Under the Banner of Heaven
OCLC 842901458 | | |
Preceded by | Into Thin Air | |
---|---|---|
Followed by | Where Men Win Glory |
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith is a
The Laffertys were formerly members of a splinter group called the School of Prophets, led by
The book was adapted as a
Synopsis
Murders
The book opens with news accounts of the 1984 murder of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter Erica. Brenda was married to Allen Lafferty, the youngest of the Lafferty brothers. His older brothers Dan and Ron disapproved of their sister-in-law Brenda because they believed she was the reason Dan's wife left him (after refusing to allow him to marry a plural/second wife—his stepdaughters). Both men's extremism reached new heights when they became members of the School of the Prophets, founded and led by
Dan claimed that he slit both of the victims' throats. But, at the 2001 trial, Chip Carnes, who was riding in the getaway car, testified that Ron said that he had killed Brenda,[2] and that Ron had thanked his brother for "doing the baby".
After the murders, the police found the written "revelation" concerning Brenda and Erica. The press widely reported that Ron had received a revelation to kill the mother and child. Afterward, the Lafferty brothers conducted a recorded press conference at which Ron said that the "revelation" was not addressed to him, but to "Todd" [a drifter whom Ron had befriended while working in Wichita] and that the revelation called only for "removal" of Brenda and her baby, and did not use the word "kill". The jury at Ron's trial was shown these remarks of Ron denying he had received a revelation to kill Brenda and Erica.[3]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints history
After opening with the Lafferty case, Krakauer explores the history of Mormonism, starting with the early life of
From Nauvoo, the Mormons trekked westward to modern-day
Smith's highly controversial revelation of plural marriage threatened to split apart followers of the faith. The Utah Territory was a theodemocracy led by Brigham Young as Governor, where polygamy continued to be practiced for 43 years. Finally, on September 23, 1890, Wilford Woodruff, the fourth president of the Church, claimed to have received a revelation from God (known as the 1890 Manifesto) which officially banned polygamy. Six years later, Utah was granted statehood.[5]
After the Manifesto, some members broke away from the mainstream church to form what eventually became the FLDS Church, the most popular group of fundamentalist Mormonism. The FLDS Church continues to encourage polygamy, as do some other breakaway groups.
Comparisons
Krakauer examines events in Latter Day Saint history and compares them to modern-day FLDS doctrine (and other minority versions of Mormonism, such as the Crossfield School of the Prophets). He examines the 1857
Krakauer cites information gleaned from several interviews with Dan Lafferty and former and current members of the Crossfield School of the Prophets, as well as other fundamentalist Mormons. He refers to several histories about the formation of Mormonism to tie the origins of the religion to the modern iterations of both the church and the fundamentalists.[6]
Derivation of the title
The title of the book is drawn from an 1880 address by
God is greater than the United States, and when the Government conflicts with heaven, we will be ranged under the banner of heaven against the Government. The United States says we cannot marry more than one wife. God says different.[7]
Reception
Charles Graeber of The Guardian listed the book in his top ten true crime books, and described Krakauer as "a master journalist and storyteller who is unfettered and unafraid of the true crime mantle. [He] pries open the golden doors to one of the newest and fastest-growing religions in America to set the stage for the non-fiction drama."[8]
In advance of the book's release in 2003,
Television adaptation
In July 2011,
Related documentary
In 2015, Amy Berg released her independent documentary, Prophet's Prey, about fundamentalist Mormons practicing polygamy, based on the case of Warren Jeffs, sentenced to life for polygamy and abuse of minors. Krakauer participated in this film and appears on camera, as he continued his own investigation of sects that practiced polygamy. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, both working on the television adaptation of the book as producers, were also executive producers of the documentary.[12]
References
- ^ "Revelation" Archived 2012-06-04 at the Wayback Machine, Brigham Young University
- ^ Utah v. Lafferty, 20 P.3d 342 (2001) UT 19, para. 118.
- ^ Utah v. Lafferty, 20 P.3d 342 (2001) UT 19, para. 99.
- History of the Church, Salt Lake City: LDS Church
- ^ Cole, Bradford and Williams Kenneth ed. "Utah's Road to Statehood." Salt Lake City: Utah State Division of Archives and Record Service, 1995. http://archives.utah.gov/research/exhibits/Statehood/setroad.htm
- ISBN 1-4000-3280-6.
I availed myself of this rich history by draining my bank account in bookstores near and far.
- ^ Krakauer, Chapter 20, p. 250 (quoting John Taylor, address, Jan. 4, 1880, Great Salt Lake City).
- TheGuardian.com. 2 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Church Response to Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven", Newsroom, LDS Church, 27 June 2003
- ^ Krakauer, Jon (3 July 2003). "A Response from the Author". Archived from the original on 10 June 2004.
- ^ Fleming, Mike (2011-07-19). "Warner Bros Acquiring Jon Krakauer's 'Under The Banner Of Heaven' For Ron Howard And Dustin Lance Black". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
- ^ a b Manohla Dargis, "Review: ‘Prophet’s Prey,’ a Documentary About Mormon Fundamentalists", New York Times, 17 September 2015; accessed 7 December 2016
- ^ Creahan, Danica (April 21, 2022). "How to Watch 'Under the Banner of Heaven' Starring Andrew Garfield". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
External links
- Official Doubleday Website for Under the Banner of Heaven (Retrieved 22-2-2008).
- Bookbrowse.com Reading Guides.
- New York Times Review
- The Controversy between the Laffertys and the School of the Prophets