Rating: 
Summary: Challenging the Creationist Approach to Mormon History
Review: The basic issue here is historiography by creation vs. historiography by research.
Krakauer does a superb job of chronicling several schisms in the Mormon church-based on the issue of polygamy-and connecting the pattern of violence associated with LDS "apostate groups" with the origins of the church, particularly with the story of the sword of Laban in the Book of Mormon. Some reviewers from the Mountain West seem to have their heads in the ground regarding an obvious link between the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the activities of Porter Rockwell, and the violence endemic in some of the offshoot groups. They also appear to deal poorly the church's polygamous origins. The book meticulously traces the roots of the Mormon offshoot groups to the incongruity of strong statements regarding the practice of polygamy of back-to-back LDS prophets, John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff.
I was particularly fascinated with Krakauer's account of the fate of the three members who left John Wesley Powell near the end of his historic expedition through the Grand Canyon. I know Wesley Larsen, who discovered documents that suggest that the three may have been murdered by Southern Utah Mormons. Dr. Larsen's version of the men's fate holds water and is consistent with the violence in early Mormonism.
Krakauer is insistent in pointing out that the LDS church bears little resemblance to the early church: today's church is image conscious and tends to lean toward mainstream Christianity. Krakauer illudes to the possibility that today's church may have become what it hates. The early Mormons felt persecuted because of polygamy, and today's Mormons are adamant about making it as tough as possible for the infidel "polygs" (I recall while living in Cedar City, Utah that the LDS church leaders there advised the local membership on several occasions not to do any business with members of the polygamous sect from Colorado City).
Juanita Brooks' book on John D. Lee and the Mountain Meadows Massacre was probably the first treatise that challenged Mormon historiography (but was eventually accepted by LDS scholars). Krakauer's treatise will challenge Mormon apologists who still prefer to create history, rather than to research it.
Rating: 
Summary: Inaccuracies
Review: How good can this book really be when he has a huge glaring mistake in the book. He placed the murders in Provo when in fact they happened in American Fork. When the murders are the focal point of the book and he can't get the obvious facts straight, what other information can you really trust in here? The general story of the book is that a couple of crazies murdered family members in the name of God and the author claims its because that's what Mormons are taught and it's a violent faith. Every church in the world has had crazy people commit murders and claim that God commanded them to do it. That doesn't mean that those religions teach violence and murder. Does it?
Rating: 
Summary: The truth is out there--just don't look here
Review: A book so full of errors is a disgrace and should cause the reader to wonder what else the author got wrong. Krakauer doesn't even seem to know who the president of the Mormon Church is--doesn't he have an editor or fact-checker? Every church has a few bad apples, but to implicate an entire church based on the actions of two ex-members (who were excommunicated--obviously the church recognized that they were off their rocker) is pretty sad. Following this logic, each time there is a crime, we should find out what religion the person is and then blame the church in question for their actions--ludicrous and ridiculous.Krakauer should stick to mountaineering--he doesn't know enough about religion to do the subject justice.
Rating: 
Summary: Better titled: Into the Fanatical Fringes of Faith
Review: This book is disturbing, troublesome and provocative. Having read Into Thin Air front to back twice without stopping (the only book I ever did that with) and having been a devout Mormon for 35 years (now inactive), I was eager to read the book. Like Thin Air, I couldn't put it down, read it all in one day. So, Krakauer's style and means of unfolding a story are still strong and compelling. But there is much about this book that troubles: the mixture of facts, quotes from questionable sources, rumors, speculations, and unfounded conclusions leaves a reader who knows the Mormon Church well noting lots of errors in each. Members are likely to be offended, friends of the Church surprised, and those who know little put off by the apparent conclusions of this unfortunate mixture. The central premise that the fanatical fringes of a society are products of that society and therefore condemn that society is a logical leap I am not prepared to make. Having a PHD in human behavior, I believe this premise to be farfetched. The My Lai massacre does not describe most Americans, the 9/11 attack does not describe most Muslims, and the Lafferty killings do not describe most Mormons or former Mormons or even Mormon splinter groups. That said, there ARE several attempts in the book to deal with major, basic issues of living today that everyone should read and think about, if NOT in the context of the Mormon Church, but in the context of modern society: These seem to me to be the following: How does one discriminate between one man's inspiration and that of another? (Islam, Christianity, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, etc.) Who's to say which inspiration is "right?" What's the role of obedience in a society? What are the consequences of total obedience and its opposite total anarchy? When does one say, I must trust my own insights, not yours no matter how much I esteem your views? What is the natural coupling behavior of humans? Virtually all the animal and bird species are not monogamous. Clearly, Old Testament prophets were not. Divorce rates today are high. What is the role of marriage in today's society? How do we define insanity in a religious world? If one hears voices and espouses non-traditional doctrine, and is judged to be crazy, then most zealots would be deemed the same. What's the role of child abuse on adult behavior? This aspect of the Lafferty killings seemed way underplayed to me in the book. But it's an important issue and process that needs more illucidation in today's world. The book certainly does that. What's the role of truth telling and honesty in leadership and among powerful privileged? Is there such a thing as sacred secrets and insider privileged behavior? Where's the oversight? Declaring that one answers only to God above the society in which one lives seems too convenient, yet, people all over the world do this. How should significant others and spouses treat each other? Where's the balance between "she wears the pants" and "he's a dictator?" Many couples might recoil at the descriptions of relationships here yet if examined more closely see the seeds in their own interactions. How can the nation manage its welfare fund distribution, now about half of the national budget? How can our society provide for defenseless children born without two or two functioning parents without encouraging more of the same behavior? That these communities survived largely on welfare was news to me. As I said, this book is troublesome, provocative, and disturbing. One could read it as focused on the Mormon Church. I found too many factual errors and conclusions built on shaky data to take the central premise seriously. But I didn't view the book as an attack on Mormonism. Rather, it's an essay on societies in general and explores very powerfully the themes I mentioned above as well as others. For that reason, I think the title should have been (and Krakauer admits he wrestled with the title) "Into the Fanatical Fringes of Faith"--and noted at the end, that he could have written this book about ANY religion or community in the world. He just happened to pick Mormonism. Every community has stories like these--to pick them out and then declare that they represent the mainstream I thought missed the point--namely that every society has to deal with its fringes and some do so better than others. You should read this book, but not as commentary on Mormonism, rather as commentary on your part of the Human Community.
