What We're Reading: Laurie

Under The Banner of Heaven : a story of violent faith by Jon Krakauer.

Krakauer researches the story of two brothers who claim they received a direct revelation from God to carry out the murder of their own brother's wife and young child. Krakauer discusses the motivation behind the hideous crime and delves into the history of the Mormon Church and its fundamentalist sects. The author conducted interviews with members of this religion, not all fundamentalists, as well as the murderer, Dan Lafferty, and incorporates historical documents and primary sources to help one gain an understanding of its mystical roots and violent past. Krakauer seems to view Mormonism as a religion which embraces community, but prompts one to question the validity of the fundamentalist sects due to close-mindedness and closed-door policies.