A very well intentioned book with one main problem Krakauer can never decide where exactly to place the Lafferty Murders in the narrative therefore whatever issue about the nature of Mormonism is being discussed is always cut short and refocused to some kind of vague tie in that relates to these gruesome murders at least in the mind of the author.

So the narrative will be clipping along and you will be very interested in a particular aspect the Golden Plates, The Sons of Ham, plural marriage or the fact that in spite of the LDS's claim to the contrary there have always been competing factions within Mormonism and all of the sudden you will be back on the murders with no idea of how exactly the author bought you to that point. This is at times tragic because while it is a very well researched book at times its subject matter was so broad it felt like it was two or three books in one. This leads on my part to both feelings of confusion and a desire to hear more.

Asserting that America's "homegrown religion" is one steeped in and ultimately defined by persecution and violence, Krakauer's extensively researched book about Mormon fundamentalism is an informative look at an aspect of life that people are not always willing to see. Centering around a double murder in 1984, Krakauer deftly blends the beginnings of Mormonism, and the eventual splitting of the religion into Mainstream Mormonism and FLDS (the fundamentalist sect) with character portraits of those affected by the faith. The threads all merge into an outstanding picture that is not even close to boring - the entire narrative is endlessly interesting, and no one chapter brings down the whole. Each compliments the other and the flow is brilliant. Some may be bothered by the noticeable slant the author takes, but otherwise the tome that winningly combines the thriller with the non-fiction genres raises essential ethical and moral questions that every person should at least ponder - even if they themselves cannot answer them.

This is a story of extremism. Two Fundamentalist Mormons murder their sister-in-law and her two-year old child for her bad influence on their brother. Extreme, right? Yes. But the importance and genius of this book is how Krakauer connects extremism to its foundation - mainstream Mormonism. His reporting of the Mormon culture was spot on, in fact, so precise and accurate that many mainstream members resented the intrusion. He got it absolutely right and made the connection with extreme behavior undeniable. Well done, Krakauer.

There are far better and longer reviews than mine posted here, so I hesitated to even attempt one. However, I've traveled to many of the places described in Jon's book, including Separation Canyon (within the Grand Canyon) and Colorado City, long before the Fundamentalist LDS Church became one of the latest media targets.

Jon's book is very well researched, with first-person accounts, interviews, old letters and many other sources neatly pulled together. He had no intention of this book "bashing" the Mormon church, but the story he tells reveals much about the church, both good and bad.

Jon has a habit of telling stories that need to be told. Here he does his usual good job of doing just that- giving the 21st-century reader a clearer understanding about why Joseph Smith and his followers were hated, why America went to war against the Mormon church and why that same church today continues to be at odds with the rest of America and the world.

The book provided me with many "aha" moments- from the fate of John Wesley Powell's three men who left the expedition and who were "murdered" by Indians while in Mormon country to the reality of Elizabeth Smart's abduction and restoration.

i've read a couple of krakauer's books (into thin air, into the wild), and have mostly loved them. i say "mostly", because, while i think he's a great writer and storyteller, and meticulous in his research, there's occasionally a hint of arrogance or smugness that i don't find appealing. that said, i found under the banner of heaven to be exceptionally fascinating.

if you're not familiar with krakauer's work, his books all have the same general approach: he tells a particular story, but places it within the context of its larger setting. in this case, the particular story is of a double murder, carried out by two fundamentalist mormon brothers (of their sister-in-law and her daughter) based on an alleged prophetic message from god. but the larger context is a thorough history of mainstream mormonism, and a much more detailed history and current-day description of the various fundamentalist mormon sects that have split off from the main lds faith.

of course, this book was published before the news-swirl earlier this year of the raid on a polygamous fundie compound in texas, and all the fall-out from that; but those characters play into this book (specifically, warren jeffs, the de facto leader of the particular splinter group that raided compound rolled up to). i learned a lot about mormonism, and even more about fundamentalist mormons (who, i have to add, krakauer treats with as much empathy and fairness as is possible).

all that said: what was really intriguing to me were the broader questions the book occasionally asks, but were regularly percolating in my mind, about religion. questions about civil disobedience, and how to respond when one's faith and government are at odds with each other. questions about hearing the voice of god. questions about authoritarian structures and communal discernment. even questions about marriage, fidelity, and intimacy. at one point, i jokingly said to my wife, "hey, maybe we should consider polygamy." she was at a particularly weary moment, and quickly responded, "could the other wife do all the cooking and cleaning?"

at the bottom line, under the banner of heaven bubbles up the danger of any one person saying he or she is speaking for god.

This book regardless of how people feel certain leaders were portrayed, was very informational. I didn't know much about that religion besides what the media wanted me to know. Now I know more about who Joseph Smith was and what he accomplished, the difference between the LDS and FLDS, and even a little geography. Krakauer made the history of the LDS easy to follow, and I could trace their steps from the east coast all the way west. There's also (which I don't believe but was interesting to know) is how they thought the world was created.
This is all just a background to the major piece of the book, which is a gruesome murder of a mother and a baby. Thanks to the information on the history and practices of the LDS/FLDS, I'm more able to make an educated opinion on what the media puts out and can now tell the difference between the extremists and the Mormons who just want to make the world a little nicer.

As a fan of Krakauer (read the excellent "Into the Wild" and "Into Thin Air"), I was interested in his bringing his reporter's style and thorough analysis to this topic. Those that criticise the book as "anti-Mormon" do not get the point - it is an analysis of religious extremism in any form. He uses Mormonism as the protagonist to tell the story. The book could easily be about Islam, Catholicism, or another major religion. Mr. Krakauer goes into detail about aspects of mainstream Mormon history that the LDS church would rather he not get into such as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, for example. As a non-Mormon, I was not put off by his book, and found his thourough and thoughtful forays into the history of the LDS church to be fascinating. I had never read an account of Joseph Smith, the founding of the church, the persecutions they suffered and the migration to the Salt Lake Valley from any other source, including from any member of the LDS church.

