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Summary: Another Great Book by Krakauer
Review: This book was easy to read, with enough detail to make it interesting, but not overwhelming. It went a long way in educating me about Mormons and their history -- things I never learned in school, and things the Mormons would obviously like kept quiet. It was also interesting that Elizabeth Smart's kidnapper was a Mormon, and that this fact was not widely reported. This book was the first time that I became aware of it. I was also surprised that the book did not address the "Sacred Salamander." Isn't that an icon of Mormonism?
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Summary: Well Done in the spirit of Into the Wild
Review: I really enjoy the writing style of Jon Krakauer. I have read all three of his previous books. To me, Under the Banner of Heaven contains all of the strengths of his other non-fiction narrative book, Into the Wild, about Chris McCandless (Into Thin Air, his other narrative, is my favorite book). Like Into the Wild, Under the Banner is an exhaustively researched work, complete with first hand accounts of the places mentioned in the narrative as well as interviews with available persons who lived the story. These elements, combined with Krakauer's rich vocabulary and straight but elegant prose make Jon Krakauer my favorite author. Like Krakauer, I have always found mormons to be fascinating, but knew little about their history. To me, he said many good things about the mainstream LDS Church and their history: I found the narrative of Brigham Young leading the LDS's to Utah totally amazing. A fantastic read!
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Summary: Shocking and appalling
Review: This book deals with the history of Mormonism and Mormon Fudamentalism as a counter religion and it also explores and questions the pillars of mainstrain Mormonism. Ron and Dan Lafferty, both Mormon Fundamentalists who commit double murder insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their victims. Beginning with a very well researched account of this crime, Krakauer constructs an appalling narrative of delusion, savage violence and strict faith. He even analyzes the abduction of fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart. They had her so brainwashed that she even denied being Elizabeth. These Fundamentalists believe that the mainstream church went astray when they renounced polygamy. After finishing this book, I'm still in a state of disbelief. John Krakauer is an amazing writer and I think that this is his best work yet.
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Summary: Just trying to make money
Review: The biggest problem with this book is the it was written by a person who does not believe in God. He trys to make us think that Joseph Smith and Ron Lafferty are cut from the same cloth. He makes huge assumptions such as all mormons know the day and hour that Joseph Smith was murdered. He also attempts to create the illusion that somehow Latter Day Saints believe that grass is sacred and says that at BYU no one ever walks on the lawn. I wonder if Mr. Krakauer has ever even been to Provo, Utah. Here is another bad book that can be added to the long list of books written in an attempt to demean the Latter Day Saints. It makes me wonder what everyone is so afraid of, the truth, perhaps?
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Summary: Fascinating
Review: Under the Banner of Heaven caught my eye in the bookstore for two reasons: first, it was by Jon Krakauer, and second it was about the Lafferty murders and the Mormon church. Krakauer's books have been incredible and I have always been fascinated by the Mormon faith. This book is very readable, it captured my attention throughout, and it is balanced which allows the reader to really churn over the information in his head and go from there. Great read, I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys history.
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Summary: A selective historical & present day perspective of Mormons
Review: Having read Into Thin Air, I expected an accurate and educational perspective into the LDS Church. Unfortunately, his review of historical events is rather selective, although it does contain some accounts on the violence faced by early Mormon settlers. Rather than focus on the Church's ability to overcome the mistreatment it faced in it's early years, he notes what he feels to be an environment that fosters behavior like that exhibited by the books main personalities. Krakauer intertwines chapters of early Church history and the radical Lafferty brothers. Yet, in doing so, he makes the Lafferty's reprehensible actions appear somewhat commonplace or representative of a greater number of Church members than is actually true. In providing a detailed narrative of the Laffertys, self professed fundamentalist Mormons, Krakauer fails to recognize their disassociation with the present day LDS Church. While Krakauer acknowledges a longtime association with many Mormons throughout his life, he also professes a disbelief in God (except when he is driven to prayer on a dangerous precipice). This view leads him an approach that will lead many readers to question the authority exercised by any sizable religion, despite the good they may espouse to. Perhaps, Krakauer should stick to real adventure writing. A disappointing account from a usually reliable author.
