"Under the Banner of Heaven" book review

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/books/article/0,1406,KNS_306_2199805,00.html ^

[fishtank]

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/books/article/0,1406,KNS_306_2199805,00.html

'Banner' examines sect?s violent history Krakauer's carefully researched book studies Mormon Fundamentalists

By CLAY EVANS, Scripps Howard News Service August 24, 2003

That The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, would object to this book is hardly a surprise.

Launching from the savage murders of a young Mormon woman and her 15-month-old daughter in 1983, it burrows deep into the heart of a troubling offshoot of the LDS Church, polygamists known as Mormon Fundamentalists. Along the way, it delves into the sometimes violent past and selective history of the mainstream church and examines the lives of its founder, the charismatic Joseph Smith, and its second leader, Brigham Young.

Krakauer is no stranger to controversy (his 1996 "Into Thin Air," about a tragic season on Mount Everest, was widely criticized), but he's also a very careful reporter. Despite the tantrums of Mormon officials, his clear-headed, unbiased examination of the church - leavened with genuine respect - and his conclusions that it is a secretive organization bent on sanitizing its own past are hard to argue with.

The book bounces back and forth through the history of the church but focuses on the 1983 murders, in which Ron and Dan Lafferty, two fundamentalist Mormon brothers who advocate polygamy and antipathy toward the federal government, slaughtered their sister-in-law and her baby girl because Ron received a revelation from God to do so.

Krakauer went straight to the source for his information on the crime, extensively interviewing the seemingly mild-mannered Dan Lafferty in prison. Still remorseless, Dan Lafferty told the author in gruesome detail how he calmly slit the victims' throats (the men were thwarted by circumstances from killing two other people Ron Lafferty believed responsible for his wife's leaving him). Dan Lafferty was sentenced to death but has not been executed; Ron Lafferty is serving two life terms in prison.

Amazingly, given that galleys of the book were in reviewers' hands this spring, Krakauer also works in a chapter on the strange case of Elizabeth Smart, the Utah girl who was abducted and "married" by a polygamist. In fact, Dan Lafferty calmly told Krakauer after Elizabeth was found that he thought the Smart case probably involved a fundamentalist Mormon.

But Krakauer is interested in the deeper roots of the still-persistent - and perhaps growing - practice of polygamy among renegade Mormons. The LDS Church officially eschewed the practice in 1890 as part of a bargain with the federal government to obtain statehood for Utah, but Smith ingrained the practice into the church's teachings in Section 132 of the revered document, "The Doctrine and Covenants."

And so Krakauer ventures to Canada, where a colony of polygamists fled after the church officially forbade the practice; to Utah; and to the not-so-secretly polygamist haven of Colorado City, Ariz.

But for all his modern-day sleuthing, which portrays a truly disturbing bunch of people who marry so many wives (usually just girls, including step-daughters and other relatives) that their family trees are gnarled, twisted and almost comically tangled, his historical detective work is just as fascinating.

As incisive as Krakauer is, he maintains a respect for Smith, Young and those who took up the Mormon cause and writes sympathetically about their genuine persecution at the hands of "Gentiles" (all who are not Mormon, in LDS-speak).

But even some of Smith's early followers - notably young girls asked to marry men who already had wives - balked at his polygamous revelation.

Young is no less controversial. He assumed leadership of the church after Smith was murdered in jail in 1844.

Krakauer also examines the appalling Mountain Meadows Massacre and finds - at least - that Young was inflaming Mormon hatred of Gentiles. "Vengeance is mine," Young boasted upon visiting the site of the massacre a year later, "and I have taken a little." (LDS Church officials loudly protest that Young had any knowledge of or supported the slaughter.)

Finally, Krakauer smoothly ties that sordid past to one of its ugly, 20th-century conclusions:

"The Mountain Meadow is now synonymous with one of the most chilling episodes in the history of the American West," he writes, "an episode that exemplified the fanaticism and concomitant brutality of a culture that would be so enthusiastically idealized a century later by Dan Lafferty and his fundamentalist brethren."

