Average Rating: 
Rating:  - well written, well researched
Jon Krakauer has long been a literary hero of mine. As a fellow agnostic, I have found his works to be a fecundity of insight and self-examination that result in an acute, if not critical understanding of the human spirit.This book reads incredibly well and weaves the stupefying history of the latter day saints with the horrifying murders of Brenda and Erica Lafferty. Ultimately, Krakauer makes the tacit polemic that the legacy of the LDS church, which is replete with both violence and polygamy, should not be underestimated when trying to understand the motives of the murderers--Ron and Don Lafferty. Although the LDS church is quick to distance itself from fundamentalist Mormon groups, which happily embrace polygamy, the history is undeniable. Both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were devout polygamists, and believed polygamy to be the most sacred of God's commandments. Many from the LDS church (and reviewers on this site) decry the book as being one-sided. It most certainly is not. Rather ironically, it seems that the ruling patriarchy of the church is the one in fact that is bent on presenting a dubiously researched and one-sided view of its history. To be sure, Krakauer treats all parties mentioned in the book with respect and dignity, remaining an objective narrator throughout the text. This is definitely a recommended read.
Rating:  - incomplete picture of violence and Mormon fundamentalism
A fun read; 3 complaints:One, Krakauer's explanation of the causes of violent religious behavior is limited to a recounting of bloody episodes from Mormon history. In this sense Under the Banner of Heaven is remniscient of previous journalistic forays into Mormon Fundamentalism, such as Bradlee and Van Atta's 'Prophet of Blood' or Anderson's 'The Four O'Clock Murders.' All of these books share the flaw of attributing later violent behavior to a heritage of Mormonism (which happens to have an uncommonly brutal and lawless past--directed toward and from the Church), not taking into account the ways in which the peculiar fundamentalist groups interpret and mediate that Mormon theology and history. Krakauer falls into the common pit. He devotes nearly half of his 340-page book to presenting details about violent actions affecting the 19th century LDS Church, while giving us perhaps a few hundred words in reference to the School of the Prophets, the Fundamentalist organization in which the killers actively participated, where many of the attitudes, perceptions and motivations of the Laffertys were presumably developed. A second complaint is, Krakauer assumes that a common society, culture, and world-view exists in the minds and society of all Mormon Fundamentalists. This is not a substantiated fact. In truth the phenomenon of "Mormon Fundamentalism" is a variegated clustering of peoples, kinship networks, churches, non-churches, study groups, societies, cultures, and power structures. While there are certainly connections between lots of these discrete groups and churches, many are geographically, ideologically/doctrinally and socally isolated and entirely unique. Most claim to represent the purest teachings of Joseph Smith, while some hold him as one among many gurus to be reverenced. Finally, Krakauer makes it clear that he distinguishes between the LDS Church and "Mormon Fundamentalists" with respect to who gets the blame for modern manifestations of violence. However, in every other sphere we consider it wrong to hold up the violent extremist as the prototype of the group he nominally belongs to; why is it okay for Krakauer to indict any fundamentalist church--even more so all of "Mormon Fundamentalism," in light of the diversity it represents--for the actions of two brothers?
Rating:  - Misleading Premise
The Salt Lake Tribune quotes Mormon church official(s)... "Krakauer presents a distorted portrayal of Mormonism by reinforcing old stereotypes and not drawing sufficient distinctions between a few extremists and the millions of law-abiding, mainstream Mormons who have made the LDS Church one of the fastest-growing faiths in the world." That nails it down. I give it 3 starts for entertaining value and if you like the disturbing chapter covering the murders, it's an especially good read. Ultimately however the author misleads the reader not familiar with mormon history or Mormon culture either historical or modern by not effectively placing the infamous stars/fanatics of the book in context as ultra extremeists that have long since been isolated from mainstream society let alone Mormonism. As a lifelong Mormon raised in Utah, having also lived in Chicago, California and now Georgia, there really is no reasonable connection between the charachters in this book to Mormons. In fact most of them loathe Mormons and Mormon officials because they are widely condemed for their practices. Most of them, if ever they were Mormons are not even loosely associated with modern day Mormons or resemble Mormons of the past either for that matter. Further, Mormon officials have excomunicated members of the faith that have been known to coninue the practice of polygamy which the chuch discontinued early in the 20th century.
In a shameful attempt to sell the book the author has sensationalised this story at the expense and dignity of the many decent Mormons the world over (who incidently do not practice poligamy. Entertaining and sensational but not a literary work by any stretch!
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