If you want to take an in depth, well-researched look into the origins of Mormonism, this book is a good source. The author adequately and masterfully shows the disturbing undercurrents of violence of the early Mormons flowing directly into the violence of some contemporary Mormon Fundamentalists. There is an undeniable unbroken chain of determined entitled belief leading to behavior so outside of the norms of civil society everywhere, as to not only be illegal and unethical, but incredibly shocking and sinful. But the Mormon god commands these atrocities, and we are left with child brides; shattered homes; and murdered men, women, and children.

Where the book digresses and spoils its otherwise excellent treatise; is the author's drawing of parallels between all fundamentalists of any belief system. The very existence of belief in God seems to sit ill-at-ease with the author, and "they are all the same," seems to be his personal bias. If you can step over those occasional clumsy blocks in the road, the book is otherwise an outstanding journey of necessary hard truths.

Chose this book because I had read and loved the author's previous books and also because I had just read Educated. Excellent research; fascinating reporting; sad and repugnant events. Well worth reading.
Jessie May Keller

Examined every disturbing piece.

One of the finest true crime--if not nonfiction--books ever written, period.

Ostensibly an account of a 1984 grisly murder in a Utah community, by alternating chapters of the present with those of the past Krakauer also provides a detailed history of the Mormon faith and its connection to the crime.

This book is simultaneously educational and horrifying. My heart breaks for the FLDS women, whose sole value in life and in their communities is as reproductive chattel. It also caused me to wonder any number of times throughout the text how anyone practicing religion can describe the more outlandish tenets and history of their faith with a straight face.

These two unrelated quotes in particular are worth mulling over:
"Although the prophecy of this father, Uncle Rulon, that the world would be swept clean in a hurricane of fire by the year 2000 did not come to pass, the events of September 11, 2001, have renewed Warren's [Jeffs] optimism."

"I remember wondering about contradictions between what the religion taught and scientific truth. But Uncle Roy told us that the way to handle that was just to avoid asking certain kinds of questions. So I trained myself to ignore the contradictions."

Yikes.

If you liked Education, by Tamara Westover, read this for a deeper understanding of religious fanaticism. The modern day fanatics in this book demand absolute obedience from their followers. Their out-of-control narcissism knows no bounds, even to the point where they are willing to assault their own wives and children. A senseless murder that is at the core of this story. The mystery is not who, but what kind of a twisted thinking and rage could lead to this.

Good journalistic writing, but too long.

Two fundamentalist Mormon brothers claimed that they committed murder under direct orders from God.

Terrifying look into how religion and belief can be twisted and used. In a religious belief system where everyone can and does talk directly to God and God can and does talk back, what happens when one person gets a message from God to kill and another person gets a message from God to not kill? Who's right? Who determines who's right?

I think it says a lot about critical thinking and thinking for oneself. An important lesson in today's world of instant news and no follow up.