If you enjoy crime, history, and religion as themes you'll find this book a great read. You'll learn quite a bit about the mormon mainline faith as well as its fundamentalist off-shoots and how these faiths have co-existed, not always peacefully, with America's more traditional forms of Christianity and its political authority. On another level, Krakauer attempts, to get you inside the heads of a couple of cold-blooded murderers who have cooly rationalized their dreadful crimes as god's calling. However he tries, and he himself is confounded, you'll never quite grasp the minds of these criminals, relate to them, or even sympathize with them the way you might the characters Truman Capote portrays in his historical novel, In Cold Blood. Even now, 25 years later, the criminal justice system is trying to figure out if they are schizophrenic and therefore should be spared a death sentence. Perhaps the faith that fuels blood letting will never be truly understood. ( )

I have to keep buying copies of this book because I keep giving mine away in my zeal to get people to read it. Wholesalers, call me. ( )

I have to keep buying copies of this book because I keep giving mine away in my zeal to get people to read it. Wholesalers, call me. ( )

I have to keep buying copies of this book because I keep giving mine away in my zeal to get people to read it. Wholesalers, call me. ( )

I was somewhat disappointed in this book but I'm not sure it was the author's fault or my own misplaced expectations. I expected the book to read with the adventurous, intrigue that "Into the Wild" had but with a true to life murder mystery. As I read, I felt the history of the Mormon church kept bogging down the story of the murders and kept wishing he would stick to the present until I realized that the author was trying to build a case as to why perhaps the murders had occurred and that perhaps the murderous and lawless past of some prominent members had much to contribute to the mentality of the murderers in the present day situation. A friend asked me if the church would take this as a book that it felt was against them and I said most emphatically yes. And, sure enough, at the end there is a section the author gives room to a member to respond. But, oddly, in the summarizing chapter, parts of which would have been better placed at the beginning so that the reader had a better understanding of where the author was going with the story, the author seems to have a sympathetic view of the religion. Either way, it was quite enlightening and a bit scary even. ( )

This is the haunting story of Dan and Ron Lafferty, why they killed their sister-in-law and niece and how they gave their religion as motivation. The often disturbing story that unfolds reads more like a horror story than a work of nonfiction.

Karkauer uses the Lafferty story as a way to delve into the Mormon religion as a whole. He gives fascinating details about how the religion started and the road that brought it to the religion it is today. Krakauer’s research explains the reasons behind many of the various sects of the Latter-day Saints as well as the Mormon Fundamentalists.

With so many details and stories Krakauer often seems to be going off on a random tangent, but his tangents always link back to the main story in some surprising way.

The details behind the Lafferty murders are both horrifying and fascinating. Krakauer does a wonderful job of explaining the events that unfolded as well as the history of the religion with as unbiased an opinion as seems possible. So much of the history is filled with violence by and against the church. In response to an exaggerated report, Lilburn Boggs, Governor of Missouri, stated:

“The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the state, if necessary for the public peace. Their outrages are beyond all description.”
-page 103

I was fascinated by the history of the religion, how it came to exist and the various factors that played a part in molding it. For example, the US government is a huge reason the church eventually prohibited polygamy.

“Although LDS leaders were originally loath to abandon plural marriage, eventually they adopted a more pragmatic approach to American politics, emphatically rejected the practice, and actually began urging government agencies to prosecute polygamists. It was this single change in ecclesiastical policy, more than anything else, that transformed the LDS Church into its astonishingly successful present-day iteration. Having jettisoned polygamy, Mormons gradually ceased to be regarded as a crackpot sect.”
-page 7

This brilliantly researched and well written book is a thought-provoking read that had me constantly pausing so I could read a passage to my husband. I was fascinated the entire time. ( )

2006 ( )

On July 24 1984, Brenda Lafferty and her baby daughter Erica were slaughtered in their home by her brothers in law Dan and Ron Lafferty. Their reasoning and motivation for brutally killing their sister in law can be traced back to the brand of fundamentalist Mormonism that they practiced. In this book Jon Krakauer explores the ideologies that led these two men to seek out an extremist lifestyle that advocates plural marriage as one of its centerpieces. He traces the history of Mormonism from its founding in upstate New York to its eventual rise as America's most successful home grown religion.