Mr. Krakauer's point is that you cannot tie fundamentalism any more to mainline Mormonism than you can to mainline Islam. But, they are related in their origins, and he describes portions of LDS history which demonstrate that the religion was born out of violence, both directed towards the church and in some cases, perpetrated by it.

The examples of a small minority of those involved in the strict fundamentalism of the Mormon faith are not representative of the LDS church as a whole. The official reaction from the LDS church I felt was unfortunate. Instead of attacking and discrediting Mr. Krakauer, I rather think they missed a great opportuntiy to communicate the stark differences between the LDS church's substansive role in modern American life vs those fundamentalists that have twisted the teachings of the church to serve their own cause.

At times, Mr. Krakauer examines the Mountain Meadows Massacre as well as the deaths of three of explorer Powell's men a bit too closely, which gave me the impression he was "piling on" a bit in making his point. In the case of Powell's men, he goes into great detail of the circumstance of their deaths, but merely repeats scholarship that has already been written. Perhaps the detail of these accounts cannot be found in many other places.

As he points out, however, these are parts of Mormon history that the church should address rather than trying to shove, along with Mr. Krakauer, under the rug.

I wanted to love this book, but I wound up just liking it. Krakauer is a great writer, the topic was impeccably researched, and the subject is fascinating. But, I feel like for the non-historian reader, many of the details could have been left out. There are hundreds of names, places, and small events that don't add much to the story other than increased difficulty.

Another small complaint is about the footnotes. This is just a personal preference, but I find frequent large footnotes to be distracting. I feel obligated to read them, but that breaks up the continuity of the main text. I much prefer when writers incorporate the info into the main text or just put the notes at the end of the book.

That said, anyone interested in a more detailed view of the history of Mormonism will be satisfied by this exposition. There are some shocking tidbits about the origins of Mormonism as well as some profound tie-ins with religion in general.

The first half of the book discusses the personal lives of a couple psychotic men who happened to be Fundamentalist Mormons, to prove that the LDS religion breeds molesters.

If that is true, then we can easily conclude that the Catholic religion breeds pedophiles.

The author grossly misrepresents the theology of Mormonism, claiming that Lehi, the ancient Hebrew, discovered that we must "EARN GOD'S LOVE" through obedience. Mormons do not believe such drivel.

Through obedience, one pleases God and "earns" His approval, but not His acceptance and love.

I truly enjoyed Into Thin Air. Under the Banner of Heaven was completely different subject matter. I found this no less engaging, Krakuer again draws you in with nothing more than what it is, a great story needing to be told.

I am of Mormon heritage and no longer belong to that church. This book was extremely enlightening, well-written, and answered a lot of questions I have had.

This book was thrilling and engrossing to read, but at the same time I didn't like it.

Let me explain. It was a fascinating book, but there's a strong undercurrent of condescension in Krakauer's tone -- there are little asides that imply (or state right out) that religious people are just plain crazy, and that this (the murders that are the focal point of the book) was just the natural course that religion -- all religion -- takes.

He's an outsider, yes, and that fact alone doesn't mean he can't write about the FLDS, but he scrutinizes his subjects in a way he fails to scrutinize himself, and in sensationalizing the FLDS he treats them as not quite human. It's like he's an old-school British explorer venturing into the quaint little village of some savage tribe.

It's not that I don't have problems myself with the FLDS, but Krakauer can't seem to separate the people he writes about -- several of whom are deeply disturbed -- from the concept of religious faith.

Ultimately, it's an interesting and indulgent read, but just remember to take Krakauer's slant and commentary with a grain of salt.

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

I read this book in shock and awe BEFORE the news of the raid on the YFZ ranch in Texas. At times it was tough reading because I found myself being heartsick and angry that such atrocities are condoned in the United States today.

Jon Krakauer has turned from extreme adventure to extreme religion in this inside look at a fundamentalist Mormon cult, now about 40,000 strong and worth hundreds of millions of dollars, operating in Canada, Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Texas.

While he details the lives of many of it's members and their practice of middle-aged men marrying multiple, often underage girls, to produce as many children as possible, the main focus of this story is the 1984 slaying of a mother/wife and her daughter. Brothers Dan and Ron Lafferty claiming direct orders from God, brutally murdered their brother Allen's wife and infant daughter.

Jailhouse interviews with Dan Lafferty are chillingly horrific when one is told by a seemingly coherent man that he had direct inspiration from God and he believes he was justified in perpetrating the murders.

Krakauer gives a history of Mormonism, the decision to renounce polygamy to gain statehood and the splitting off by various fundamentalist sects that felt this move amounted to apostasy. Is is also a history of denial - of mainstream Mormonism's denial to acknowledge the damage done to young women forced into marriage to men old enough to be their fathers and grandfathers, of this country's denial to believe that a cult as dangerous as the Taliban exists right here on American soil and their brushing aside the fact that in Arizona and Utah, hundreds of women and children, the offspring of these non-legal "spiritual marriages", are supported at the taxpayers' expense.

Read this book and be prepared to be outraged.

Although I have to admit that I haven't finished the book yet (at page 240), I would highly recommend this to anyone who has the slightest interest in history or religion. Although this book tells a very engaging story about the history of the Mormon religion and some of the low lights that were present through its founding and the violence which fundamentalist Mormons have practice as there is a view that it is divinely required to 'spill the blood' of the guilty... this is a very telling view of general religion and fundamentalism. I believe that we see this same type of fanatacism in the violence of Muslim fundamentalism and we also saw the same thing centuries ago in the purges of non-Catholics by the Inquisition.

