Any LDS people have an opinion on "Under the Banner of Heaven" by John Krakauer?

Question

I just finished it and I'm curious if any non fundematilists (or fundemantelists) have an opinion.

Thanks for answers so far, but I'm really interested in LDS folks who've had the courrage to read it. He does address the criticisms in the book that were made by Turley, and in fact he reprints Turey's article in full.

Also, it's more than simply ploygamoy. These men like Joesph Smith and Young and many others took very young girls and esentially raped them. I have no problems with adults doing whatever they feel is right, but to have intercourse with children and to say it is God's will is a cop out. I understand and agree that the main LDS church people were outraged and disturbed by the Smart story. However, is raping and molesting girls not a PART (not the whole not even a huge part, but still a part) of the history of this religion? It seems there can be no doubt about that.

Isn't turning to LDS folks the same as what you say about the car dealers? How could I posibly get an unbiased opinon from their literature or what they say? What religion doesn't think they are the only one true religion? Don't they all? Doesn't Osama believe that about his religion? I'm NOT saying LDS folks are Osama or terrorists, but I'm using it to make a point. Also, I really did not take from the book the idea that all LDS people are bad or murders or anything like that. In fact, far from that. He is clear that he is speaking about fringes of this religion. ALL religions have their fringes..again, Osama. I have known, worked with and lived near LDS folks and I respect and admire many things about them. But I do feel my eyes were opened by reading this book. I would love to hear from someone who has read it as I don't believe it's as 'damning' as some of you seem to think it is.

Answer 1

Dude, you have basically said their prophet is a child molester and a rapist and now you wish to have a civil conversation with them?

Anti-Theists have a funny sense of diplomacy.

Answer 2

I'm LDS (definitely non-fundamentalist--that's a small breakoff of the church which a lot of people confuse for the real thing), and though I haven't read the book, I read what it is about and my opinion of that book isn't very high. I can guarantee you that if Joseph Smith or anyone else high in the church would condemn what happened to Elizabeth Smart, and anyone kidnapped or held against their will, or raped or anything even remotely close to that nature. In fact, even those few who were engaged in polygamy at that time did (the ones who did it because of a commandment) and would not do anything even chovanistic (well--Maybe like today there were some people who were, but it would not have been looked favorable upon--read D&C 121 where Joseph Smith talks about never trying to maintain power or influence by our positions or anything like that). In fact, the polygamist wives of that time actually were among the first women doctors, lawyers, etc. They were the first to be able to vote, too---the US thought that they would vote polygamy out, but it backfired on them.
Well, at any rate, that was then and now is now. I think the Lord knew what he was doing when he gave the polgyamy commandment, and he knew what he was doing when he took it away. Today the church condemns anyone who is involved in the practice and excommunicates anyone in the church who is. And those who disobeyed the commandment and refused to stop polygamy, you can see how controlling and violent they are.
What I see from what it says about the book is that I agree that those who are doing so today are violent and definitely in the wrong and who I believe the Lord will condemn for what they are doing. However, even in the brief summary of the book I've found several errors when he talks about--especially in tying the history of what happened to Elizabeth Smart to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. I think a good thing to do would be to go to the original sources and documents written. Those can give a much more clear understanding of what happened and what was really going on.

Answer 3

If you wanted to find out about a Ford, would you go to a Chevy dealer?
If you want to find out about The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, Would you go to an anti-Mormon?
If you want to find out about something go to the source and then study the information you have found and compare it to what you already know to be true and accurate, and go to an unbiased expert about the subject you are trying to find information about and see what they say. In this case Latter-day Saints claim to be "he only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which..." the Lord is "...well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually". So I would take the challenge mentioned in the Book of Mormon (which I have already outlined) and ask God what He thinks about the church.

As far as the book you are asking about I have never read it but from the synopsis I read online it seams like normal anti-Mormon garbage. Poorly researched (if at all), based off of lies and various distorted facts, designed to make their argument sound convincing. However if you do a bit of footwork then you will most likely find that the whole basis for the argument presented in the book will completely fall apart.

Answer 4

no but i got lds books and non lds books by mormon authors
most are highly good and great to read for study groups, reading groups or just plain fun

ive got two in front of me right now
they r
Standing for something to beleive in 10 neglected virtues that will heal our hearts and homes by Gordon B hinckley

and the seven habits of highly effective people by Stephen R Covey

www.lds.org www.mormon.org


here r cute jokes ive found


SEVEN REASONS NOT TO MESS WITH CHILDREN

A little girl: was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher: said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl: stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher: reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl: said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah". The teacher: asked, " What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl: replied, "Then you ask him".

A Kindergarten teacher: was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl: replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher: paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl: replied, "They will in a minute."

A Sunday school teacher: was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy: (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white." The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, She's dead."

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.." "Yes," the class said. "Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching." Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples.

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A lady gets home from work and sees her husband with a fly swater and asks what he's doing. The husband says, "I'm killing flies... I've killed 2 females and 3 males." The wife is slightly put off by this and asks, "How do you know which ones were females and which ones were males?" The husband says, "Well, I killed the 2 females on the phone and the 3 males were on the remote control."

Posted by Hello on Feb 6 2007 7:16P

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MALE OR FEMALE!

A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

"House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa."

"Pencil," however, is masculine: "el lapiz."

A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?"

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun!

Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender ("la computadora"), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.


(THIS GETS BETTER!)


The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine
("el computador"), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

Answer 5

Yep, take a look here. The book sounds as though it is more Anti-Mormon propaganda.