Almost from its inception, Mormon worshipers faced many trials and conflicts first from the hostility of their host communities and from within their own ranks due to the political machinations of different power players. Its is from this dissension in the fold that fringe movements would spring, pulling away from the central Mormon movement. Chief amongst the issues at stake was the belief by some that the decision by their leaders to do away with plural marriage was in direct contravention of true Mormonism. Like all fundamentalists, these Mormon off shoots believe that their leaders have departed from the pure practice of the religion and see themselves as restorers of the faith. To achieve this end, many carry out any form of subjugation and violence that they feel furthers their cause including pedophilia, incest, under age marriages, rapes, etc, etc.

Ron and Dan would eventually come under the sway of one of these fundamentalist fringes. Their murder of Brenda stemmed from what they saw as her obstruction of their brother's (Allen) full involvement in their ideals. They harbored so much hatred towards her that they would not even think to spare her child.

This book was absolutely fascinating and the author's extensive research is evident. The history of a nascent religion is traced in almost painstaking detail and draws you in from start to finish. I really enjoyed this book and was riveted. But I was a bit bothered by some conclusions that the author derived. For example, he claims that Elizabeth Smart who was kidnapped, raped and enslaved for nine months by Brian David Mitchell (a fundamentalist Mormon) submitted easily to him because of her Mormon "indoctrination". He says that Mitchell was able to use the tenets that she had been raised on to manipulate her into submission. He uses Debbie Palmer(a woman who had endured unspeakable horrors as a member of a fundamentalist Mormon movement but had escaped) as one of the supporters for this idea. Palmer states " Mitchell would never have been able to have such power over a non Mormon girl" (47). I beg to differ. There are way too many stories that have occurred before and since Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping that in my opinion show that that idea is less than credible. There have been scores of young girls and boys of no religious persuasion who have found themselves under the sway of monsters who steal them from their homes, family and friends. These victims mentally and physically submit to their captors out of fear for their lives and the lives of their parents and other siblings. Was Patty Hearst a Mormon? Was Jaycee Duggard a Mormon? Was Shawn Hornbeck Mormon? When a sick person like Mitchell has a victim under his control he will use whatever he can to brain wash and manipulate them. Their religious persuasion or lack thereof is only of interest to a person like him in as much as he can use it to manipulate and control them. To make it seem as if Mormonism or religion makes it easier to subjugate victims is misleading. Also referring to people's religion as indoctrination makes me doubt a claim to being fair and impartial when you are writing about that group. I am not Mormon and have no interest in becoming one so my impressions are not borne out of my desire to protect something near and dear to me.

But despite my criticisms, I did enjoy this book and it makes for a very interesting read. ( )

I couldn't put this book down. Of course, with a good writer like Krakauer, that might be expected. But the history of the Mormans and glimpses into some of their lives was amazing. He's done a lot of research and doesn't beat around the bush. I've read other, smaller accounts of the beginnings of the church's establishment but this is very in-depth writing.

If you like well-written history in the US, pick this up. ( )

Interesting story of religious extremism. ( )

Fascinating book, and you can see why the Mormon Church was outraged. Still, it's obvious there's a lot of truth and religous fanatics are found in all areas -- and are all dangerous. Unfortunately, because of the basis of the Mormon Church, it seems more susceptible to messiah complexes. Unfortunately, due to the polygamous history, those fanatics find excuses from inexcusable behavior. Hard to put down, and hard to swallow. ( )

Subtitle: A Story of Violent Faith. A well researched book detailing the murders of Brenda and Erica Lafferty at the hands of fundamentalist Mormon family members while at the same time exploring the history of the Mormon religion and it's fundamentalist off-shoots. Interesting, and written in an accessible style, but just lacking a little something to keep me as enthralled as I was by Krakauer's other books. ( )

I was so interested in the topic of this book and I've liked other books by Krakauer, but I found this hard to get through. There were lots of interesting pieces of information, but I just never felt immersed in the book. ( )

Fascinating history of the Mormon religion and its origins. Also a study of Mormon fundamentalism and a murder committed by religious zealots. Very interesting and thought provoking book. ( )