So of course the Mormon church is upset. But this book, with extensive notes and footnotes, won't be shouted down by people representing a faith that, as a matter of policy, strives mightily to control and sanitize its past.

[Wrigley]

Book is selling pretty well, too.

Currently number 28 on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/new-for-you/top-sellers/-/books/all/books/0/1/2/ref=pd_ts_pg_2/103-5905945-7460622

And number 5 on NY Times list.

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/


Personal brief review. Very interesting.

[fishtank]

I will have to say that from what I've read about the situation described in the book, that it has almost nothing whatsoever to do with modern day Mormonism. I don't agree at all with Mormonism, but I have no problem with Mormons in the USA. As a whole, Mormons are loyal citizens of America, and no one can honestly say the same thing about Muslims.

There might be a few Muslims who are loyal citizens, but a whole bunch of them are not.

[Delphinium]

that it has almost nothing whatsoever to do with modern day Mormonism

Except that in modern day Mormornism they still testify that these men were prophets, and they call the books written by these men "Holy" scriptures.

[Rubber_Duckie_27]

I read the book (on sale at the bookstore). Fairly interesting stuff. I have a Mormon friend who says she was told not to read it by a local church leader.

[fishtank]

I was referring to the murder that was committed by the two brothers. I don't think many mormons endorse that.

[Delphinium]

I doubt that any mainstream modern day Mormons would endorse that. I was referring to the "Mountains Meadow Massacre"

[fishtank]

Well, now, there you'll see lots of hemmin' and hawin', as they say in the South.

[Delphinium]

I forgot to remind you where these brothers got their ideas to murder was from the founders of the Mormon church, and the writings I mentioned.

[drstevej]

Just bought it today at Sam's and read the first 100 pages in the car repair shop. Riveting read! I highly recommend it.

I'll post a few quotes that were noteworthy, that is if actually quoting the author is permitted around here.

Really puts some context on the Elizabeth Smart case.

Also, I wasn't aware that fundamentalist Mormon (FLDS) Dan Lafferty, who was involved in the killings that is the book's focus, is now the cell mate of Mark Hoffman, infamous Mormon document forger. And they really get along well despite their polar opposite views.

Meet some great characters among the people of The Principle!
Uncle Rulon
Paul Kingston

AND

Debbie Blackmore - who through an unwanted plural marriage became a step-mother to her step-mother, hence she was her own step-grandmother.

Does Hallmark have a card for that?

[Wrigley]

I was thinking about all the stories those two cellmates tell each other. Must be interesting. If they wrote a book, would Hoffman need a ghost writer?

There are a lot of strong personalities amongst the fundies. I understand why they would have left mainstream mormonism.

[drstevej]

Wrigley, you need to read the book. It is astounding. Looks like there are quite a few fundy LDS "prophets" that contract marriage with early teens telling them it is the command of God.

Tom Green is particularly reprehensible, but there are entire communities of these whackos.

[Wrigley]

I've read it. The whole fundie community is fascinating in how it operates. They operate independly, but need each other to mix up the young girls.

[Codie]

How is it fascinating?

[drstevej]

The Colorado City / Bountiful wench swap was alarming!

[Wrigley]

First, that they exist at all. Think of them like Koresh without the guns.

Second, how the individual communities share their young women. Guys go community to community looking to score the new wife.

Third, how the Mormon church deals with them. As long as the fundies don't bring a whole lot of attention, they are left alone. If not, the mormon hierachy starts to push for the laws against polygamy, to be enforced.

[Wrigley]

For sure.

[drstevej]

TOM GREEN:

"Seven of the ten women Green has married, and all of his current wives, were the children of his other wives when he married them; he made a habit of marrying his step daughters, all of whom were sixteen or younger when he brought them into the marital bed." p. 21, Banner of Heaven

[Codie]

Thanks.I get the picture.Everything boils down to sex.I don't understand that at all.

[Wrigley]

If you were part of that community, it would be easier to understand.

And I bet alot of those don't understand it either, they just accept it.