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Book Review/Spoilers - "Under the Banner of Heaven" Sister Wives

Under the Banner of Heaven: a Story of Violent faith by Jon Krakauer
Written by AmyInTX

The author of this book, Jon Krakauer is probably best known for his book Into the Wild which spent two years on the NYT bestseller list.  I had read that book and really enjoyed it and was very intrigued when I saw that he had written a book on polygamy. 

According to the Author’s notes, he began the book as part of a ‘desire to grasp the nature of religious belief’.  He grew up in Oregon among those of the LDS faith.  He further states that this is not the book that he intended to write but that he was pleased with the result.  The book is written in the tone of a journalist and is heavily indexed and referenced.  It is full of anecdotes which I think all of you will find familiar to your (growing) knowledge of polygamy and fundamentalist Mormonism. 

The main storyline of the book focuses on the murder of Brenda and Erica Lafferty on July 24, 1984.   At the time of her murder, Brenda was 24 years old and Erica, her daughter, was 15 months old.   Erica was stabbed to death in her crib by her uncle who then went downstairs and along with another uncle, beat and stabbed Brenda to death.   Not incidentally, July 24 is a big day in the Mormon faith, that of Pioneer Day which commemorates the day that Brigham Young and the first Mormons entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

The book jumps around a lot, focusing on the history of the Mormon church, how different sects have broken off, beliefs of the faith, the doctrine of polygamy as well as other crimes committed by fundamentalist Mormons.  It doesn't have much of a story line, but is packed full of interesting stories from the Mormon and Fundamentalist Mormon histories and faiths.  Instead of following the flow of the book, I will give you some of the high points and will conclude by providing more details on the murders of Brenda and Erica.

First though, I would like to point out some recurring themes from the book that will no doubt be familiar to those who have taken a deeper look into the faith.   The Mormon faithful, not unlike members of other faiths, believe that they are a special people, set apart by God.  They also have a strong sense of be persecuted and almost seem to enjoy that persecution as a mark of being God’s special people.  Further, there is a doctrine within the church that it is appropriate to “Lie for the Lord” and to “Bleed the beast”.  In other words, to be dishonest to those outside the church is not considered sinful but something that should be done.

·         In 1988, Gordon B. Hinkley, the president and prophet of the LDS Church was interviewed on Larry King Live.  He stated that, “They (Fundamentalists) have no connection with us whatever.  The don’t belong to the church.  There are actually no Mormon Fundamentalists”.  However, the author points out that Mormons and Mormon Fundamentalists believe in the same sacred texts and the same sacred history.   The primary difference is that Fundamentalists believe that they have a divine obligation to take multiple wives. 

·         One of the communities mentioned in the book is that of Short Creek/Colorado City .  Three sects reside in Short Creek, including the FLDS or UEP (United Effort Plan) headed by Warren Jeffs.  (This book was written both during and shortly after the death of Rulon Jeffs, Warren’s father and the husband of the woman featured on the 20/20 Special, Rebecca Musser).   Short Creek is also the site of the infamous Raid which is when the US Government, with the support of the LDS church arrested 122 polygamous men in 1953. 

·         The book also mentions the Kingston group (Kollene’s father is mentioned by name).  In May 1998, a girl dialed 911 and told police that immediately after she turned 16, her father, John Kingston, had pulled her out of high school and forced her to become the 15^th wife of her uncle, David Kingston, 32.  Twice the girl had run away but was caught each time.  At one point, she went to her mother for help who returned her to her father.  She was then taken to a ‘reeducation camp’ for wayward wives and disobedient children.  She was beaten.  She fled the ranch and called the police.  John and David were tried and sentenced to jail, John for 28 weeks and David for 10 years.

·         Another familiar name that appears in the book is Flora Jessop’s.  Flora has been involved in the media due to the disappearance of her sister Ruby.  Ruby was 14 when she was caught kissing a boy in Colorado City.  She was immediately forced to marry an older man in her extended family.  After her wedding night, she was ‘hemorrhaging copious amounts of blood’.  She attempted to flee, running to the home of one of her bothers.  She was allegedly abducted from his home in 2001 by members of the FDLS church.  Flora contacted the police to tell them that Ruby had been kidnapped.  Upon investigation, the police were told that Ruby was on vacation.  The police left.  Unsatisfied, Flora continued to press for help.  The Utah Department of Child and Family Services meet with Ruby who was accompanied by one of her abductors.  In the presence of the abductor she was interviewed and told the social workers that ‘everything was fine’.    A quick google search reveals that Ruby was held by the church for the next 12 years before she escaped in earlier this year with her 6 children.

·         In 1826, Joseph Smith was sued by the state of New York for being an imposter.  He had presented himself to numerous people as someone with the ability to find buried treasure through the use of a seeing stone.  Eighteen months after the trial concluded he is purported to have found the golden plates which outlined the Mormon religion.

·         In 1831, as Mormonism was growing more popular, the local newspaper reported the following:  “We have never been able to learn that any of the (Smith) family were ever noted for much else than ignorance and stupidity…(and) a propensity to superstition and a fondness for everything marvelous.

