Under the Banner of Heaven

A Story of Violent Faith

By: Jon Krakauer

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities. • Now an acclaimed FX limited series streaming on HULU.

“Fantastic.... Right up there with In Cold Blood and The Executioner’s Song.” —San Francisco Chronicle

Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities.

At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, and unyielding faith. Along the way he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America’s fastest growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief.

©2003 Jon Krakauer (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc., Published by arrangement with Random House Audio Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Scrupulously reported and written with Krakauer’s usual exacting flair, Under the Banner of Heaven is both illuminating and thrilling. It is also the creepiest book anyone has written in a long time—and that’s meant as the highest possible praise.” —Newsweek

“Powerfully illuminating. . . . Almost every section of the book is fascinating in its own right, and together the chapters make a rich picture. . . . An arresting portrait of depravity.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Illuminating . . . provocative. . . . Krakauer is an adept chronicler of extremists [and] the tour guide of choice for secular quests.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

Interesting and Infuriating

Definitely worth a read. It is horrifying to hear what happened to so many innocent people. Religion is dangerous.

Eye opening and binge worthy.

I'm from the east coast and moved out west a few years ago. Upon moving out here I noticed the high amount of Mormons. I never really thought about them outside of jokes. Learning about their faith is a must. They are one of the fastest growing religions on earth and apart of our history. They certainly aren't a monolith and this book does a good job humanizing the odd faith while showing the paradoxical relationships between dogma, history, faith, and law. This should be required reading, 10/10

Pay attention to the story

A case law study to the story read or llisten closely. October 6 - 10. Plural marriage may be the law. However not from the sources one might think of. But by a minor court in New York. Has nothing to do with Mormons has more to do with being liberal.

I am a fan of Jon Krakauer’s writings. I love and admire his research.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I learned more about the many contradictions surrounding the history of Joseph Smith and other ideals of religion. Thank you for your research and this book. I am a fan of all your other authored books. This is the fourth time I have listened to it on Audible. I know that there is a God who loves us.

Nonfiction so outrageous you feel it’s fiction

Im not a big nonfiction reader but I couldn’t stop listening to this book! It blends true crime with history in a way that’s hard to put down.

NEEDS A WARNING LABEL

I’ve liked other books by Krakauer but Under the Banner of Heaven was a major disappointment. The book never “came together” for me and felt disjointed to me. I e known two people who read it and both “condemned” all Mormons when the book deals primarily with either current day Fundamentalists (less than 1% of all “Mormons”) or the historical roots of Mormonism. This is why I suggest a “Warning Label” be placed on this book so the casual reader understands the distinctions.

Would I recommend this book? NO.

I listened all the way through but most of the time at 1.6x speed and couldn’t wait until it was over.

Full of inaccuracies

Great story but I’m surprised how ma y of these stories are inaccurate. He makes it appear as if “Mormons” persecute the polygamist, and appears to think that all ore of the same faith and continuously intermixes LDS members and the FLDS/ polygamists. it isn’t very accrue in many areas… I grew up inUtah I would know

Interesting read

This was a very interesting read. I learned a lot about the Mormon religion. Perhaps too much because I will never see it the same.

Modern Day Cult

What's frustrating are the precepts of this modern day, totally American religion. Grown men using some 19th century perversion (intentional use of this word) to rape teens and preteens is blood-boiling. The casualness of the murderers also stuck with me for a while. For me, the most ridiculous part was when one brother said he was OK with his brother strangling him with a sheet while in prison, but when he couldn't pull it off (too bad Epstein wasn't there), he suddenly had a change of heart and thought, yeah...no thanks. The malice and ignorance of these murderers is breathtaking.

Krakauer perfection

Incredibly detailed, backed by research, interviews, as well as prior authors. John leaves nothing out