I'm not sure what I expected with this book, but what I got was a cracking good read! Krakauer writes in an arresting manner, and his description of this religion, it's history, and the colourful people that are believers of the Mormon faith is quite wonderful. I liked the true-crime writing interwoven with Mormon history that occurs throughout the book. It is difficult to understand what drove Ron and Dan Lafferty to murder their sister-in-law and her small daughter, but I think Krakauer portrays fanataticm in a truly fascinating way. This is a violent book, but one that does not try to cover up the uncomfortable parts. I feel that I now have some insight into this religion and its people. I especially liked the clear look into the fundamanetalist side of this religion. The book shows how strong religious belief can easily cross into the realm of fanaticism. Thanks for the insight. ( )

A masterful and thoroughly-researched piece of investigative journalism that starts with a grisly murder of a mother and her daughter and ends in an expose of a hidden culture of patriarchal power, abuse, and depravity and uproots a dark hidden corner of the history of the Mormon church and its founders. ( )

Despite knowing several Mormons in my lifetime, prior to reading this book I didn't know much about Mormon doctrine or history. I think Krakauer does a good job of presenting a great deal of information, though some would argue that his view is biased or colored.

The information about the Lafferty brothers was intriguing, but I found the history of the LDS church to be even more interesting. Overall, I highly recommend the book. ( )

Fascinating and infuriating. While I expected a "true crime" book, this was a combination of true crime and religious history, as Krakauer blends the basics of the Mormon religion through his narrative. Things can get a bit bogged down as Krakauer works his way through the lexicon of similar-sounding names, but that's not his fault (as Linus Van Pelt once said of reading War and Peace, sometimes you just have to bleep over the names...) Rightly, there are no tidy conclusions, and more than enough to keep you thinking long after you've closed the book. ( )

Revelation, polygamy and violent religious people.

“In the absence of conviction, I’ve come to terms with the fact that uncertainty is an inescapable corollary of life. An abundance of mystery is simply part of the bargain—which doesn’t strike me as something to lament. Accepting the essential inscrutability of existence, in any case, is surely preferable to its opposite: capitulating to the tyranny of intransigent belief.”

Victory Hop Devil Ale
Yuengling Lager

Unfortunately, he's lost his touch. Though I'm quite interested in Mormon fundamentalism, it was a tedious rather disorganized read. It started out well, but tried to do too much - a cross between a true-crime story and historical exegesis. ( )

This book will grip you from the beginning to the end. It is amazing how people use religion to further their own agenda.

Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air, exams the 1984 murder of a young woman and her baby by her Mormon fundamentalist brothers-in law, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who claim they were acting under the instructions of God. While attempting to explain the actions of the two brothers, Krakauer also explores the history of the Latter Day Saints and the beliefs that are held by the more extreme factions of the church. This is a fascinating tale that should be of interest to those interested in true crime and religious fanatacism.

This book is quite the eye-opener if you don't know anything about the mormon religion and their history with polygamy. Also a lot about how polygamy still exsits today. This book has great historical information to give a good background on polygamists and the mormon religion, it can get slow at times but the information is necessary to understand these people. I think this is a must read for anyone interested in the mormon religion, becasue its gives the background which is pretty out-there and hard to believe. ( )

I have just finished reading the masterful "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who reads. Krakauer, the renowned author of "Into Thin Air" & "Into the Wild," focuses this book on Mormonism and its peculiar, sometimes violent strain of Mormon fundamentalism, which has again been in the news a great deal with the story of the Texas polygamous sect as well as the trial and conviction of Mormon fundamentalist leader Warren Jeffs for sexual conduct with minors.

Krakauer's focus is ostensibly upon the 1980's murder of a young woman and her baby by her Mormon fundamentalist brothers-in-law because they were "instructed by god" to do so, but that is apparently only the extreme tipping point of a religious sect that is marked by a kind of zealotry that borders on mental illness and often -- apparently -- leads to violence, as well as racism, welfare fraud and institutionalized statutory rape. The book made me shudder.

Krakauer explores the the more mainstream Mormon church, as well, and reveals a great deal of disquieting details from history as well as contemporary times that would make one squirm at the notion of Mitt Romney in national office (not that I didn't squirm before!) But beyond that, Krakauer studies the essential nature of religious fundamentalism outside of Mormonism -- from Islam to Christianity -- and shows us how any belief system that is so centered on having all the answers and depends on acolytes' personal conversations with god can become distorted in such a way that translates into hatred and extreme violence.

This book is well worth the read! ( )

Impossible to put down. Picked it up on a Friday, read until I was done on the Sunday! ( )