·         Joseph Smith, continually lied about being a polygamist until he was outed within his community.  His first wife, Emma despised polygamy and was very vocal on her views.  At one point she threatened to take a plural husband if Joseph didn’t give up his wives.  In fact, the written text of Section 132 (the polygamy section of the Doctrine and Covenants) refers to Emma by name.  I copied the following from the LDS.org website.  And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and ^acleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be ^bdestroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

·         The murders were committed by two brothers of Brenda’s husband Allen.  The mastermind of the murders was Allen’s oldest brother Ronald who believes that he is the one true prophet.  He believed that God told him that he must murder Brenda and Erica along with two other people who assisted his ex-wife in leaving him.  At one point, he told Brenda’s husband Allen that he had been told by God to kill Brenda and Allen did nothing.  He was assisted in the murder by his brother Dan and two friends of theirs.   They had discussed the murders with many people before committing them.  At one point, the murder was discussed in front of their mother, Brenda’s mother-in-law and Erica’s grandmother, who also did nothing.  It gets even more crazy than that, I leave those details to those of you who chose to read the book.

In conclusion I will say that this is long, and it could have been 5 times longer.  This book is meticulously researched and packed full of details that are fascinating.  A must read, though a bit tedious at times, for anyone who is interested in greater detail.

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"Sister Wives" What would writer Ed Kociela's "Tell All" Questions Be?

                                                                  Kody's example of journalism.

Tamron Hall has been in the TV business for some time now. The 43-year-old reporter, who has a journalism degree from Temple University, was a fill-in for Keith Olbermann on MSNBC and does primary fill-in work for Natalie Morales on NBC’s “Today” show. In other words, she’s been around the block a time or two, which is why I was very surprised to see her turn up as the resident “journalist” on Sunday night’s episode of “Sister Wives.”

On the surface, her job was to interview Kody Brown, his wife, and his mistresses. What viewers got was what we, in the business, would call, a “softball” interview where the questions are weak, lack depth, and are not not terribly informative.

I got this..Ed won't get me...huckle huckle

I would love to do a one-on-one interview with Kody Brown.
What would I ask?

Why do you position yourself away from the AUB?

Do you pay tithing to the AUB?
Why do you insist this is a “lifestyle” choice and
not a religious choice? If this is a lifestyle choice, 
then it is solely about the sex and not your salvation. 
If it is about salvation, why do we not hear that and
why and how that works? Or, do you even have religious
beliefs? What is it all about?

Whose names are on the birth certificates of your children?
What is your combined income and how can you afford four homes on a cul de sac in the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area?
Have you and your wife ever asked a teen girl out on a date?
Why do you think you are “safer” from prosecution in Nevada than Utah, where the previous and current Attorney General have proclaimed that they will not prosecute violations of the state’s bigamy/polygamy statutes?
Who performed the ceremonies at your spiritual weddings?
That’s just for starters.

But, those questions will never be asked on a TLC broadcast because the network is too heavily invested in the show. Instead, we witnessed a very poor example of what was purported to be a journalistic interview, positioning a woman with a resume from a major network that has been in business far longer and has far more credibility than TLC, as a representative of the people who would like to know more about Kody, his wife, and the other women in his life.

There was one moment, and one moment only, that went beyond the superficial, and that was when it was mentioned that Kody and Robyn were still in the “honeymoon” phase of their relationship.
If you watched closely, you could see a flash of pain in the faces of a couple of the women, and rightfully so. Kody? He had that big, ear-to-ear grin that makes me want to toss a brick through the TV screen.  

 

I'll charm him with my humor....

It was, in my mind, the most telling moment I have seen on “Sister Wives,” affirmation that this is not about religion or a lifestyle choice, that this is simply a practice of gratification of Kody’s need to sleep with a bunch of women and not get any grief about it.

Look, if it’s purely about the sex, just be open about it. If it is purely a lifestyle choice, be up front, but don’t lay all that business of purity and righteousness on us or the self-proclaimed persecution. Rock stars do it guiltlessly all the time. Just say you don’t believe in monogamy and be done with the other stuff.

But that won’t happen because, as evidenced by the shoddy “reporting” on the last episode, TLC has a product that it needs to buff and shine and maintain a positive image for to hold on to viewers and propagate new ones.

                                                       Ladies taking off their rose colored glasses.

The questions will always be sanitized, the events that take place on the show will always have a little help or urging from the producers, Kody and the women will always be painted as the victims in this little play.

Since being invited here by Mister Sister, I have studied the posts, the questions, the thoughts of the community that gathers here. Guess what? There are some very articulate people here who are looking for some answers, who are very confused by what they see on this show, who are a hell of a lot brighter than the producers and the TLC network give them credit for as they strive for bigger ratings.

I hate to take such a serious tone because there is a liveliness, a sense of humor here, and I certainly don’t want to be the buzz killer. But, I also know the incredible power of the media, the strength it possesses, the influence it can sway.

                                 Man, this Ed guy is not B.S.ing around! I'm outta here! Starts clutching chest...           


Does that mean all TV should be dour and scholarly?
Of course not. To live without humor is to live without joy.
I have used the word “context” a lot here recently because it is important to put everything into context and perspective. My context and perspective are built upon a very lengthy career as a newsman – I actually loathe the word “journalist” because it implies, by definition, something entirely different – and I hate to see what has become of a media I once defended as an honorable profession built upon an almost sacred trust between reporter and consumers of the news. We were entrusted to act in the public’s interest, on its behalf, to inform and educate, but most importantly, to be the embodiment of truth.

But, when I see how a network panders to a baser instinct of titillation rather than information, well, it breaks my heart.

Now, for a little snarky levity?
How many sister wives does it take to screw up a television network?

Written by: Ed Kociela for SWB