In short, this is a very well written book that draws you in and casts a not-so-flattering light on the history of the LDS church. It is not a biased hack job, but a peek behind the covers at the history of the fastest growing religion in North America. It is a good read and very highly recommended!

Full disclosure up front: I'm a conservative Christian. Krakauer, on the other hand, does not disclose that he's an agnostic until the very end of the book. It seems likely that he is a liberal as well, but he does not disclose that at all.

Conservative Christians have reason to be upset with some of Krakauer's narrative. In an early section where he's describing Mormons, he points out that the overwhelming majority are "obviously" Republican, and he continues mentioning it throughout the book. This is analogous to writing a book about African Americans living on welfare in Baltimore's crack houses and noting that they are "obviously" mostly Democrats. Both statements are "obviously" true, but Krakauer's use of this non sequitur reveals something about his agenda. Dr. Bruce Ivins, the anthrax killer, was a registered Democrat, but does that really help explain the mindset that motivated him to mail those poisoned letters?

Krakauer also repeatedly makes the point that belief in God is irrational. On this I would strenuously disagree, as would the likes of respected physicist Dr. John Polkinghorne and DNA scientist Dr. Francis Collins. Unlike Krakauer, whose degree is in environmental studies from a liberal arts college, I have a very extensive education and background in science and engineering. I find it difficult to believe that the vast complexity of the universe (see "anthropic fine-tuning"), and the complexity of life itself, could happen by random chance, fighting the second law of thermodynamics (entropy) the entire way. For many other engineers and scientists I know, believing in a creator seems statistically more likely than believing in the arguments supporting creation through random events. In fact, a recent study showed that two-thirds of scientists believe in God and seventy six percent of doctors believe in God.

Krakauer rightfully points out that all religions have spilled blood. What he doesn't point out is that some religions, historically, have spilled much more than others. He also fails to point out that, in the past century, fervent belief in non-religious ideologies has led to the killing of far more people. (See Fascism/Nazism with its ties to Darwinism/Eugenics, as well as Communism.)

Near the end of the book, Krakauer takes a moment to connect the Christian beliefs of George W. Bush and John Ashcroft to the insanity defense. I see no reason to do this other than to score a cheap political point. He could have just as easily drawn the parallel with any famous scientist who believes in God, or even a well-respected evangelist such as Billy Graham.

With all of these caveats, I would still highly recommend the book. Conservative Christians are accustomed to being bashed by the news and entertainment industries anyway - far worse than what Krakauer deals out.

This is the fourth book I've read by Krakauer. Like the others, it was well-researched and fascinating. It should be a cautionary tale for anyone who dives too deeply into any belief, religious or otherwise, without maintaining a critical eye.

I wrapped up Jon Krakauer's 2003 book, Under the Banner of Heaven, earlier this year, and whole-heartedly recommend it. Krakauer's read is incredibly interesting, well-written, and paces really well. It reminds me of those long, absorbing pieces in the Sunday New York Times; the ones you phone your mom halfway through to tell her to read it.

There are two interweaving plot lines in Under the Banner of Heaven: the first is the story of the Mormon-raised Lafferty brothers who end up murdering their younger brother's wife and daughter (claiming that a revelation told them to carry out these killings); and the second is the history of Mormonism and how Joseph Smith cultivated and developed this religion from the 1830's on.

Krakauer does an awesome job putting the reader in both the minds of the Lafferty brothers, as well as Joseph Smith and other influential Mormons. You really feel like you're along for the ride in both the murder story, and the history of Mormonism, and you find yourself tearing through the chapters to uncover the next significant event.

I also enjoyed how Krakauer detailed the drive and determination by Joseph Smith to create a new religion in more modern times. Smith's creation was a miracle in itself, and the fact that Mormonism is alive and thriving today is a real testament to Smith and the early believers of this religion.

While Krakauer does mention both positive and negative tenets to Mormonism, it's pretty clear his slant is more negative. Though I sense some people may be upset by Krakauer's imbalance (i.e., Mormons who may read this book), I kind of wished he would have taken an ever harder line to put down some of Mormonism's (alleged) practices of racism, polygamy and statutory rape -- especially in the wake of the recent raid on a West Texas Church of Latter Day Saints' ranch, where over 400 children were seized by the authorities.

I'm embarrassed to say I haven't yet read Krakuer's Into Thin Air or Into the Wild. But after reading Under the Banner of Heaven, I'll certainly need to dive into these predecessors sooner rather than later.

I received the book in just a few days and it was in great shape! I would definitely do business with this seller again!

This was a very easy and very informative read. I know there is always two sides to every story but I have been always curious about the Mormon religion. I felt this book would give more information on the controversial side of plural marriage. This book was almost like reading a long article from a newspaper. I felt that the writer used a lot of facts, tried to give as many sides to the same story and gave complete backgrounds so, the reader felt well educated on the information given. Very well done.

Both cowards, psychos, willing and able to kill innocent women and babies/children in the most violent way possible. Both believing that they got direct revelation from God to kill. I read the book; I agree with most of what I've read thus far; I'm not going to waste bandwidth repeating the same thing. I am po'd right now that a 24 year-old wife and mother and a 15 month old baby got their life snuffed out by cowardly weasels who were afraid of a young woman and a dear innocent baby. Death is too good for these murderers. The most heinous form of torture is too easy/good for them. Beating them to a pulp, electrocuting them - just a few degrees from death is what's appropriate here. The trouble is that they'd find reason to like it and would attribute their pain and suffering to God's revelation or something. Living in the gutter eating trash out of dumpsters would be 100% better than living with these types of psycho cowards.