Rating:
Summary: What A Tale !!
Review: I started this book on a return trip to New Mexico from New Jersey. Unable to put it down even when my eyes were burning from fatigue ! It is expertly written, the prose is crisp. A gripping tale of murder, mayhem, and the kinds of historical deatils that one almost never encounters in traditional textbooks.
Rating:
Summary: Bravura Storytelling
Review: Jon Krakauer displays his unusually fine gifts at storytelling with his latest book, Under the Banner of Heaven. Instead of the usual adventure/outdoors tale, though, this time he tackles violent and passion faith, particularly that of Mormon Fundamentalism. The story veers between true crime (the killing of a mother and daughter by two brothers) and the history and development of a particular and relatively recent religion. The author includes many strands in this net and handles it all smoothly, intelligently and at an exciting pace. It is a gripping book that should shake the reader from complacency. The recent interviews included in the book are often touching or shocking. This book will be controversial but that is simply indicative of its strength. A harrowing, powerful, highly recommended read.
Rating: 
Summary: from one "under heaven's banner..."
Review: Enough has been written here about this book. I needn't repeat what's been said by most of the reviewers. Needless to say, as usual, I enjoyed Krakauer's work. This time around, it hit home--literally and figuratively. I've been raised in the midst of the story Krakauer relates. I've lived in it and I've studied it all my life.
Degrees, titles, and education aside, this is a great book. From one who knows the Mormon Church and its history first hand, both modern and "ancient", with all of its Lafferty-esque quirks, I recommend it to every reader interested. One of the next big interfaces in the years to come will be between the Latter Day Saints and the "Gentiles". This book will help you understand the church a bit better. It's worth the time and it's very approachable. **Push things a bit scholastically and follow up Krakauer's notes and references with your own research. It will be well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile subject, substandard writing
Review: I really admired Mr. Krakauer's last two books, so hoped I could give this one a 5-star rating as well, but find that I just can't. It just plain isn't written very well. His previous efforts were very personal; we got to know the characters as 3-dimensional people. But in this volume Krakauer stands back - sometimes very far back. This is particularly true in the later Mormon history chapters when the more fully developed characters of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young are out of the picture. I got a little bored with his throwing out names of people we don't know and won't hear about further in order to illustrate violent events. These events began to sound very similar to each other..offering us little more to chew on than a thin chronology. Clearly, "standing back" is not the author's forte. But I'll give him two stars for taking a risk and tackling this potentially worthwhile subject matter.
Rating:
Summary: Another Journalistic Masterpiece
Review: From "Into the Wild" to "Into Thin Air," Jon Krakauer has proven himself a masterful storyteller, and "Under the Banner of Heaven" is no different. Whether he's shedding light on the dangers of mountain climbing or fundamentalist religions, Krakauer has a keen eye for the story, and a riveting way with telling it. His writing is incisive and startling, and he's not afraid to say it like it is. Read this book, then attend a Mormon historical pagaent and you'll see that the difference between what the Mormon religion professes to be and what it actually is--especially when sanitized by revisionist history--is astonishing. Krakauer's insights, woven within his haunting narrative, puts this book right up there on the shelf with the rest of his superb work. It's very apparent that, no matter what he takes on, Krakauer is here to stay as one of our most gifted American writers.
Rating:
Summary: Under the Banner of Heaven
Review: This book is like a spiritual car wreck for a traditional Christian like myself. We don't want to look, but atlas, once we do, we're engrossed in the story of how the love of the Almighty can be turned into the will of man. The horrible story of the death of the woman and her baby at the hands of men who told their intentions to so many people who did not speak up is almost beyond belief, but there it is in factual black and white. And the details of the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart are sensitive ones that I have not heard or read before in all the extensive reporting done of that case, (those reports did this surely to protect the youngster and those who love her), but a necessary detail in this story. However, the point was brought home how unfair the justice system is that would dedicate superhuman efforts in one child's case, but ignore the pleas of an older sister that her 14 year old sister was being married off to an older man who would soon rape her. I just find the whole affair very sad and twisted. I also don't understand why basic Christainity, with its edict that God is love and its universal invitation for all humans to have a personal relationship with God is not enough for some folks. I don't understand why addendums to the Bible need excite people so much that they lose their memory on what the orginal, simple message of Jesus Christ was. "Love me with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as you love yourself." Thought-provoking book in the very least.
|
