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Under the Banner of Heaven

Under the Banner of Heaven

List Price: $25.95
Your Price: $16.35
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Ex-Mormon's take on "Under the Banner of Heaven"
Review: I found Krakauer's book gripping and horrific. First, I will say that I was an active Mormon from childhood until middle age. I resigned from the church, not because it had cast off its original doctrines, but because its 'disowned' esoteric doctrines (and the Book of Mormon itself) are fallacious. Regarding the 'secret' doctrines of plural marriage and 'blood atonement', all of us who were inquisitive and literate could in the past research and even discuss the subjects. It was common knowledge amongst many of us that there had been 'hits' of church enemies during the 1800s. Nowadays this history has been disavowed, if not openly then by silence. And authors like Krakauer will usually receive the 'silent' treatment from any church spokesmen. If a journalist or author takes the smallest issue with church history, showing the church in a less-than attractive light, it is the author that takes the heat, NOT the issue. Understanding the LDS church requires an understanding of their history and their original doctrine. Krakauer would be unique if he did not receive the usual ad hominem cold shoulder...or given the heave-ho as an atheist, liberal or gay with an axe to grind.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Polygamy, Fundamentalists, and the Mormon Church
Review: Well-known author Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air, Into the Wild) originally wanted to write a book titled History and Belief that would focus "on the uneasy, highly charged relationship between the LDS Church and its past." In this not-yet-written book, he planned to see "how does a critical mind reconcile scientific and historical truth with religious doctrine? How does one sustain belief when confronted with facts that appear to refute it?"

Instead of writing this book, though, Krakauer's research led him to write about the dual July 24, 1984 murders committed by the infamous Lafferty brothers (Ron and Dan) in American Fork, Utah. The story told in Under the Banner of Heaven (paperback comes out July 2004) is both intriguing and revealing. In fact, Krakauer makes it very evident that the Laffertys not only held fast to Mormon fundamentalism and a deep-seeded belief in polygamy, but they were also closely aligned with the thinking of numerous early Mormon leaders, especially Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, the first two LDS prophets.

Krakauer opens the book by giving background information on the night when the actual murders that occurred. Ron and Dan brutally ambushed their younger brother Allan's infant daughter and his wife, Brenda, whom they blamed for causing Ron's wife to leave for Florida. The murders are not exactly described until the latter part of the book, but it should be understood that graphic details are given...and it's not a pretty sight.

However, this is more than just a tale centering on the Laffertys. Throughout the book, as the account is unfurled describing how the Laffertys got to the point of cold-blooded murder and thinking their actions were God-ordained, Krakauer weaves in the basic history of the LDS Church, starting with LDS founder Joseph Smith in chapter 5. Events such as Carthage, Mountain Meadow (he points out that only later was it called "Meadows"), and the Manifesto are detailed.

Krakauer intersperses the historical aspects of Mormonism with the different interpretations of this religion as explained by numerous leaders. Since many fundamentalists place special emphasis on polygamy, Krakauer highlights the more well-known polygamous individuals such as LeRoy Johnson, Brian David Mitchell (who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart), Tom Green, and the LeBarons. Displayed are the many problems associated with polygamy including incest, spousal abuse, septuagenarians marrying teenagers, and the stealing from the government.

Although the general history is accurate and can be easily supported, this book is not meant to be a historical work. In fact, Krakauer utilizes other researchers such as Fawn Brodie (No Man Knows My History), Will Bagley (Blood of the Prophets), and D. Michael Quinn. Thus, anyone hoping for new historical nuggets may be disappointed (though I did learn a few new things). Truly this book is tailor-made for the person who doesn't have a deep understanding of Mormonism's roots.

One thing that Krakauer does not provide is the in-text citations of his sources. Instead, he merely uses asterisks and provides the footnoted information at the bottom of the page. No resource/page number addresses are provided, meaning that the reader has to take the author's word for it. While there may be a place for these kinds of books, this type of documentation drives researchers who thrive on specific source/page information crazy. At the same time, Krakauer makes some very astute observations that show how he understands the many inconsistencies in Joseph Smith's philosophical system.

Under the Banner of Heaven, which hit the presses in July 2003, has infuriated many Mormons who consider this tome as an affront to their faith. After all, how dare the author insinuate that these Mormon Fundamentalists are even faintly related to the only true church on earth, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Yet this thinking is quite flawed. As the author insinuates, if Smith and Young were to return to the earth today, certainly they would recognize the Fundamentalist churches as being more authentic than the LDS Church and its structure. Why should we think so poorly of these modern-day polygamists when their attitude is certainly shared by those who guided the church in the early years?