Any time a book is written on the subject of religion, controversy is bound to ensue. Extend the subject to religious extremism and/or fundamentalism and you can ratchet it up a notch. When the book is written by a "non-believer", you can bet that it will come under vicious attack by proponents of the religion in question. Such is the case with Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer's expose on Mormonism and Mormon fundamentalism.

I read Krakauer's Into Thin Air and was riveted by his writing on the subject of Mt. Everest. I would not place this work in that category, but found it be a very instructive primer on the origins and background of the Mormon religion and its various fundamentalist offshoots.

The book essentially tells two stories, the threads of which alternate throughout the book. In one thread, Krakauer tells the story of Joseph Smith, the founding of the Mormon religion and its evolution to the present day. In the other thread, he explores the various fundamentalist offshoots of Mormonism through the prism of a vicious double murder committed by a pair of its proponents.

It is difficult to argue with most of the facts presented in relation to the founding and evolution of Mormonism. As Krakauer points out, it is a religion of such recent vintage that the historical record is quite clear. He does make a few assumptions and extensions which have earned him the ire of the official church. In those cases, however, he states his grounds for doing so quite well. It is doubtful that anyone except a true believer in Mormonism would ever write a history to the liking of the church.

The beliefs and practices of some of the fundamentalists profiled in the book are scary in their level of extremism, however, they take their beliefs directly from the pages of Joseph Smith, the founder of the religion. Polygamy, or plural marriage, was one of the chief tenets of his church, and one that was stubbornly clung to for many years by the leaders of the church. It can hardly be argued that many heinous instances of statutory rape and sexual child abuse have resulted and continue to occur.

While Mormonism has come under attack throughout its history, both for some of its practices and the highly dubious circumstances surrounding its founding (Joseph Smith was likely no more than a charlatan and a fraud who concocted a religion that guaranteed him access to a never ending cache of nubile virgins), very few of the world's religions have better legs to stand on. Old Testament Christianity is filled with barbarous practices and outlandish fables (Noah's Ark, parting the Red Sea, burning bushes). Islam, ditto. I'm not even going to mention Scientology.

So, before anyone tears off on a rant concerning Mormonism, just make sure your own house is in order. If you want a quick and dirty outline on Mormon beliefs and foundations, this is a good place to start. If you want a good example of the effects of extremism (not limited to Mormonism) this is also a good example.

Never before have I had to actually turn my eyes from the page because the text/truth was too horrific to read. This book takes you into the lives of the FDLS. It should scare the bejeezus out of anyone that this sort of thing is going on right here in our country. Not to mention the predicted effect the FDLS may have on the way our country is run in under a century.
I found the book to be a fasinating read and eye opening experience.

This book really left me marveling at the situation Mormons find themselves in - there is so much to recommend the culture that has grown up around the religion, and yet it's based on what is, to an outsider, silly stuff. I didn't understand until reading this the dynamics around the Smart kidnapping. The sexism which is inherent in LDS (fundamental or not) is invidious.

Under the Banner of Heaven is an in depth and eye opening historical account of the Mormon church. I am looking at the Church of LDS in a different perspective. It has made me question my own religious beliefs.

This is the most compelling non-fiction book I have read. This is a true crime told stunningly, a great weave of the history of the Mormon church, amazingly well-researched. Krakauer is a true authority on his subject. What he does best is stay out of the way of the narrative, letting his interest drive the book, and allow him to tell the most important and crucial parts of the stories.

Incredible this is going on in America!! Greta book well written! Please write more on this subject! Especially liked the unbiased historical overview of morman religion!

This is a peculiar book. I am surprised so many people give it 5 stars. I am sure no Mormons read it. I found the arguments to be flawed and thought it was way over the top in attacking religion in general. I am not a Mormon and have no association with them, expect to ski in Salt Lake City occasionally :). However, this book is clearly an attack on Mormonism and to a lesser extent religion in general, and I was surprised at how directly the author ties Mormonism to these polygamists. I think you have to simply respect that fact that the Mormons renounced polygamy in 1890 (you will learn all about the history in the book) and you should treat these polygamists separately. He also, through direct and indirect associations, attacks any highly religious person. That is not me, but I don't find this necessary, I find the association flawed, and I find it somewhat offensive. His arguments, also, are weak and easily refutable. My first point: yes, these polygamists are sick and criminal, but he directly ties this type of thought (being "under the banner of heaven" - i.e., highly religious) to all religious people, and he does this explicitly, so if you look at all criminals, those who commit crimes due to their beliefs are FAR, FAR less than the general everyday criminal out there. So these psychos in a radical branch of Mormonism practice polygamy? Let's put them in jail, but don't say that all people who have a deep faith are potentially susceptible to such criminal activity, but this is exactly his central argument. Mr. Krakauar offers absolutely no scientific or statistical research or point of view, and he does try to offer psychoanalysis and historical analysis, but he is not trained in any of those fields, so this is the opinion of a journalist. There are many more points I could dwell on, but in general I am just surprised at how far the author veered from just attacking these polygamists in order to attack all highly religious people.

