Under the Banner of Heaven

A Story of Violent Faith

By: Jon Krakauer

Narrated by: Jon Krakauer

Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Jon Krakauer’s literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. In Under the Banner of Heaven, he shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders.

At the core of his audiobook is an appalling double murder committed by two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their blameless victims. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this "divinely inspired" crime, Krakauer constructs a multilayered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, 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.

Krakauer takes listeners inside isolated communities in the American West, Canada, and Mexico, where some 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists believe the mainstream Mormon Church went unforgivably astray when it renounced polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the leaders of these outlaw sects are zealots who answer only to God. Marrying prodigiously and with virtual impunity (the leader of the largest fundamentalist church took seventy-five "plural wives," several of whom were wed to him when they were fourteen or fifteen and he was in his eighties), fundamentalist prophets exercise absolute control over the lives of their followers, and preach that any day now the world will be swept clean in a hurricane of fire, sparing only their most obedient adherents.

Weaving the story of the Lafferty brothers and their fanatical brethren with a clear-eyed look at Mormonism's violent past, Krakauer examines the underbelly of the most successful homegrown faith in the United States, and finds a distinctly American brand of religious extremism. The result is vintage Krakauer, an utterly compelling work of nonfiction that illuminates an otherwise confounding realm of human behavior.

©2003 Jon Krakauer (P)2003 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Krakauer lays the portent on beautifully, building his tales carefully from the ground up until they irresistibly, spookily combust." (Kirkus Reviews)
"Krakauer presents details that indeed sound stranger than fiction." (The New York Times)

Great story and historical information on LDS

This book was recommended to me as a way to learn more about the LDS church. I found the history woven in with the current true story very helpful in understanding more about Mormonism and LDS faith. Very good book! Would highly recommend.

News to me!

If you could sum up Under the Banner of Heaven in three words, what would they be?

Informative, researched, fascinating

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The history of the Church of LDS. There was so much to learn - it is fascinating that we know so little about a religion started in the USA and is growing at such a rapid rate nationally and internationally. The first chapter or two was a bit intense for me, and in my personal recommendation to friends my words are: "bear through that first section" and then you will be entralled by Krakauer;s research and writing skills telling of the the history of the people, the church, and the internal diffferences between LDS and FLDS. It is a necessary historical read, to understand the isolation of the members when they started their trek across the states and finally settled in SLC, Utah. The Utah War - fascinating historical stuff, and I do not remember that being covered in the history books! Now that Romney is the nominatee, people are wanted to learn more. This book does cover the fundamental side as well as mainstream, and I know that the LDS leadership has lambasted the book. One has to read more than one book to form a decision/opinion, and this book gave me the interest to find out more. This is good reading, and the history is almost touchable as it is just 150 years.

Have you listened to any of Jon Krakauer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not, but have read Into Thin Air.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

There is no fun in fundamentalism.

Powerful!!

A well researched book full of information about the Mormon religion and the dangers of religious fundamentalism. I love John Krakuer it was an amazing book.

Fascinating

I have been to Salt Lake and taken the tour. This book certainly shed a different light than the sterilized story told by mainstream Mormons.

too abridged

I read this book years ago and liked it. too many good parts taken out

Best book I've downloaded all year

Here are the good things about John Krakauer’s amazing “Under the Banner of Heaven”: It’ll blow your mind about the Mormon church, with a revealing history of the Joseph Smith days and riveting tales of present-day latter-day sait looniness — the Lafferty murders, Elizabeth Smart. The book will get you thinking about how maybe, just maybe, Islamic fundamentalists aren’t all that different from our own homegown Christian fundamentalists. And the author is incredibly talented at weaving history, narrative, and interviews to create a swift weekend read.

Now the bad part: During and after reading the book, you’ll want to talk about it with just about everyone. And on occassion, one of those people will turn out to be a practicing Mormon. And if you’re being really dense, like me, you’ll probably end up making a huge ass of yourself.

Mesmerizing

This book has a high "Oh my God" count. That is, I kept finding myself saying "Oh my God!" over and over as I listened. The historical portions are just as interesting as the reporting on the murder case at the center of this story. And don't underestimate John Krakaur as a narrator. Most authors don't have the ability to read their own work, but this one does a very creditable job. I would have truly appreciated an unabridged version of this incredibly compelling work, but the abridged version kept me spellbound for all 5 1/2 hours.

Very Entertaining....I'll Be Objective!

The author has an obvious disdain for religion in general, but gives an effort to sound objective. The book jumps back and forth between the 1984 murders of a woman and child and the History of the founding leaders of the Mormon church. Much of this is very detailed and obviously heavily researched; however, he inserts conjecture where the trail of facts end to paint a picture that goes along with his theme. This occurs throughout, but he does acknowledge this with phrases like, "there is evidence to suggest" and "it would seem that..."
The author sprinkles in some sarcasm after horrific stories with little phrases like, "thus sayeth the Lord, Amen" after explaining a murder or some such crime.
The author reads this story in first person much of the time, recounting some murders and setting the scene to put you back at the crime scene in 1984, or in Missouri in the 1830's, and it is very effective at entertaining. WARNING: some of the descriptions are pretty graphic and explicit, told in the murderer's first person.
This was one of the most entertaining non-fictions I have heard or read. He keeps it well paced and it is as fun as a crime story work of fiction. Is it a hit-piece on the Mormon church? I'd say so. Is it a good book? Definitely.
Obviously, this book is as much editorial as a research work. He even manages to take a jab or two at George W. Bush and the Invasion of Iraq, but, unless you are Mormon, this should easily entertain.

Excellent book

Once again the author brings the reader into the story. Well written and insightful.

Disturbing yet Informative and intriguing

Although the basis of the story was the murder of innocent people including but not limited to a little girl, I wanted to read this in order to become informed about Mormonism. Krakauer read with a flat delivery, but I suppose the subject matter warranted that. I believe coming from an LDS background helped Krakauer inform the reader more so than if reading a purely nonfiction book. At times the story jumped from decade to decade which was confusing, but overall I was able to keep straight the transition and growth of LDS, both fanatical and mainstream. Given the fact that I discovered this book because of my like of his previous two books, Into the Wild, and Into Thin Air, I believe he should've called this one "Into Salt Lake City." Overall a solid read if you're into reading/learning about Mormon fundamentalism.