He has a point, though Mormons have flooded the Internet with their ranting protests. For instance, many of the more than 300+ reviews of this book on Amazon.com are LDS critics complaining that Krakauer is somehow anti-Mormon and therefore must have a vendetta against the Church. Thus, many of these reviewers give the book a "one star" rating and display their ignorance with archaic reviews, which clearly show they never read the book. This proves that there are many Mormons who are more concerned with their religion's public relations image rather than history or, egad, the truth. While Krakauer is an agnostic/atheist and is certainly no friend to Christianity, I believe that he holds no bigoted bent against the LDS Church.

Overall, I recommend this book, especially for those who would like to better understand the polygamist mindset that can be found throughout the western United States. Since I personally know polygamists from Utah, I commend Krakauer for accurately displaying the mentality that characterizes many of these sincere folk (i.e. "it's us against the world"). The only caution I would give is that the book is quite graphic when it comes to the description of the murders and the language used by the Lafferty boys.

Finally, though I certainly disagree with Krakauer on theology, I would like to encourage Krakauer to pursue the book he originally set out to write. Of course, Mormons will once again color him with that dirty "anti-Mormon" label, but I for one would be an interested observer should he ever complete that book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Something different from Krakauer, but no less compelling.
Review: I read this book as a Krakauer fan, rather than as a person with a particular interest in true crime or religion. Though very different from "Into the Wild" or "Into Thin Air," this book was no less compelling.

I have read reviews claiming this book is too critical of Mormons (quite a few of those, unsurprisingly) and some that he is too sympathetic to fringe elements. As another reviewer here mentioned, any time the subject of religion is even broached, much less explored in some depth, people are gonna holler. But this book doesn't defame anyone, nor is it worship. The people who direct potential readers to books which sing the praises of LDS/Joseph Smith are probably mistaken as to who is interested in this book in the first place. While I don't think any LDS member should be offended by this book, it clearly is written for non-LDS members, particularly the large segment of the public with very little knowledge of the church beyond the door-knocking "elders" with whom we've all had contact.

I learned a lot about the LDS church,its origins, the radical fringe, the murders, and even Elizabeth Smart. If you are looking for adventure or crime, this will disappoint you. However, a reader in search of a provocative, extremely well-written and interesting work of nonfiction will be satisfied.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Flawed, but an interesting read
Review: Being both a fan of Jon Krakauer's climbing-related writings and a fifth-generation member of the LDS Church, I made a point of reading Under the Banner of Heaven. I found the book to be both earnest and thought-provoking, though not without flaws. Krakauer succeeds in posing a question that will not have occurred to very many Mormons: Who is closer to observing the religion propounded by Joseph Smith, and fostered by Brigham Young, in the 19th Century--the "mainline" (Krakauer's word) LDS Church, or the various polygamy-centered sects that view the Church as having deviated from the pure faith? In other words, were such things as polygamy, blood atonement (the notion of killing a "sinner," generally involuntarily and without due process of law, in order to save his soul or further God's purposes, which is still a topic of controversy), and the barring of blacks from the priesthood so integral to the tenets of Mormonism that no one who doesn't espouse them today can be viewed as a faithful follower? Given my membership in the "mainline" church, and modern insight into the hatefulness of those particular practices/policies, I think I know the answer, but one cannot fault someone of Krakauer's background for having doubts.

Still, I feel compelled to make observations about what I regard as flaws. First and foremost, Krakauer relies much too heavily on Fawn Brodie's No Man Knows My History as the definitive source of information about Joseph Smith. No matter how accurate the book may or may not be in fact, an objective reader must account for Brodie's obvious bias and defamatory intent before deciding how much credence to lend to it. In short, Brodie is no more the last word on Joseph Smith than is Roland Huntford's The Last Place On Earth regarding the character and exploits of Robert Falcon Scott. Krakauer, however, has bought heavily into the outlandish conclusions of both books, which are landmark exercises in interpreting the historical record entirely in light of predetermined conclusions. (True, the LDS Church tends to do the same thing in its airbrushed accounts of Joseph's life, but I wouldn't expect Krakauer to accept them without question, either.)

Second, despite Krakauer's close associations through the years with LDS Church members, he chooses not to convey just how far off the radar the beliefs and actions of Ron and Dan Lafferty are relative to the average Mormon's frame of reference. If Ron Lafferty's "removal revelation"--his rationalization for murdering his sister-in-law and infant niece--was disavowed by the polygamist loons with whom he and his brothers studied, try to imagine how repugnant it would have been to any of the clear-thinking Mormons Krakauer has known in his lifetime! The Laffertys were/are nutcases, pure and simple, and any implicit attempt to tar all Mormons with the same broad brush is patently unfair.