Jon Krakauer has climbed Mount Everest and lived to write and tell about it. Now, he writes about the subculture of America's polygamous culture. He writes about the FLDS and UEP who are both discommunicated by the official Mormon Church who stopped the practice of polygamy in 1890s. Remember, the official Mormon Church does not condone or condemen enough of the polygamous practice of their discommunicated members of the FLDS. Krakauer writes about the growth and the secrecy for obvious reasons. Most escapees refuse to return to their compounds and former lives. They might dress like the Amish but they are not Amish at all. They are taught to fear the outside world and outsiders or gentiles which includes Jews and other Mormons. The FLDS and UEP believe that the Mormon Church has sold the practice of polygamy out as a way for acceptance in America. THe Mormons have grown and flourished in the world despite the polygamous monkey on their back. Not all polygamous families are like the ones depicted in the fictional cable show, Big Love. Not all are functioning. Women are treated like cattle and breed babies. The girls are brought up to be mothers and wives at young ages. The boys who are seen as a threat to the older men in the community as competition are often sent to exile to live on their own in the streets. There are hundreds of lost boys whose only crime was to be teenagers, like girls, catch a movie or television show. In the polygamous communities of FLDS and UEP in Colorado City, ARizona; Hildale Utah; El Dorado, Texas; Bountiful, British Columbia, Canada; there are taught to live without television, radios, or read newspapers. The education system is flawed with edited books and manuals. The children are not taught properly about science or sexuality in general. Sexuality is seen as a necessary evil in order to reproduce more. They are expected to wear long skirts, long pants, long sleeved shirts, and the women's hair is not supposed to be cut but styled like in a braid or like Little House on the Prairie. Even the men must endure heat with long pants and long-sleeved shirts, life is hard enough for both men and women. I don't support the idea of polygamy but I am concerned about the women and the children. The women are mostly mothers and are often victimized by the men if they leave and return. The crimes are numerous and unspoken outside the compound until now. The women who are polygamous wives are almost all born into it. They know of no other life and they have never had the opportunities that other women outside the community. The polygamous wives from outside the communities might have the opportunity and choice after generations of polygamy within their families to make that fateful decision. Not so in the FLDS and UEP, women are assigned husbands at an early age by the head prophet.

This book is Jon Krakauer's nonfiction account of the difficulty the justice system has ensuring freedom of religion while dealing with lawbreakers who were, in their words, following God's commands to them. A cornerstone of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints is that God reveals His will personally to His followers. Men only. The book is very complicated to follow moving through the history of the church to the present day and through the stories of many crimes committed in the name of God. I was reading this book and finding it amazing and terrifying just when the Texas FLDS polygamy case began. It gave me insight I never would have had. I had never recognized the vast gulf between the Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) and the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints. The power of the elders in FLDS groups is complete. Their ability to ignore laws and get away with it is outrageous. Their growing numbers, growing power, and growing violence is more than scarey.

I loved this book. Krakauer (as Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster) manages to give an even-handed account of a quintessentially controversial topic. This book delivers a detailed but never boring, account of Mormon history, and its relevance to today's America and world. It's the story of the Mormon Church in America, and its division into mainstream and fundamentalist strains. In this story, he provides a rich context through which we can appreciate how it is possible for a religion to be a force for both "good" and "evil". Krakauer gives due credit to the sources of Mormons' amazing and praiseworthy industriousness and indeed countless works of true charity, alongside a formidably well-documented account of Mormonism's power to subvert the minds of Americans who in the end, possess the very same humanity and capacity for "good and evil", and the same freedoms (to leave their faith or remain as reformers within it) as you and me. It shows how young women can find themselves vehement defenders, or vocal critics, either mothers of five by age 28, (with neglected health, and on welfare, living in remote backwater compounds, and married to male elders who convince themselves they have a direct line to God in serial dream "revelations" to add more and more wives), or apostates.
As others write, this book has salience to any students of fundamentalism, in its protean incarnations (e.g. that of the Islamic fascism of Wahabi Muslim jihadists), and students of how racism can be legitimized and rationalized by theological decree(by examining Mormon dogma that elevates Anti Semitism, labels African-Americans as inferior humans, and hypocritically legitimizes self-serving violence against Native Americans--in spite of Joseph Smith's proclamation that American Indians are favored by God).
For me, Krakauer's key achivement is his recounting of HOW EXACTLY, a dogmatic faith works its way into minds of men psychologically, by showing how one's position in the pecking order can blend with his internalization of peer-pressure, sermons, threats, incentives, and disincentives, to render him either beholden to, or transcending, the subversive in his culture. He does this by showing how a believer can apply (or not) his faith's more elevating and virtuous values, and interweave these with an embrace of the best in the broader, shared American culture beyond, to reach a place of personal "goodness" and integrity.

Although the subtitle of Under the Banner of Heaven is "a story of violent faith," there is a lot more to it than that. Krakauer, author of one of my favorite adventure books, Into Thin Air, delves deep into the history of the Mormon Church, from its humble beginnings, to what it is today: one of the world's fastest growing religions. About his original plans for the book, Krakauer writes (p 337) "As initially conceived, it was going to focus on the uneasy, highly charged relationship between the LDS Church and its past." The resulting work contains a lot of fascinating information about the church; (p 69) an angel named Moroni handed off some gold plates to founder Joseph Smith, who (conveniently) returned them after translating them into what would become The Book of Mormon; the founder himself, who married (p 6) three to four dozen women in spite of his first wife's aversion to the practice; his successor, Brigham Young, (p 205) who had 20 to 57 wives; the murder, execution style, of 120 members of the Fancher party; the deceitful treatment of Native Americans by the early Mormon settlers; and much more. Both religions (p 5) "believe in the same holy texts and the same sacred history." The story of the murders, though grisly and tragic, and the murderers, who did away with their innocent victims supposedly based on a commandment from God, fill up more space than the historic parts, but in my mind are more of an accessory to the historic facts, from infancy to the present, about the Mormon church, both LDS, and FLDS, which by the way (p 5) "amounts to less than 1 percent of the membership in the LDS Church worldwide." The book definitely has its negatives, including trial testimony that seemed to go on forever and the overwhelmingly anti-FLDS (and LDS) tone. But as they say, you reap what you sow. The fundamentalists are still practicing one of the religion's original tenets: celestial marriage, plural marriage, spiritual wifery, polygamy-call it what you want-live and let live seems like a good policy-but not when it involves, to any extent, the forced marriage of underage girls. Under the Banner of Heaven is an anti-FLDS-toned, highly informative history of the Mormon religion, primarily concerned with the murder of a woman and her daughter by male relatives. The Anchor Books Edition has an interesting appendix containing an official response to the original edition by a church leader and Krakauer's rebuttal. Also good: Silence by Shusaku Endo, The Greatest Story Even Told by Fulton Oursler, and god is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens.

