Books like Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer

In *Under the Banner of Heaven*, journalist Jon Krakauer turns his investigative lens on the double murder of two sisters in Utah, a crime committed by brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty who claimed divine command. The book traces the brothers’ extremist convictions, the foundational beliefs of Mormon fundamentalism, and the network of clandestine communities spread across the American West, parts of Canada and Mexico. Krakauer chronicles how these groups reject the mainstream Mormon Church’s abandonment of polygamy, instead venerating a strict hierarchy of leaders who exercise total control over their followers. By weaving together the Lafferty case with a broader examination of Mormon history, political power, and religious fanaticism, Krakauer offers a chilling portrait of faith turned violent and the hidden realities of one of America’s largest religious movements.

First publish date: 2003