When Ron and Dan Lafferty commit two murders in Utah in 1984, killing Ron's wife and his infant daughter, both of them claimed that they had been divinely inspired by God to rid the Earth of his enemies. Both Ron and Dan were members of a fringe fundamentalist movement within the Church of the Latter Day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. Still adhering to the original polygamist message that their church founder, Joseph Smith proclaimed, Ron sought to acquire a second wife, something his wife was not interested in at all. Thus came the revelations, which to him granted him the right to eliminate his wife so that he could find a more suitable mate.
Under the Banner of Heaven tells the history of the Mormon faith, from its humble beginnings to today's multibillion dollar enterprise based in Salt Lake City, and it intermingle that of Ron, Dan, their parents, friends, and other members of this fringe group and the power they have over large number of followers. The crime is analyzed and solved while the brothers travel throughout the southwestern United States, and the religion's impact on their lives is explored.
Fans of history will appreciate this deep dive into America's best-known homegrown religion, while fans of sordid crimes will read how a heinous crime was solved.
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