I am enjoying reading this book, but I can only read a little at a time. It is a huge amount to process on each page. And, nearly every page has footnotes. I believe that the descriptions are very interesting and make me understand where my LDS friends come from on certain subjects. I also believe that the purpose of this book is to inform people outside the LDS faith and not to make judgement on FLDS or LDS beliefs. I recommend this book to those who are curious about the Morman religion and those who are already in the Mormon religion. I believe that there are a great deal of Mormons out there that have never taken the time to fully understand their beliefs and where they came from (ie faith in the word of the Elders and Prophets - the LDS church discourages members to research other faiths or viewpoints). I recommend this book just as I would recommend a book about Catholicism to a Catholic or non-Catholic alike.

Krakauer again works his magic to tell a very interesting tale. The book is full of history and is very educational, but at the same time entertaining--in a captivating way. The book explores the FLDS sects and what the members are willing to do in order to fulfill what they perceive to be "God's will." It's eye-opening and shocking.

I have read a lot of books on Mormonism that this is one of the best. That's because the author choose to wrap the story of Mormonism around some of it's best known and most gripping triumphs, tragedies, atrocities, and scandals.

I listened to the Audiobook and, frankly, I could hardly wait to drive to work so I could get through just another chapter. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Other Audio Books on Mormonism that I have enjoyed include:

Leaving the Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith

Secret Ceremonies

Other books on Mormonism that I recommend include:

The Pattern of The Double-Bind in Mormonism

No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith

The Mountain Meadows Massacre

Beyond Mormonism : An Elder's Story

Mormonism, Mama & Me

Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?: The Spalding Enigma

Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints

Mormonism Unveiled: The Life and Confession of John D. Lee, Including the Life of Brigham Young

Although I am only 30 pages into this book, which takes place primarily in Arizona, the details of previous raids on FLDS compounds are shockingly similar to what is currently happening in Eldorado, TX--including how the press is presenting this group as being persecuted for their religion when in fact, the FDLS is guilty of heinous crimes against its female members, who are little more than breeding stock. What FLDS members present to the networks and media may not be at all what goes on behind those locked and closed doors. Read this book.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in reading a non-biased historical account of the Latter Day Saints. The parallel of events which occurred in the development of Mormanism as compared to the development of Islam are of a striking similarity.

Jon Krakauer is truly an amazing author and story teller.

I am fascinated with different religious sects and I must admit that the Mormon Church has always seemed to be founded on bizarre circumstances by some questionable characters. This book kept my interest and the history of the founders was interesting and disturbing. I soon became confused with the geneology of the family members of the FLDS in Colorado and Utah. No wonder genealogy is so important to the Mormon's how else could the keep up with their blood lines.

I don't think that it is fair to paint todays LDS members with the same brush as the FLDS and the early "church" which I think the author is attempting to do. Unfortunately, the majority who are good citizens with a strong (admirable) sense of family are tainted by the few whackos who make all the news.

I am serious that the History of the Mormon church is years of material for Saturday Night Live.
Couple of ideas for skits:
Joseph Smith (founder of the LDS) is married and after a few years his eyes start wandering, so he tells his wife God has told him to take on more wives. The wife is mad and threatens to take on more husbands, Joe doesn't like that, so he tells his wife that God told him that if a wife takes on another man she will go to hell for ever ! Nice.

The locals don't like Joes unfaithfull ways, and drag him out of his bed, into the woods at night with the plan to castarate him - they even had a doctor along. Once Joe is stripped naked, and spread eagle the doctor can't go thru with it, and instead they beat Joe up badly and then tar and feather him.

Currently, various Fundemnetalist mormon church off shoots all have a leader that claim to be ' the mighty and strong one' - that is the guy who is immortal and will be present during the second coming ( or something like that) - well the followers all flip out when their annoited immortal leader dies.

The book covers a double homicide that took place in 1984. The two brothers that commited the crime are arrested, and after one beats the other one while in the same cell, they are put in adjacent cells. some days pass and one brother tells the other brother that God told him that he needs to kill him. So they discuss the best way to do the killing, and decide to have the one to die back up to the bars while the other one strangles him to death. They then proceed to follow thru the plan.

Mormons might feel picked on by this book, but I see it as a book about religion, and what it does to people. There are Mormons that are completely nuts, just like the 9/11 moslem bombers.

Krakauer writes this book in a similar style to Into the Wild. He mentions a couple other books about the LDS which I plan on reading.

I found this book to be a fascinating journey into the world of Fundamental Mormonism and the point where religious fanaticism actually becomes dangerous. This book is a factual history of Mormonism and an objective explanation of the doctrine of Blood Atonement, a long abandoned tenant of Mormonism. Mainstream Mormons often mistakenly try to describe these fundamentalists as not being Mormon. Not true! These people take Mormonism very seriously. The fact that they may or may not be active members of the mainstream LDS Church is immaterial. They believe that they are Mormons and that is what matters.

I am a Mormon and can honestly say that any active Mormon who reads this book will come away with a better understanding of their own faith. You will not read any of this stuff in "The Work and the Glory" . I realize that many will call this "anti-Mormon". It is not. Just because you may not agree with something dosen't make it "anti" or make it false.

I have read all of his books and found them all to be honest and forthright. I appreciate that he did point out and correct some errors that he made in the first printing. Any student of Mormonism will truly enjoy this book.

John Krakauer has written a well-researched, narratively compelling account of the history of the Mormon church, and its influence on the modern-day Mormon Fundamentalists. The focus of the book is on the Fundamentalists, not the mainstream church.

