Under the banner of heaven : a story of violent faith (original 2003; udgave 2004)

This was a very scary book. Written by Jon Krakauer, the author of Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, this books explores the history, and violence, of the Mormon faith. Due to the subject material, it was a little slow at times – I found my attention wandering and occasionally had to make myself reread passages.

Religion is a touchy subject, especially when you are discussing the darker aspects of faith, such as what is considered ‘God sanctioned violence’. I am aware that all religions have a history of ‘killing in the name of the Lord’. It’s just that for most (Western) religions, that history is far in the past, whereas Mormonism is relatively young, ‘American born’ faith. This is a subject that I honestly don’t want to get into, so there’s not much to say.

I read this book because it was recommended to me, and because I believe that it’s important for me to educate myself before forming opinions about matters that I know nothing about. This book has left me with some very strong opinions. One of them is that I really don’t want Mormons knocking on my door (not that I did before, but now I really don’t). ( )

After finishing "Under the Banner of Heaven," I googled Ron Lafferty to find out when he was eventually executed, and to my horror discovered that at the age of seventy-one, he is still alive despite being twice convicted for murder.

In this book, Krakauer's excellent nonfiction prose is focused on fundamentalist Mormonism, and the murder of a woman and child by two brothers who claimed God had told them to do so. The author not only examines the events leading up to, surrounding, and following the crime, but also delves into the founding of the Mormon faith and uncovers a history of violence perpetuated by the religion's adherents.

As in his previous work, "Into the Wild," Krakauer works backward from the focal point (the murder), and brings in historical and societal context from a wide range of sources. The abundance of history and names may be overwhelming in one read, but demonstrates the author's dedication to research.

Not a read to be enjoyed, but definitely a worthwhile historical and societal commentary. ( )

Not at all what I thought it would be, but this was still a great book. I think anyone interested in faith or the dark side of belief should read this book. ( )

Une enquête énorme, approfondie et glaçante sur l’Église des Saints des Derniers Jours. Son historique, ses dérives et ses sous-branches plus… « intégristes ».

Voyage au pays de la foi absolue et de l’obscurantisme, de la polygamie, du mariage de fillettes de 14 ans par des pédophiles incestueux, du radicalisme, du refus d’autre autorité que celle de Dieu et de l’obscurantisme créationniste.

Construit autour du meurtre d’une femme et de sa fille par deux frères de son mari au nom de Dieu et parce qu’elle ouvrait quand vraiment trop sa gueule, ce livre révolte bien plus d’une foi(s) tout en retraçant l’histoire des mormons.

Gore et édifiant. ( )

"How can a society actively promote religious faith on one hand and condemn a man for zealously adhering to his faith on the other?"
- Jon Krakauer

An extremely well-researched and thought provoking read which paints a disturbing picture of not only the Mormon Fundamentalists but also that of the LDS Church. It has always amazed me how religious belief can easily turn into fanaticism and make seemingly ordinary people do terrible unspeakable things. Krakauer does a very good job of inquiring into the nature of spiritual conviction and religious belief itself. If you're into that kind of stuff I recommend this ❤️ ( )