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Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
5.0
dark informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

Under The Banner of Heaven is my favorite non-fiction book of all time.   Re-reading only reaffirms this.

Krakauer’s juxtaposing of early Mormon history and Mormon current events is skillful, powerful, and wildly engaging. He cuts a clear path through history, deftly uncovering what makes Mormon faith, and all faith, a potential source of danger. This book tells the stories of real people that share  roots with the Laffertys — the stories of Elizabeth Smart, Flora Jessop, Mark Hoffman, and others.

Under The Banner of Heaven is an incredibly well-researched, empathically-written and earnest exploration of faith and religious fundamentalism. I can’t recommend it enough.

“Faith is the very antithesis of reason…common sense is no match for the voice of God.”