Contrary to what other Amazon reviewers here have tried to suggest, Krakauer's book relies on a wide range of highly credible sources--both previous histories and primary source material. True, he does use sources that have over the years been venomously denounced by the Mormon church--such as Fawn Brodie's famous biography of Joseph Smith, and D. Michael Quinn's (who was excommunicated for publishing unsanitized critiques of the church) work--but he also uses Mormon sources as well.

I don't see how any reasonable person can in good conscience give this a one-star review. It simply is not a one-star book. It is well-written, with a compelling and credibly argued thesis. I suspect the one-star tirades are mostly written by Mormons unhappy with what this book brings to light about the church's past, and the peculiar practices and predilections of its prophets, especially Joseph Smith (whose revelation regarding the holiness of polygamy seems to have been preceded by adulterous affairs with multiple females, including at least one young teenage girl). Krakauer is, after all, a widely-read author, and not one of the bible-thumping anti-Mormon whackjobs who publish crazy tracts against the church. This information will reach lots of people.

When the book came out, Mormons were outraged, and the church issued an official refutation of the book, written by Robert Turley. In the paperback edition of this book, Krakauer includes Turley's 5-page argument, and responds to it. Elder Turley points out some minor factual errors (which Krakauer readily admits and corrects) that are not germane to the book's central argument, and uses them to try to undermine the credibility of the author--unsuccessfully. Most of the most damning evidence Turley just ignores.

Krakauer responds to Turley's accusations carefully, revealing Turley's own less-than-complete (and less-than-honest) appraisal of source material, and documenting the Mormon church's long history of suppressing unsavory details about its past. (For instance, the church still denies any involvement in the Mountain Meadows Massacre--although through some strange logic it admits that Mormons were culpable.)

Mormon readers seem to take particular offense at the book's attention to the massacre, and to its exploring the likelihood of Brigham Young's complicity. The evidence against Young is circumstantial, but there is evidence against him. At the very least, he deliberately incited hatred against "Gentiles" in the months leading up to the massacre that contributed to the blood lust of the killers. Turley doesn't address this at all. Nor does he mention the church's (now-renounced) tenet of Blood Atonement, the belief that some offenses against the church were so great they could not be forgiven without the sinner's blood being spilled--and there were those in the church happy to spill that blood.

Krakauer's book details all this and more. There is not much new history here, although he did do much of his own research. Krakauer doesn't whitewash the church, but in reading this book you can see that he admires the early Mormons--regardless of their faults--and sympathizes with them. He details the prolonged and brutal persecution they endured before moving to Utah.

As one who is infatuated with the so-called religious extreme, ie, cults, isolated religious groups and off-shoots of the larger world religions, this book was an eye-opener.

I've been a fan of every one of Krakauer's books, but this one was my favorite to date. He deftly weaves together the story of the murders with a streamlined history of the Mormon faith and how the FLDS emerged from it.

His work, and particularly "Under the Banner," is what compelling nonfiction is all about.

This is a superb book. The author created a dispassionate work of what can happen when prideful people use religion to create an alternate history.

This book will open your eyes. It is a model of good writing that weaves history and current events into a very readable work.

I bought this book on the premise of it being a true crime novel. Boy was I surprised! I knew very little about the Mormon church, but Jon Krakauer lays out the entire history of the LDS and the FLDS in an easy to read, but hard to put down way that only he can do.

Five stars and highly recommended!

This story is one of the best warnings of the dangers of fanaticism I've read. Religion can be helpful, but it can also take people in the wrong direction. Prophets hold great power those who choose to follow them, as the painful lesson of September 11th shows. Krakauer's book is not a criticism of Mormons or religion, it's a criticism of fanaticism. The desire to be right is at the root of fanaticism and is a pervasive problem in our modern world. The best lesson we can learn from Under the Banner of Heaven is how our need to be right can destroy our relationship with others as well as kill. This book give us an opportunity to to examine the daners of fanaticism right here in the USA, and in our own lives.

Under the Banner of Heaven is a very interesting and informative book. Parts of it are creepy, but overall I do not look at it as particularly anti-Mormon. It deals with some of the unfortunate bits in the history of the LDS, and with many of the unsavory current practices of the FLDS. My impression is that most religions (and governments) have these homicidal episodes in their pasts, and the LDS history is recent enough to be documented. Note that all the really nasty stuff attributed to the LDS in this book were before 1890, the Mormons as a group were certainly provoked. The Fundamentalist LDS, on the other hand, come off as seriously scary dudes. Others have discussed this topics ad nauseum. I would like to bring up two newer points.

Personal revelation plays an important role in the narrative and by implication in the FLDS church. Krakauer nicely points out the problem with ongoing personal revelation: who gets to decide what is valid? It clearly leads to schisms. I am interested in the topic because personal revelation can be found in other Christian denominations, including the one with which I am aligned. The story of the Lafferty boys is a scary cautionary tale about how to analyze personal revelation--when should one take it seriously and when should it be dismissed as lunacy. The book implies that there is serious wish fulfillment going on with some personal revelation. Discernment is the catch phrase I hear bandied about, but perhaps the more obvious filter is "who will be hurt?" In one of the quotes, William James suggests that a religion without ongoing revelation is a dead religion. The corollary is that religion with ongoing revelation is powerful and scary and the practitioners need to be concerned with the potential for evil.

I have not read much about Joseph Smith previous to this book. He is a very impressive man. He grew up poor but was very intelligent, hard working and had charisma in spades. He was certainly a self-made man and one of the great leaders of the 19th century. He was a polarizing figure that people loved or hated. He had a weakness for women. Ultimately, his enemies cornered him and lynched him. Given the current significance of his Latter Day Saints Church, he was one of the most important Americans to ever live. The parallels to a contemporary figure in America are striking. Who? Why Bill Clinton of course!