Finally, Krakauer is more than a little narrow-minded when he concludes that religious beliefs tend to lead people to do odd things. Does it really have to pointed out to him that "irrational" beliefs in ideas or people extend much farther than the realm of religion--or that people can, and do, espouse and defend such beliefs with as much fervor as any Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist? Who can rationalize, for example, organized feminists' dogged defense of partial-birth abortion, notwithstanding the procedure's moral and medical indefensibility? (I haven't yet heard of an abortion-rights advocate's killing, say, a pro-life politician, but I've heard enough angry statements from the pro-choice side, wishing death on their political opponents, to realize that it's plausible.) Moreover, political movements have their own cults of personality, the one accreting around Bill Clinton being just one example. When Clinton came under attack in the Monica Lewinsky affair, his acolytes were at least as blinkered in their defense of him as modern Mormons are in their defense of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. To associate these sorts of phenomena entirely with religious beliefs is simply wrong-headed.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Good story, But Krakauer is no Historian
Review: Krakauer's book, like his bestseller "Into Thin Air," is a wonderfully written story. He can string words together - make no doubt about it. However where his book comes apart is in his research. The historical claims he makes in his book are not taken from a balanced library of sources. He focuses primarily on excommunitcated Mormon historians, although he does bring in some active Mormon research, primarily from Mr. Bushman. I can only belive that Mr. Krakauer himself was aware of the sources he was taking his information from, because his book contains only a bibliography and a simple chapter by chapter acknowledgment of what books were used for each chapter. The author does not endnote or footnote any of his claims. To me this raises the concern that he focused too much on historians Brodie and Quinn, whom he references throughout the book as being the quinessential Mormon historians, despite the fact that they were both excommunicated, a fact which further raises questions of their intents and desires in writing their histories. One example of Krakauers' poor scholarship is shown when he pronounces Mark E. Peterson as the President of the LDS church, when in fact Mr. Peterson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Further, he asserts with boldness the sexual proclivities of Joseph Smith (more than likely drawn from Ms. Brodie's book) without acknowledging that such assertions are not broadly accepted or supported by practicing LDS church members. He does not even cite as a source for his book LDS scholar Hugh Nibley's "No Ma'am, That's Not History," a treatise which calls into question much of Ms. Brodie's scholarship.

Mr. Krakauer's book works as a story - but there is too much missing or added to discount it entirely as an accurate historical work. Although he may not have intended to write a "history" of Mormons, it is in fact what he did - but he did it based on unbalanced research, which results in a book that is not clear or correct.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Been there...read that...
Review: As a fan of Jon Krakauer's previous books, and as someone very interested in Mormon history and polygamy, I have to say that I found this book basically...well, a bore. I was hoping to learn something new and this book was nothing more than a summarization of numerous other books and magazine/news articles. I also felt strongly that this book lacked a sense of direction. Was it about Mormon history, the contemporary Mormon church, or polygamy? I hoped it would be about polygamy, the Lafferty's, and life in Colorado City (now that would be a great book), but those chapters were incredibly superficial and short. The chapters about Mormon history and the contemporary church have all been done before! I would say, if you've never read anything about Mormons, pick up this book--you'll most likely find it interesting. If you've read more than 1 or 2 books on the topic, save your money, you've already read it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: That nebulous area that lies between church and state
Review: My definition of a great book is one that keeps my mind racing with internal discussions and searching both during and after reading the book. "Under the Banner of Heaven" meets that definition. The Mormon religion has long been a fascination to me for the same reason many have been drawn into it; it is new, local, and has a history that is well documented by those who lived it.

Judging from the reviews, there are some that picked up this book to read a true crime drama. Luckily, that was not my motivation. I am an American history buff and one who is fascinated with religion. This was right down my alley. But I was also intrigued with the examination of that nebulous area that lies between church and state.

I hope Mr. Krakauer goes on to write the book he originally intended to write; the history of the LDS Church and how it reconciles "scientific and historical truth with religious doctrine".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome read
Review: I wasn't much aware of the "ins and outs" of the Mormon religion so I must admit, this was not a flattering first look at the religion. However, I found the book to be very compelling and I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed how the story interwove the history of Mormon roots with the present day murders of the young wife and her baby. I must admit, I did tend to get lost because it seemed that so many of the people in the book were married to someone related to someone who was married to someone else (Confused? What until you try and figure out the family tree of someone who has 56 wives and 75 kids). Re-reading many passages was a must just so I could keep everyone straight. Again, not a flattering look at the Mormon religion but a good read about cults, religious fervor, and polygramy.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: waste of time!!!
Review: this book told a good story, but i think he was just trying to get out of trouble! don't judge all mormons by one idiot! all my friends are mormons and are awesome! just cause one does something dumb, doesn't mean they all are stupid. what religion are most murders anyway?? i guarante they are not mormons!!!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Mormonism Revealed
Review: Excellent portrayal of just how ridiculous (and far-out) Mormonism really is. I knew nothing of Mormonism before I read this and am alarmed that so many people in the US actually embrace this religious cult. All religion is based upon faith, I'll give you that, but disappearing golden plates and visons that you can decide to change to suit you...what a crock!


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