It’s not that I didn’t already know Mormons had unusual beliefs, or that some “fundamentalist” Mormons have taken it a step further. (Or, more accurately, stood their ground while greater Mormonism has taken steps toward mainstream.) I’ve known many Mormons, and it seems to me that their being Mormon has very little to do with whether or not they’re assholes. Let’s face it, assholes come from all walks of life, religious or not.
I guess what really surprised me about Krakauer’s portrait of this unique little American cult is not how unusual their beliefs were, but how violent and callus some of its believers can be. The book centers around Dan and Ron Lafferty, who claimed God told them to brutally murder their sister-in-law and her infant daughter by cutting their throats, even though the brothers had perfectly good non-divine motives for wanting at least the mother dead. The pages describing the murders and the immediate aftermath are enough to make the reader cringe.
I have nothing personal against religious folk. I even find some religious rituals to be charming, and a good sermon or homily can be as inspiring as any good lecture. But religion is dangerous, as well. And Krakauer’s book examines the birth and growth of an original, sometimes ugly, American religion. Most major world religions were begun thousands of years in the past, so their prophets and histories are veiled in the haze of ancestral memory and translated texts. Mormonism is different in that respect. It’s less than 200 years old. It was created after the age of enlightenment, in the era of mass communication and the daily newspaper. Krakauer was able to research the major characters and events in the history of the Mormon church to such a degree that would be near impossible with other religions.
If you have any interest in Mormonism or the history of the Mormon church (or the state of Utah, for that matter), then I would recommend this book whole-heartedly. Krakauers style and pacing are reminiscent of Mark Bowden, and there is very little unnecessary material in the book. I may have to pick one or both of his other books: “Into the Wild” and “Into Thin Air.”
I don’t know why I’ve been on a religious non-fiction kick lately, but it’s definitely been educational.
This book is part of the Open Books project I’m working on.
i picked up this book a couple of days ago, and WOW is it gripping!
classic of krakauer’s style (and yes,andy, you should especially read ‘into the wild’ for a similarly gripping tale) the story is told with well-researched and documented sources in a way that helps readers to relate to the complexities of the human condition. the good, the bad and the downright ugly.