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Summary: Krakauer....What A Writer
Review: You have to admit that Mormon history is fascinating. They're such a clean cut, all-American group, who would think that their short history is so political, so odd, so violent.But that aside, while the focus of the book is LDS and it's various sects and practitioners(primarily the Fundamentalists) Krakauer really gives insights to Fundamentalist movements of all stipes and creeds. Reading about Ron and Dan Lafferty is to gain some understanding of Fundamentalist Islam or even Eco-terrorists or any other purist crowd you care to think of.You can also see something of the odd relation that the parent organization secretly keeps with it's Fundamentalist sect. An example would be how loudly LDS professes that the polygamist FLDS is not part of their Mormon religion. At the same time these polygamist families are supported by the Utah Welfare system. In the case of Tom Green,his multi-family received for than $1 million over 10 years. $100 thousand dollars a year heading into a tiny dirt town in the middle of nowhere....you can't tell me that the LDS leadership was unaware of this and lots more like it. It is reminiscent of Saudi Arabia decrying terrorism at the same time it sends out money and recuits to those same terrorists. Krakauer is a wonderful writer and journalist. As an outsider to LDS I didn't find he was biased for or against any group. I think you'll see he has tried hard to let each group speak it's mind and you can provide the bias. So no matter what you think of this subject, you will enjoy Krakauer's style and I'm sure you will be surprised by what you will learn.
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Summary: Comments on the Debate
Review: As a non-Mormon who finds the story of Mormonism compelling, I don't understand what the fuss over this book is about. Krakauer is not writing as a serious historian, he's writing as a popular author. Obviously, if you want to get closer to the "real" truth of Mormonism, whatever your perspective, you're going to have to read more then this book, and the author tells you that.
After I read this book, I read Fawn Brodie's biography of Joseph Smith, and well, if you think this book is controversial, you ain't seen nothing. And Brodie's book was published in 1954! Mormonism was created, by Joseph Smith, to be a sensationalistic kind of religion. Brodie even refers to the temple ritual as a "mystery cult", and the ritual was itself reformed back in 1990. I think you can meaure the power of idea by seeing how often people go to extremes to defend their conception of the idea. That doesn't mean the extremist are right or that the idea is bad, it's just a testament to the POWER of that idea.
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Summary: Fascinating exploration of the nature of fanaticism
Review: Whatever you may think of the way Jon Krakauer portrays the Mormon faith, he does an excellent job of presenting the foundation upon which he tells the main story... the Lafferty brothers' brutal murder of their sister-in-law and 15-month old niece. Mainline and Fundamentalist Mormons may not like the way their founders are portrayed, but beyond that, Krakauer explores the roots of fanaticism... both religious and political. This book does not necessarily challenge religious faith, belief in G-d, or even strong convictions. It does explore why these beliefs may turn harmful; through lack of empathy and absolute conviction of the righteousness of their acts... whether that is cheating, lying, kidnapping, rape or murder.
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Summary: Fascinating Reading, But Misses The Point
Review: Jon Krakauer is a gifted storyteller. His masterpiece is "Into the Wild", his gripping portrait of one young extremist's inexorable self-destruction on the American frontier. He returns to the themes of the allure and dangers of extremism and the West in "Under The Banner of Heaven." Most of the material in this book will not be news to inhabitants of Utah. We are all too familiar with the grotesque saga of the Laffertys. And most historically literate Mormons already know the stories of 19th-century frontier Mormonism that Krakauer relates. Although some of the more horrific details of life in fundamentalist communities are new, and chilling. The town of Bountiful, British Columbia sounds like it could come from a Stephen King novel. This is a riveting, fascinating read. I finished it in one night. Krakauer artfully weaves together the Lafferty murders with the colorful history of the Mormons. But in the end, Krakauer misses the point. He has indeed brilliantly created a picture of Mormonism *as it must seem to the twisted minds of a couple of killers.* But it appears he spent no time talking to modern-day Mormons. He has no clue about how they successfully reconcile the difficulties of their faith. He simply assumes that people who have faith in religion or God are not to be taken seriously as rational people. They are fanatics, only a few steps away fron the Laffertys. This demeans not just the ordinary, average Mormon, but anyone who goes to church or even tries to live their lives according to what they believe God wants for them. In his authors note, Krakauer says his first intention was to write a book titled "History and Belief" about how "heroes" like Teilhard de Chardin and the Mormon historian D. Michael Quinn continue to believe; how they negotiate their faith in the face of the problems of modern life. There is no trace of that ambitious project in "Under the Banner of Heaven." Instead, the author got sucked into the dark world of the Laffertys. It makes for an excellent true-crime book. But it's a not-so-good window on religious faith.
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