to modern Church leaders or ranking members that one wonders who the "dozens of Mormons" were whom Krakauer is supposed to have interviewed for his research.

Krakauer writes a great deal about Joseph Smith, who organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830. Joseph Smith surely disturbed the status quo in religion in his day, and does so even now. Furthermore, he lived out his days "on stage" for all to observe - some to criticize and some to venerate. He was God's conduit for bringing back bold doctrines concerning the nature of God, the nature of man, the nature of the human experience, the purpose of life and even the nature of the universe. His legacy is that millions of people today throughout the world accept him as the Prophet of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ."

Finally, let me be more blunt, in my typical style, and tell you what I really think of this book.

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith is, in a few words, dishonest, deceitful, brimming with fallacious arguments, and presenting junk research & leading questions as objective. It inserts just enough truth to appear credible to those without the time to verify Jon Krakauer's tales. It is most definitely one one of the worst books I have read dealing with The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints (The Mormons). I fear that the volume of deceit and untruth might just be persuasive to the gullible and weak-minded who lack the critical thinking skills necessary to question the ridiculousness of the claims contained in this work of fiction presented as non-fiction.

Of course, I am not worried about those who actually know members of the aforementioned church, as their personal experience will dissuade them from believing the deceitful portrayals and treatment of said church. It is, however, quite dangerous for those without personal experience with "Mormons," as it instills mindless, bigoted images of "Mormons" in the minds of the unfamiliar. Even more intelligent people with slightly better critical thinking skills will likely have their opinions forever tainted, always looking for evidence that Jon Krakauer's deceptions are true, and that Mormons are inherently violent, being as religious as they are.

I will close my review by stating that this book appears to be nothing more than yet another attempt to profit from bigots and the weak minded, while poisoning countless minds against being open to a religion that has done immeasurable good both here in the United States, as well as worldwide. Jon Krakauer's treatment of the LDS faith is dishonest, as is his treatment of his readers. I have forever lost my respect for Jon Krakauer. I will never waste my money on his books in the future, as I would be responsible for funding this sort of bigoted filth which will for many be a hatred precursor. We have enough problems with that in this world. Financially supporting such a dishonest author is not something I am willing to do.

Rating:
Summary: Immensely informative and interesting
Review: Krakauer is an excellent writer and is able to make any subject readable and interesting. He is good at exploring the human spirit, pondering what motivates people to do things like climb to the top of the earth, spend time alone in the wilderness. This book is not about sports, it is about the extremes of human behavior with religion as the subject. The book tells about the Mormon faith, how it started, changes that have come about and how groups that have split off have differed. Karakauer concentrates on fundamentalist groups, and this book is really about abuses of religious beliefs, a timely topic.

What causes people to take on these extremist views and to believe that God wants them to harm other people? That is the question I found myself asking as I read the book. And Krakauer answers remarkably well for a layperson, neither a theologian nor psychologist. He includes many excerpts from related materials (listed in the Bibiliography,) and some of that material is as interesting as the story he relates about the Latter-day Saints.

A very readable book written from the viewpoint of a curious person. It is immensely informative and interesting.

Rating:
Summary: Every needs a little history
Review: As a former member of the LDS Church who grew in central Utah I see this book as a very good effort. Growing up in that area, topics like the Mountain Meadow massacre and the role of the Danites in Utah history were never taught or even discussed. The early life of Joseph Smith was always glossed over in giant leaps. No organization is perfect and no organization should be quite so squeamish about a little scrutiny. Religion in early Utah had an ugly face and a good face too. Power can corrupt anyone if they hold it too long

Rating:
Summary: Riveting, Powerful, BUT (3.7 on a scale of 1 to 5)
Review: "Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of a Violent Faith" grips the reader. From the words printed on the cover "On July 24, 1984, a woman and her infant daughter were murdered by two brothers...," you have a difficult time putting it down.

Krakauer explains in the opening pages of the book his fascination with pushing the extremes-as in his earlier book on why a few mountain climbers out of millions of casual climbers push themselves to climb Everest, and in this book how a few individuals pushed the outer limits of the fundamentalist fringe of a mainstream religion and commit murder.

The book tells of the 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty, a young mainstream Momrnon wife, and her baby daughter. They were killed by two of Brenda's brothers-in-law, excommunicated Mormons who had even been thrown out of their fringe fundamentalist Mormon group. The brothers, Ron and Dan, believed that God had revealed to them that they must kill Brenda, who had opposed them in their efforts to recruit her husband to their extreme views. (There were also several other people on their list who escaped by virtue of not being home or the brothers taking the wrong turn.)

The book intends to show how their beliefs morphed out of the more mainstream Mormon faith. It details impressively the early history of the Mormon church and the subsequent birth of fundamentalist off shots, most in reaction to the mainstream church's eventual rejection of polygamy. Then it shows how Ron and Dan Lafferty's theology-if you can call it that-evolved out of the fundamentalist fringe groups (which rejected them).Everything is fascinating: the early history of the Mormon church, the modern day polygamous cults, the details of the murders, and the detailed description of the re-trial of Ron.
BUT
I have several reservations about this book as a journalist. (I am not a Mormon.) First, while Krakauer mentions throughout the book that Ron and Dan Lafferty were ex-communicated Mormons, he still blurs the lines at times. For example on the cover, the opening words, which conclude with the phrase "The roots of their crime lie deep in the history of an American religion practiced by millions....," appear juxtaposed next to the phrase "A Story of Violent Faith." Yes the violent faith is intended to be the violent, distorted views of the Laffertys, but (at least to me), it is also a double entendre on the history of the Mormon Church. Certainly the Mormon's Church history was violent-but so are the histories of just about every other mainstream religion. On the inside cover of the book, a map delineates Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Western Nevada with a note "Mormon country." Yet the book tells you that this is FUNDAMENTALIST mormon country not mainstream Mormon country. Finally, he could have pointed out more that the victims were MAINSTREAM Mormons and the Laffertys were prosecuted in a mainstream Mormon state and most likely with mainstream Mormons on the jury.
Second, two different books appear crammed into this one. Krakauer admits at the end that he had started on a very different book: how the modern day Mormon church, which contains so many admirable citizens, reconciles itself with its past. Much of the research for that book-which is fascinating and well written-surfaces in this one. Yes I was riveted by the early history of the Mormon Church. However, as I have noted, most religions have violent histories. If Krakauer were to do justice to the subject, he needed to expand on this topic and perhaps note such historic events in other religions as the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the reign of the Tudors in England, the current troubles in the mideast. At times, Krakauer will throw a fact out about the Mormon Church without expanding on it: for example, that women are barred from the priesthood. Women are barred from the clergy in other religions, most notably in Roman Catholicism. Finally, he goes on at length about the controversy over polygamy, first in the Mormon Church and then in its fundamentalist offshots. Polygamy horrifies me. However, it has been and continues to be practied in other world religions and cultures. Krakauer never mentions this once throughout the book.

Finally, I think Krakauer could have expounded more on thr central story: the Lafferty murders. The two murdering brothers had more in common with other individuals who kill in the name of religion-the September 11th hijackers, Jim Jones, mideast terrorists-than they do with mainstream Mormons. I would have been interested in a thoughtful comparison. Krakauer also could have spent far more time on the individuals surrounding the murders. Allan Lafferty, the husband of Brenda and the brother of Dan and Ron, disappears in the book. What happened to him? How has he coped since then? Two individuals missed death at the hands of these brothers by twists of fate. How have they coped?

I would recommend this book to most individuals who enjoy non-fiction, true crime stories and/or Krakauer's earlier books. However, I would caution the reader: there are actually two incomplete books in here instead of one complete one.