Under the Banner of Heaven : A Story of Violent Faith

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.

Rating:
Summary: "Beach Read" for those who think, question and learn
Review: "Under the Banner of Heaven," Mr. Krakauer's latest book, is one of the best, most even balanced works written about the many colorful and troublesome aspects of Mormon Church history and doctrine. Mr. Krakauer supplies rich background and historical context which, when paired with his engaging narrative, equate to a provocative and engrossing read. His work dares to pose interesting questions of any faith, illustrating religious fundamentalism is not unique to Islamic extremists by weaving a chilling account of two heinous murders committed in 1984 by Mormon fundamentalists throughout this book.

As a direct descendant of several of the early Mormon pioneer settlers (including polygamists) chronicled in Mr. Krakauer's book, I was also born and raised Mormon in Utah, served a LDS mission and attended Brigham Young University. In writing this book, Mr. Krakauer has enraged many current members of the LDS faith. Should anyone choose to take the time and read "Under the Banner of Heaven," most will find a fair minded objective exploration of fanatical religious fundamentalism which happens to share the same roots with the Mormon Church.

As a resident in Manhattan on September 11, 2001, I experienced first hand the negative effects violent religious faith can have. While busy trying to decipher the fundamentalistic beliefs of others in far off lands, it doesn't hurt to examine the history and fanatical behavior by those closer to home as well. Read this book!

Rating:
Summary: Not biased, by any means
Review: I can't believe how many of the reviews here almost seem to have been written about another book!

First off, let me say that this book is excellent. Having been raised Mormon, having served a mission, etc., I understand the doctrine quite well. I, myself, noted very few errors in Krakauer's book, and none that seemed deliberately malicious (i.e. Krakauer states in a footnote that LDS members refer to Jews as "gentiles," which I've never heard (though it is true that other faiths are so termed), but this is also a negligable error). My take is that Krakauer stumbled across the polygamist colony in Colorado City, was astonished by what he found, and decided to investigate. Krakauer, unlike so many who undertake such studies, is not a disgruntled ex-Mormon, and has no reason to paint the Mormon church in an unfavorable light.

And, can I make one other slight clarification? The book is sub-titled "A Story of Violent Faith," not "Story of a Violent Faith." The "a" may seem a small difference to some, but it is most certainly not, in this context. Krakauer is specifically referring to the actions of Dan and Ron Lafferty, along with perhaps the early Mormons who committed the atrocities of the Mountain Meadows massacre. He is not calling Mormonism violent, as a whole; rather, he is referring to what can occur, at its worst, through religious fundamentalism of any kind.

As far as I'm concerned, this book was extremely interesting and readable, and I think it's the most balanced book of its kind that I've read. His prose does not resort to invective, and he rarely, if at all, impunes the modern LDS church. The problem, as so many others have stated here, is that some aspects of LDS history are controversial, with or without spin or commentary.

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Summary: About more than Mormanism and not for the closed minded.
Review: There is not a religious denomination that does not desire to avoid bad press coverage when one of their own is singled out for media attention, but the manner in which they deal with the situation reveals much about the true mindset of the church and it's members. Too often there is a desire to kill the messenger because the message is uncomfortable. This seems to be the case here. Negative reviews of Krakauer's work in the media and here at Amazom.com, posted only because he points to things that others would like to never get more public attention are not intellecually honest.

Many churches are affected by negative press coverage involving their denominational name. The Catholic Church has suferred greatly from the way they handled the crisis over clergy sex abuse, yet recent history shows that such is not always the case. David Korish's standoff and eventual death threatened at first to drag the Seventh-day Adventist Church into a bad public light, but unlike the Morman Church's circle the wagons mentality the SDA church was out in front of the story with news, information, and more important the fact they had internally dealt with this disturbed man long before he became a news story, hence they were spared much negative attention.

Krakauer raises legitimate questions every denomination must face about where the line between faithful follower of God becomes twisted and blurred into mentally unbalanced, religious zealotism. None should fear to examine these issues so curent to our lives today in the light of 9-11.

This is not just a story of a specific person or even a specific event. It is a opportunity to challenge one's thinking about much deeper questions of religious fundementalism and religious mysticism. It is no easy task to gain information from what is basically a closed religious community. Krakauer is doubtless burdened with some minor misunderstandings, but this in no way prevents the reader from grasping the deeper issues raised. Agree with him or no, and I don't always agree, Jon Krakauer has written a timely book about important issues that cross all denominational boundries.

Rating:
Summary: Well worth it
Review: Krakauer does an excellent job of showing the direct connection between the extremist views of the early Mormons and today's fundamentalist fringe. This book was presented in an interesting manner, going in a twisted chronological order, intermingling the story of the modern fundamentalists with the history of the early Mormon church. A must read for anyone interested in history.

Rating:
Summary: Well done and very interesting
Review: .... This is so far a very good book and Krakauer does distinctly distinguish these Fundamentalist Extremist from the rest of the LDS folks. A very interesting topic. It is hard to believe that some of this stuff is going on in the US unchecked.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I've been a fan of Krakauer since Into the Wild debuted. Since I have many Mormon relatives (I'm not LDS myself) and have spent a good deal of time in several different parts of Utah, I eagerly anticipated the release of this book.

Krakauer presents an objective, coherent and well-researched history of the Mormon religion, with detailed biographical info on its founder, Joseph Smith, and an explanation of key elements of the Book of Mormon.

The greatest strength of this book is Krakauer's ability to introduce the reader to a wide range of people connected to Mormon fundamentalism -- fundamentalists themselves, women and children who've suffered unspeakable degradation and abuse within fundamentalist communities, and "mainstream" Mormons who claim no connection whatsoever with the fundamentalist viewpoint, despite undeniable historical and contemporary ties. Readers get to know these people, making the impact of the story that much stronger.

If you've read Into the Wild or Into Thin Air, you're familiar with Krakauer's brilliant writing style and ability to tell an incredibly compelling non-fiction story. He's easily one of the greatest literary journalists ever published and he's to be congratulated for taking on a monumental project like this, one that he knew would upset some powerful folks in a very serious way. Hopefully, the book will attract enough attention for lawmakers to finally do something to help people trapped in hellish environments run by self-proclaimed prophets and their henchmen.

There've been news reports about the LDS church's negative reaction to this book, and some of the Amazon reviewers have unfairly (IMO) labeled it a one-sided attack on the church. I didn't get that impression at all. The book is exhaustively researched and Krakauer's language is fair and objective. I get the impression that he's guilty only of bringing to light some truths that some folks would prefer stayed locked away in a Salt Lake City vault.

I hope that LDS members will take the time to read the book and fairly examine its contents and intent before making judgements against it.