Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
This book was as informative as it was infuriating. I had very limited knowledge about Mormon’s & Mormon Fundamentalism (which differ from each other) from watching SisterWives for a few years but oof it is even worse than I thought. First off this book just confirms that men will do anything, like start a religion based on sexism, racism, xenophobia, and obedience instead of going to therapy or just walking off into the woods to leave us ALONE. (Some spoilers) The men of this religion will bend over backwards to defend their ‘god given right’ to marry any girl over the age of 14 (barf) while in the same breathe declare they are the most righteous people and any claims of abuse/misconduct are false… sure Jan… And the more extreme of these leaders have set up entire settlements and towns under their control so no one will ever be held accountable. The Mormons continually paint themselves as a peaceful people while covering up their intensely violent history and continued claims of abuse.
I appreciated how Krakauer dove into the psychology behind religious extremism and how we frame the debate around it during the retrial of Ron Lafferty. Not all religious extremists are violent. Not all religious extremists are mentally ill. And how to we distinguish between being mentally ill & religious extremism. Many so called prophets could be diagnosed as Narcissists. This is apparent in the case of Joseph Smith. Especially with the idea of plural marriage. Men would say God told them to marry this certain woman or this many of them and who would question an order directly from God? But time and time again it becomes obvious there is no directive from God. More so than not it seems these directives from God are just thoughts and feelings that these men have then claim it came from the Holy Spirit. I highly doubt God called you to marry your 14 year old step-daughter or murder a 16 month old baby Grossy McGross Face.
I can see why the LDS church distances themselves so much from the FLDS church. While I understand some Mormon’s could take offense to this book, I don’t have much sympathy for them.
I can see why the LDS church distances themselves so much from the FLDS church. While I understand some Mormon’s could take offense to this book, I don’t have much sympathy for them.
This book challenged me and gave me more insight into the psychology behind religious extremists. I will never agree with them but I can understand how they got to the point they are at.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual assault
I'm a huge sucker for theology and religious history, especially when it comes to cults and religious sects. But this was really disturbing and I need a nice, fiction love story or something for my next book.
I've read a lot on FLDS but this tied LDS in with FLDS- which I understand- but I also see how modern Mormons would take offense to this book. Good, well-written read, but really hard to take in and pretty long.
I've read a lot on FLDS but this tied LDS in with FLDS- which I understand- but I also see how modern Mormons would take offense to this book. Good, well-written read, but really hard to take in and pretty long.
Krakauer gives the history of Mormonism and particularly how fundamentalists broke off to create sects where polygamy is still practiced. He frames it around the brutal murders of Brenda Lafferty and her daughter by he fundamentalist brothers-in-law.
The story is well told and he expanded on history that was touched upon in The 19th Wife giving a broader understanding of the faith. However, I was left with a bad taste about fundamentalist Mormonism. I know not all Mormons are like this, but the extremism and using religion as an excuse for violence was disturbing.
At one point, Krakauer asks one of the brother's convicted of the murders how he is different from the 9/11 bombers (both believe they have been told by God to act and murder) and his answer is basically that he is listening to the true Prophet, they were listening to a false prophet.
Makes me afraid for the future of our country and world.
The story is well told and he expanded on history that was touched upon in The 19th Wife giving a broader understanding of the faith. However, I was left with a bad taste about fundamentalist Mormonism. I know not all Mormons are like this, but the extremism and using religion as an excuse for violence was disturbing.
At one point, Krakauer asks one of the brother's convicted of the murders how he is different from the 9/11 bombers (both believe they have been told by God to act and murder) and his answer is basically that he is listening to the true Prophet, they were listening to a false prophet.
Makes me afraid for the future of our country and world.
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
Enjoyed it to an extent, but it felt like it jumped around too much, such as going to history and then switching to the build up of July 24, 1984. It made me feel lost several times, and I also believe the book should’ve followed a more linear path in order to avoid confusion.
I enjoyed it however, and I would recommended to anybody else who is interested in the Mormon church and its fundamental branches.
I enjoyed it however, and I would recommended to anybody else who is interested in the Mormon church and its fundamental branches.
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
This was a fascinating look at Mormon Fundamentalism and how the early years of Mormonism provided the roots for various fundamentalist beliefs, particularly polygamy and blood atonement. After reading The Book of Mormon recently, I wanted more information around its writing and the development of the organized religion around Joseph Smith, and this book provided all that and more. I realized that I had a serious misunderstanding about how polygamy is practiced in most of the Mormon Fundamental strongholds; I was picturing polyamorous relationships among equals, not a culture of older men marrying girls as soon as they turn 14. The chapter near the end about how (and whether) we can distinguish between mental illness and religious fanaticism, particularly when that fanaticism leads to violence, was one of the most interesting parts of the book.
I think Krakauer tried a little too hard to make the Lafferty murders a thread holding the entire book together, by jumping in to point out small connections between the Laffertys and whatever he was discussing in the moment. He could have organized the book in a much more straightforward manner — opening with the murders, as he did; profiling modern-day fundamentalist communities in the first part; telling the story of early Mormonism in the second part; and coming back to the Laffertys in the last part. I felt it jumped around more than was necessary, which made it difficult to keep track of who certain people were when they hadn't been mentioned for 100 pages.
Although this book could (understandably) be viewed as a criticism of Mormonism, Krakauer says in the author's note that he originally set out to write a book about faith and religion more generally. As Krakauer points out, what's unique about Mormonism is that it came to life in the age of the printing press, so its development is much more well-documented than most faiths, and that allows it to function as a case study for what is true of many religions — for example, that its fundamentalists can trace their beliefs to the religion's own texts and doctrines, but interpreted in a way that most mainstream followers do not.
Overall, I found this an informational and thought-provoking read and would recommend it.
I think Krakauer tried a little too hard to make the Lafferty murders a thread holding the entire book together, by jumping in to point out small connections between the Laffertys and whatever he was discussing in the moment. He could have organized the book in a much more straightforward manner — opening with the murders, as he did; profiling modern-day fundamentalist communities in the first part; telling the story of early Mormonism in the second part; and coming back to the Laffertys in the last part. I felt it jumped around more than was necessary, which made it difficult to keep track of who certain people were when they hadn't been mentioned for 100 pages.
Although this book could (understandably) be viewed as a criticism of Mormonism, Krakauer says in the author's note that he originally set out to write a book about faith and religion more generally. As Krakauer points out, what's unique about Mormonism is that it came to life in the age of the printing press, so its development is much more well-documented than most faiths, and that allows it to function as a case study for what is true of many religions — for example, that its fundamentalists can trace their beliefs to the religion's own texts and doctrines, but interpreted in a way that most mainstream followers do not.
Overall, I found this an informational and thought-provoking read and would recommend it.
First off, the story was told very well. What I enjoyed the most was learning more about the history of the LDS Church in America. The murder story, which was the frame for the whole book, was not my favorite part.