_Under the Banner of Heaven:Β A Story of Violent Faith_ by Jon Krakauer
This book was a doozy of a tale of the foundations and progress of the Mormon religion. Jon Krakauer writes in an easy-to-read journalistic style telling the story of the beginnings, divisions and transformations of the Latter Day Saints centered around the story of the Lafferty brothers who are supposedly told by God to kill a number of people. They manage to complete the murders of their sister-in-law and baby with no remorse or guilt regarding their actions.
Krakauer weaves the history and varied beliefs and practices of the followers of Mormonism from the spiritual visions of Joseph Smith to its current-day position.
I don’t want to give much more detail as there is so much information and many stories that he shares throughout the book. It was a great read. I have/had friends who are LDS members and at various times was curious about their faith and the religion. Religion has always played an unsatisfactory role in my life and remains a topic that I cannot fully accept in all its various incarnations, sects and divisions. God does exist, I believe. Satan does exist, I believe. A spiritual presence does exist in man, I believe. Beyond that, I have questions and doubts.
The LDS church has always seemed a mystery to me. A friend many years ago sent me a book when I began to ask her about her faith. I was not satisfied with what it said as the Bible, which I have read numerous times front to back and back to front, did not match up – not just didn’t match, but contradicted. Laws seemed to be conjured up upon convenience and the role of women in the religion just didn’t vibe with me. Still, I respect everyone’s right to believe as s/he likes or feels called/moved to believe. I’m interested in all spiritual movements even if I don’t agree or they scare me.
So, I’m glad I read the story. I’m not sure if the author’s intent was to inform or to shed a certain tinted light on the religion itself, but I was drawn to his writing and the story. It’s not easy reading or necessarily good for the faint of heart, but it definitely opens the mind. π
More to come,
-T
