BOOK: Under the Banner of Heaven

Under the current political climate, it seemed only right that I learn something about the Mormon religion. Most books on the subject seem to be written either by devout members of the church or disgruntled ex-members. UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN was written by Jon Krakauer, a man who admits that he has no idea if there is a God. He has written a book that is a combination of true-crime reporting and well-documented history.

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN’s base story is that of brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty. In July of 1984. Ron and Dan brutally killed their brother Allen’s wife Brenda and his fifteen-month-old daughter Erica, on what they believed to be a commandment from God. As members of the 40,000 strong Mormon Fundamentalists community, Ron and Dan believed that Brenda was keeping Allen from being a true believer and was encouraging the other women in the family to be disobedient to their husbands and church.

In telling Ron and Dan’s story, Krakauer goes into the history of the Mormon faith, starting with Joseph Smith being given the golden plates in 1827 and their finding their present headquarters in Salt Lake City. He covers the split between the main body of the Mormons, now known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and the Mormon Fundamentalists. The main body of the LDS make it very clear that the Fundamentalists are not part of the Mormon church.

Parts of the book were a tough read. The early church promoted polygamy and the author‘s detailing of family histories became very complicated. It was when the LDS did away with polygamy that caused the uprising of the Fundamentalists.

Although this book covers the details of Ron and Dan’s lives and thought process surrounding the murders and the trials that followed, Krakauer makes a good case against extremes in any religion… be it Mormon, Muslim, or Christian. It raises some interesting questions. Questions like: Is everyone who prays for God’s guidance to be considered psychotic? ..or.. How far does a person go to follow the laws of his faith over the laws of the land?

Jon Krakauer has written a book that has all of the true crime reporting of In Cold Blood, but also has given the reader a history of a little known religion that is growing rapidly. He also helps us to understand how religious splinter groups can start and how dangerous such groups can be.