I read this book when I was still a member of the LDS Church and although it did not make me leave this religion, it made me question what I believed. Now that I have a more neutral viewpoint, I feel that this book is very interesting from a historical/true-crime perspective, but it does not really give both sides of the story. I don't think Krakauer intended to smear the LDS Church with this book, but he kind of did anyway. This of course angered many of the Mormons around me, but a little criticism isn't bad so I think Mormons should just take this in stride and get over it. However, in the future, Krakauer should investigate multiple sides for the stories he writes to ensure more accuracy.

Krakauer delivers a great snapshot of Mormon life. Under the Banner of Heaven chronicles the dual murders committed by Ron and Dan Lafferty of their sister-in-law and her infant daughter, claiming God divinely inspired them to carry out these brutal slayings. The book not only looks at the brothers' lives and how they came into Mormon Fundamentalism, but also the history of the Mormon Church in America. Beginning with Joseph Smith and his prophesies, it follows the formation and migration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their establishment in Utah. There are also detailed accounts of how fundamental branches have tried to keep polygamy alive in remote corners of the country. The plot often gets bogged down with names, both in Mormon history and in polygamous family trees, but that's just the details of the story, not Krakauer's writing. I feel like I got a great American history lesson, because Mormonism is truly an American religion that often escapes history books. I was not aware until reading Banner the influence Mormons had in shaping the American west. Stories of persecution and betrayal litter the Mormon history, but ultimately the story is about Fundamentalism and its effects on the Lafferty brothers, their actions, and their justification of their crime. Should religious beliefs and communication with God be considered insanity? If so, wouldn't everyone with any religious beliefs be considered insane? Draw what conclusions you want, but the cases of Ron and Dan Lafferty are shocking to the core. I enjoyed this book, its history, and the questions it raised about religion and fundamentalism.

Recently, the Mormon faith has been spotlighted a bit in the media, the result of the ill-fated presidential campaign of Mitt Romney. Romney's run for high office was derailed for a number of reasons and certainly his faith didn't help. Mormonism is the most popular faith that is native to the United States, but it is regarded with suspicion, particularly by Christians. Despite being reasonably objective - and often praising the Mormon faith - Jon Krakauer's book Under the Banner of Heaven is not likely to win many converts to the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Superficially, this is a true crime book, focusing on the brutal murders of Brenda Lafferty and her baby daughter Erica at the hands of her brothers-in-law Ron and Dan. Followers of a fundamentalist branch of Mormonism, Ron and Dan felt they were on a mission from God when they killed the pair: Brenda had the gall to speak out against their beliefs in polygamy, the complete subjugation of their wives and daughters and their tolerance of domestic violence.

To understand the behavior of Ron and Dan Lafferty, Krakauer gives a history of Mormonism that understandably is not one the modern Mormon church likes. Joseph Smith - the religion's founder - is portrayed as a con man who seemed mostly interested in polygamy to justify his roving eye (and despite his many wives, he'd still patronize prostitutes). Brigham Young, Smith's successor, comes off even worse with his implicit involvement in the Mountain Meadow Massacre which resulted in the murders of over 120 people.

Despite his flaws, Smith was also brilliant and charismatic, and with his death, the Mormons would break into schisms (like in many dictatorships or oligarchies - which is how the faith is structured - chaos and civil wars can result when a leader dies). Although the bulk of the Mormons would follow Young, others wouldn't and other splits would occur at decisive times such as when the Mormons ended polygamy. The result would be deeply fundamentalist sects that would dwell in isolated communities and indulge in not only polygamy but the forcible marriage of girls in their early teens. Indeed, most of the women in this book seem to be victims, cowed into multiple marriages because they never have any alternatives (no real education and raised in a closed environment which allowed no non-Mormon media); on the other hand, the few heroes in this book are also all women, though some, like Brenda, would be killed or hurt for their resistance (even Brenda's husband, Allen, comes off as bad, both abusive and unwilling to warn his wife she could be a target for murder).

Though Krakauer makes a distinction between mainstream Mormons and the fundamentalists, even the mainstream comes off somewhat unfavorably. The book, however, is not really anti-Mormon; instead, it is anti-religious extremism. Although the Latter Day Saints are the center of this book, the extreme behavior can be found in other faiths: although Islam seems to get the most press (because of 9/11 in particular), Christianity and other faiths also bear the onus of their most fanatical members.

For those familiar with the HBO show Big Love, much of what is in Under the Banner of Heaven will seem recognizable, though the book makes the TV show seem tame in comparison. Krakauer's book is disturbing and highly informative; more importantly, it is an engrossing page-turner. To understand the dangers of religious extremism - and no matter the faith, it is always bad news - this is a must-read.

This book was INCREDIBLE! It is my favorite Krakauer book. Not only does it describe the history of Mormonism so beautifully, it touches on themes that have been constant in so many other religions. Persecution allows for justification etc. It also raises the question: If you hear the voice of god does that make you crazy? READ THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE LEARNING!

Great book! I couldn't put it down. I also read his "Into the wild" recently, that one too is very engaging and though provoking.

"Under the banner of Heaven" shows how extremists in any religion take the same same messages as the mainstream followers adhere to in a literal and very violent direction. You can clearly see how the Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, etc extremists (terrorists) are the same types of hateful, narcissist, dangerous people with almost identical ideologies.

The book is very well written, but can be overwhelming to some readers, I imagine, due to the vast amount of factual information woven into the parallel story lines. It will also be a quite disturbing read to LDS folks.

This book was given to me by a guy I am dating after the subject of Mitt Romney came up. This book shed a lot of light on Mormon fundamentalists and violence. It's a good read although hard to get through the first half. The second part is a good psychological thriller.