Jon Krakauer's 'Under the Banner of Heaven' explores the dark side of Mormon fundamentalism through the story of the Lafferty brothers, who committed a brutal murder based on divine revelation. The book provides a historical and scriptural context for understanding faith-based violence and its parallels with other forms of religious extremism.
Jon Krakauer's 'Under the Banner of Heaven' delves into the obscure world of Mormon fundamentalism, focusing on the chilling story of the Lafferty brothers. In 1984, Dan and Ron Lafferty murdered Dan's sister-in-law and niece, believing it was a divine mandate. The book sets this act of violence within the broader context of Mormon history and scripture, raising questions about the drivers of fundamentalism and the line between religious fanaticism and insanity. Krakauer's narrative approach provides a powerful exploration of these themes, inviting readers to draw their own conclusions about the parallels with other forms of religious extremism.
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Jon Krakauer wants to broaden their perspective. In ''Under the Banner of Heaven,'' he enters the obscure world of Mormon fundamentalism to tell a story of, as he puts it, ''faith-based violence.
Dan, now serving a life sentence, has no remorse about the murders and no trouble explaining them.
By setting Mormon fundamentalism in its historical and scriptural context, and by powerfully illuminating Dan Lafferty's mind, Krakauer provides enough raw material for a seminar on post-9/11 questions.