The More the Merrier….

I am an unabashed fan of Jon Krakauer so I was excited when this book became available at my library. Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith is the story of the Lafferty brothers and the heinous murders they committed in 1984.

The Lafferty brothers were Fundamentalist Mormons. They practiced polygamy and communicated directly with God via “revelations.” In 1984, they brutally murder Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month old daughter. Brenda was their sister-in-law and her daughter, their niece. Ron and Dan Lafferty acted on a revelation from God that commanded them to kill Brenda and her daughter. They felt, and still feel, no remorse for their crimes as they believe that God commanded them. The description of the murders is excruciating to read. They were violent, brutal, and disgusting.

Krakauer details the history of the Mormon religion throughout the Lafferty narrative. Beginning with Joseph Smith and his runestones and working to modern times. Much attention is afforded to polygamy and the controversy that surrounds it. The most disconcerting fact in regards to Mormon polygamy is the age of the girls, not women, chosen by “god” to marry old men. These girls grow up in what are essentially cults and know nothing outside of their town/compound. They are then forced to marry as young as twelve years old to men three, four, and even five times their own age. Often these men are related to their young wives, furthering horrifying those outside the cult. Under the Banner of Heaven reports on the infamous Warren Jeffs cult though the book discusses Jeffs’ father more extensively.

This book is an excellent and thought provoking read. Krakauer walks the thin line of bias with aplomb and the book never seems to favor either side. I recommend this book to anyone curious about Mormonism and American polygamy cults. Be warned, both groups are exactly what the title implies: violent.