Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
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Summary
Jon Krakauer's literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. He now shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders, taking readers inside isolated American communities where some 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists still practice polygamy. 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.
I found "Under the Banner of Heaven" to be a captivating and thought-provoking exploration of Mormon fundamentalists. However, I couldn't help but notice a slight bias in Krakauer's portrayal. While he acknowledges that the groups he focuses on represent only a small portion of the Mormon faith, he sometimes generalizes his findings to encompass all Mormons, leaving readers questioning the extent to which all Mormons are potentially inclined towards fundamentalism. As someone who is not part of the Mormon community, I was deeply engrossed in Krakauer's account, yet I couldn't help but feel that he emphasized the negative aspects of this rapidly expanding religion.
The audiobook 'Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith' feels like an intense episode of a sensationalized TV show. At one less significant moment, the author mentions "A MILLION dollars," which instantly reminded me of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers. Unfortunately, I couldn't get through the entire audiobook. Perhaps I'll give it a try by reading the printed version. However, it seems like Krakauer unnecessarily exaggerates everything, both the story and the history of the Church and its offshoots. The subject matter itself is already captivating (albeit strange and disturbing) without the need for selective information, exaggeration, or dragging out the narrative for the reader.
This Audiobook totally convinced me that "reading" through listening is the way to go. I can vividly recall the exact places I was in when I heard each section of this book. Honestly, I have to confess that I actually missed out on some amazing European sites because I was utterly captivated by this story. The narration is top-notch, and the writing is superb. Considering the recent scrutiny on the Bountiful community in British Columbia, which is mentioned in the book, it provides fantastic insights into the fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon Church that is completely distinct from both present-day Saints and your average modern families. It's seriously fascinating, no doubt about it.
I thought Under the Banner of Heaven by Krakauer was both disturbing and eye-opening, maintaining strong adherence to the truth. It's not just an engaging read, but also an exploration of the complexities surrounding faith and conviction. The book sheds light on how the pursuit of extreme fundamentalist ideologies can lead individuals to abandon critical thinking and rationality. For me, it ranks up there with Tracy Kidder's Mountain Beyond Mountains as a standout read.
"Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith" is a book that delves into the controversial history of Mormonism and the actions of extremist factions within the religion. While the subject matter is important and worth exploring, I found the author's writing style to be dry and unengaging, making it a struggle to finish the book or maintain my interest. The author, Krauker, opens with a murder and then proceeds to delve into how the Mormon religion played a role in promoting such acts of violence. However, the book suffers from a disjointed timeline and a barrage of seemingly random facts that only become relevant later on. The writing style has been likened to that of a news article, which works well for short news stories but not for a lengthy book.
Despite the drawbacks, I did appreciate the opportunity to learn about the Mormon faith. Prior to reading this book, I had limited knowledge of Mormonism and knew nothing about fundamental Mormonism. Through this book, I discovered the stark differences between mainstream Mormons and the extremist factions, who can be seen as more cult-like, engaging in practices like polygamy and the mistreatment of women. It is worth reading if you genuinely want to gain insights into the origins and current practices of Mormons. However, if you are seeking an engaging and captivating narrative, I would not recommend this book. I would give it a three out of five stars.
Personally, I found Scott Brick's narration to be overly dramatic, which didn't resonate with me. As a result, I will not be seeking out any other audiobooks narrated by him.
As someone who isn't particularly religious and has no bias towards Mormonism, I found this book's approach of exploring the religion through the lens of a couple of deranged murderers (the Lafferty brothers) and other radical polygamists to be intriguing at times. However, I couldn't help but feel that this narrow focus on the extremists is akin to studying Islam solely from the perspective of Osama bin Laden or Christianity solely through the lens of David Koresh. Consequently, the book falls short in its attempt to shed light on the widespread appeal of mainstream Mormonism in the 21st century. It would have been beneficial if Krakauer had taken the time to interview more rational followers of the faith, offering a more balanced perspective that could explain its attraction to educated, professional individuals.
While the historical aspect of the Mormon religion is captivating, it only comprises a quarter of the book. The remaining sections become monotonous as they delve into the lives of eccentric polygamists in trailer parks, involving cases of statutory rape, incest, and "plural marriages" justified by religious beliefs.
Additionally, the narrator's voice and tone in the audiobook strongly resemble that of Niedermeyer from "Animal House" when describing the Delta House's transgressions. It's sickening and disgusting to the point that I won't elaborate further.
Krakauer might be better off sticking to mountain climbing, as it's evident that this topic is out of his area of expertise.
This book uncovers the fascinating history and hidden realities of the Mormon faith, also known as LDS. The author, Krakauer, has compiled a wealth of information from various sources such as archived news articles and published material dating back to 1870. He sheds light on the fundamentalist sects within the LDS Church, known as FLDS, exploring their origins and their unconventional beliefs. Additionally, Krakauer delves into the reasons behind the prevalence of plural marriage among these groups. He provides insights into the infamous Lafferty brothers, who committed murder in the name of their faith. The author also delves into the controversies surrounding the early LDS Church and the Utah pioneers and settlers, highlighting how certain historical truths have been concealed from church members by LDS leaders. It's worth noting that this book contains graphic descriptions of events such as the Lafferty murders and the Mountain Meadows Massacre, so it may not be suitable for sensitive readers. Nevertheless, Krakauer acknowledges that despite the controversies, Mormonism has managed to gain popularity among over 10,000 religious sects worldwide. As Krakauer aptly puts it, "All humans yearn to feel the love of our creator."
I'm a big fan of Krakauer's previous works, but I have to say that Under the Banner of Heaven doesn't quite hit the mark. The combination of "true crime" and history genres doesn't work as well as I had hoped. Separately, the history of the Church of LDS and the true crime story are both fascinating, but the constant back and forth between them in the audio format becomes confusing.
There were many instances where I found myself lost in the narrative, especially when it delved into the lives of other Mormon fundamentalists who weren't relevant to the Lafferty brothers' story. Additionally, there were certain aspects of the Lafferty brothers' story that Krakauer didn't explore, such as what happened to Allen after the murders or how he currently interacts with his brothers. The focus primarily remained on Ron's ongoing trials, with very little information about Dan's trial. It wasn't until I finished listening and did some online research that I stumbled upon a few lines in the book's prologue explaining why Dan didn't receive the death penalty.
The narration was decent, and the content had the potential to be an outstanding book. Unfortunately, it falls short of expectations.
If it wasn't for the overly enthusiastic narration by Scott Brick, I might have been more inclined to believe the author's claim that he had no ulterior motive in exploring the connection between religion and violent actions. However, ever since I came across books narrated by Brick, I make a conscious effort to steer clear of any audiobook he narrates. His affected style and exaggerated emphasis are incredibly annoying and completely detract from the book's intended significance.
Many reviewers tend to mix up Mormon fundamentalists with Latter Day Saints, which is like comparing modern protestant churches to the Catholic Church that Martin Luther separated from long ago. Let's be realistic here. If you want to discuss the LDS church, it's essential to read about it rather than focusing on some eccentric splinter group.
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